A recent poll has shown many senior executives do not see the benefits of optical internet infrastructure.

The Galaxy poll surveyed around 400 top-level managers and executives on how they thought a network such as the NBN would help productivity - just fifty-one per cent of respondents thought it would make a positive difference.

The poll comes in the same week that has seen more criticism of the NBN by the federal Opposition, which it claims will cost more than twice as much as original estimates.

There are few industries which cannot be helped in some way by the broad benefits of high-speed uploads and downloads. It is reasonable to assume most sectors which deny the helpfulness of the internet have not fully explored its possibilities.

The forty-nine per cent who believe productivity would not be assisted may echo the sentiment and poor predictive skills of previous executives.

Two famous instances show the disconnection that can be created by working on the upper tier.

In 1943 the chairman of IBM said, “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers,” similarly, in 1977 the president, chairman and founder of the Digital Equipment Corporation said; “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”