NBN's speed slowed by reliance on copper network, its CEO admits

Bill Morrow says Coalition changes made network cheaper and faster to install but more prone to faults

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The national broadband network's reliance on copper has led to a higher fault rate and slower internet speeds but helped deliver the network faster and cheaper, its outgoing chief executive has said.

In a position paper released on Friday, Bill Morrow is frank about the challenges of fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology and use of the copper network, a signature policy of Malcolm Turnbull in his time as communications minister.