peuce;
I had the opportunity of having the first, very first hand, face to face, Airservices briefing by the "briefer" (who should remain anon but he knows who he is),after having walked out of an AOPA meeting at Murray Bridge many years ago during a coup which was taking place. He was the guest speaker yet to be heard. He stated in no uncertain terms the "fact" that Airservices "were" going to give "us" all an ADS-B unit at "no cost" to us and it was up to "us" to sign up for it asap. It was similarly tried on at a Bankstown Trotting Club after meeting dinner of the same organisation which supported it via a couple vested interest technocrats. All you mentioned was part of the speil.
The thing was, "they" with help from a few noisy friends, tried it on, to mandate it first, which pretty well guaranteed there would be no "freebies". (remember the tooth fairy? If it's mandated why subsidise it.)
The "spin" was amazing and got very nasty indeed. I know, I copped heaps from a mob of crazy zealots who eventually succumbed to imposed dumbness. Probably someone sued somebody. (I hope they did because they ruined a good organisation).
If they had only tried to sell it as an evolutionary ATC tool, people probably would have embraced it in Australia.
I know I would have.
But I hate liars.