Before the Politics dictated, the #NBN was actually going to be a world class service for ALL Australians. A system that allowed a true provider choice and provided a world leading IP Internet) based service to all Australians. The link takes you to a 2011 Engineering Week Lecture (Macquarie University) by Peter Ferris, the man responsible for Network Design and structure (NBN). This man has effectively been “sacked” by the current Federal Government (read Malcolm Turnbull) Communications Minister (along with a number of high profile well qualified Australians at the NBN Co.)
What you and I (Australians) would have had as IP (Internet) infrastructure is NO LONGER. What we will have, some unknown time in the future, is a overpriced, under performing IP (internet) infrastructure, which will rapidly prove to be inadequate and in need of rapid upgrade to the original, fibre to the premises.
You should know that –
- Copper in the ground in this country is old. Most of it is incapable of supporting speeds claimed by the Federal Government (i.e. it will need to be replaced)
- The cable network (HFC) is limited in deployment and has not been adequatley maintained/upgraded for at least a decade.
- The Federal Government DOES NOT have access to the ADSL/Cable (HFC) networks of any providers. It has to negotiate access (pay yours and my $$$$$) to access it.
- Many Australians have little to no IP (Internet Access) or it is very poor (read unreliable/slow). Choice of provider is limited and in many cases, if you want performance/reliability/live in the country, there is only one choice. The current Federal Government seems unable to indicate if or even when, these issues will be addressed, let alone how.
- Satellite will serve limited numbers of people in remote areas well (cost subsidised). They will not serve large numbers of Australians well (exspensive/unafforedable without subsidy).
- Wireless is NOT the answer. It has many limitations in spectrum availability/performance/congestion/range. A tower in every street!
- The #MTM means a fridge sized box (One or more) in your street requiring power and containing batteries (will it be outside your house?)
The proposed #MTM will not survive even the smallest objective scrutiny as a cost effective, high performance internet service, offering provider choice for ALL Australians
I have lived in a suburb (in a major Australian City) where the copper in the ground is so old, it is wrapped in paper, as the insulator
I currently live in suburb that has availability of both cable and ADSL (I am lucky). I have used both. I live within 2 klm of the local ADSL enabled exchange (within the MAX ADSL performance distance envelope). The ADSL is poor (the copper in the ground is at least 20 years old). The cable is much better, but with NO choice of provider. To get adequate performance I have changed back to the cable provider and enrolled in their performance plan.
Internet (cable) access is okay, but certainly has its moments and it has taken over 3 months to sort out serious performance/billing issues with the provider.
Media coverage is restrained to non existent with evidence of deliberate muting and discussion avoidance. I recommend Delimter (www.delimiter.com.au) for a unbiased and in depth articles on this and other Australian Technology issues.
A Fibre to the Premises based internet (IP) infrastructure is critical to Australia’s economic/education/business/medical/communications services. No other option is future proof/cost effective/affordable to build and use.
The Video link again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a2ne1WKxek Watch the video all the way through. The tech stuff is very well explained. The Q and A at the end is excellent.
