Why I'm voting for the NBN

I started to write this as I grew progressively more tired listening to arguments against the NBN. The first version (being that I was angry and such) became rather a rant. This, hopefully, is closer to objectivity.

First. Allow me to direct you to Mike Quigley CEO NBN Co's speech from Aug 18, on why it is better to invest $27b rather than spend $6b. I highly commend it. So there would seem to be a few arguments to draw..

Better Place Australia announces Canberra as starting point of national roll-out of electric vehicle

Better Place Australia, (an electric vehicle infrastructure provider) announced in Jul 2009 that it will use Canberra as the first site in Australia for the roll-out of EV-infrastructure. The roll-out is expected to be in place from 2011, and active in 2012.
more info from the press release

Nanotube radio

I am fascinated by things small, physicky, and as far ``out-there'' as possible. This seems to fit the bill beautifully:

From Scientific American online:

One of the first true nanoscale machines is a radio that can play songs such as Eric Clapton’s “Layla” and the theme from Star Wars.
A single nanotube in this device performs the function of multiple components in larger radios. The nanoapparatus may ultimately find uses in drug delivery devices, prosthetics or explosives detectors.

The radio waves essentially vibrate a cantilever, which induces electric voltage as an amplitude modulated (AM) receiver. (The cantilever is vibrated by the carrier, but due to the spring-like nature, it only moves fast enough to capture the underlying audio signal, in a similar way to very early crystal-radio apparatus.) Crystal radios (and it seems this one too) need a moderately large voltage to operate.

So lets add the next part: Orlando hospital pioneers latest deep-brain-stimulation device for Parkinson's patients which is putting high voltage (several 10's) of volts into specific points in the brain.

Similar to a cardiac pacemaker, the device delivers electrical stimulation to targeted areas within the brain, blocking the signals that cause the debilitating trembling.

Metal staples form two half-circles on the top of Michel's recently shaved head, where a lead consisting of four thin wires with electrodes is implanted in his brain. An extension connects to the lead and is threaded under the skin from the head, down the neck and into the upper chest. There, it connects to a neurostimulator, a programmable battery that delivers electrical pulses through the extension and to the brain.

Could we hope to see deep stimulation of tissue without the need for external connection? Could the "radio" be away to carry the voltage directly to the point of application rather than an external contact? It seems obvious that we should have radio controlled implantables of incredibly small size, but unless we can get the voltage in there too, the wireless implant is still a little way off.