AFAICT, areas with no broadband access, or very substandard access are tending to get priority treatment.

IMHO, that's fair enough too. We probably won't see the NBN here in my lifetime, but we already get 116 Mbps down (but a miserable 2.55 Mbps up ... ), so we are not hard done by! Top Telstra cable plan.

My brother is on ADSL and is lucky to get 8/1 Mbps - outer suburb of Brisbane. Areas like his, or areas without any access, should get some sort of proper service before we get upgraded.