One Animal is to Thank For Australia’s Poor Broadband Network
If you have ever traveled to Australia, you have probably noticed the large population of cockatoos. They may be cute and quite beautiful, but they have been mischievous! According to…
NEW YORK, NY – DECEMBER 12: Zeek, a male cockatoo, awaits a botox injection to treat an abdominal condition at the Animal Medical Center on December 12, 2012 in New York City. The non-profit Animal Medical Center, established in 1910, has 80 veterinarians in 17 specialty services that treat up to 40,000 animal visits annually. Clients bring in their pets from around the country and world to the teaching hospital on Manhattan’s Upper East Side for specialized high tech treatment. The American Pet Products Association estimates that Americans would spend more than $50 billion on their pets in 2012, $14 billion of that in veterinary care alone. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
John Moore / StaffIf you have ever traveled to Australia, you have probably noticed the large population of cockatoos.
They may be cute and quite beautiful, but they have been mischievous! According to Reuters, the Australian government spent around $36 billion to fix their broadband network. That new installation is slowly becoming ruined thanks to these birds! That’s right, the government spent billions of dollars, just to have all their cables ruined by cockatoos.
Apparently, the damage has been pretty bad! Repairing or replacing the steal-braid wires costs around $61,500 says NBN Co. In Australian dollars, that’s around $80,000. Essentially, the Australian government is paying more just to maintain the updated network!
As the broadband network is being replaced, they are going to keep fending off the feather creatures. Since a lot of the wires are currently unprotected, the cockatoos are going to town on the electrical snack. The National Telecommunications Infrastructure Project is sent to be due in 2021. Needless to say, we feel like the government is going to have a few more hefty bills in their future.
The NBN Co Project noted “They are constantly sharpening their beaks and as a result will attack and tear apart anything they come across. Unfortunately, they’ve developed a liking to our cables…these birds are unstoppable when in a swarm.”
As of right now, the main problem is in Australia’s southeast. The birds seem to be more of a fan of the wiring and finding ways to ruin the work. They do not have a solution to their ever-growing issue, other than to keep repairing and replacing the wires.
Once all of the wires have been replaced, then NBN Co will be installing a protective casing. Hopefully, this will defend the cockatoos’ sharp beaks. Who knows, maybe they will find a way to destroy them too!
Sarah is a Hufflepuff living in NYC. When she is not traveling or talking to random animals, she is working as a script writer. Tweet her at @lumpyspacederp
