Paul, Your system of control of all of the airwaves and telephone systems,pre-1980's, sounds remarkably like ours!. Now we have a company running our telephone- network that works on the "user-pays" system, a customer of mine was complaining that he got a bill for NZ$4000,to provide him with a telephone service to his rural home!.
I would guess that the Australian/N.Z. systems of the PMG were modeled on Britain.
The phone network has become a mess here since it was privatized in the 1980s (similar problems to those that followed the breakup of AT&T in the States). Installation costs aren't too bad though: British Telecom, still the most common provider of the local loop, charge a flat installation rate. Last time I checked it was about £130.
Power companies are another matter. There aren't that many places in England that are far from lines, but every so often we still hear a story of somebody having to pay thousands to get a new service run to a a new house in a remote location. (Remote in England could mean new lines for just a few hundred yards).
David in Scotland would probably have more experience of this with the much lower population density up there.
[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 11-24-2002).]
Paul, Good call,I would love to hear from David on this matter, as this is basically what the NZ Telecom ideal is based upon, population numbers, you have to have 10,000 people in our area, which boasts a population of 4500, in the rural area's, around the general area of Ashburton.
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