News & Discussion: National Broadband Network

[monotonehell]

Surely this is why they are now investigating using existing overhead pay tv and new overhead cables to get fibre to those who need/want it. Seems, many of the "must only be full FTTH model" continually say the new government is in a mess with all this...and yet it appears the new government just keeps plugging away, prepared to explore all available options and not being rushed by the near hysteria of some so called experts that our entire communications system is about to collapse and send Austrailia into the dark ages.

[drsmith]

More on the rollout in Tasmania,

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-11-18/n ... bo/5100668

[Vee]

Bad news!
This is frustrating and annoying for folk who did not get connected to FTTP /H under the Labor NBN.
A decade is ridiculous.
High speed broadband is essential in a connected 21st century world. Australia is going to be left behind.

NBN Chief puts brakes on FTTN upgrade path.
Don't expect one for a decade.

The changed NBN model under the Coalition will see Aussies connected to FTTN (over a longer period) and having to wait longer to get the 'last mile' fibre upgrade FTTP / H, according to new NBN boss, Ziggy Switkowski, who faced Qs in the Senate estimates.

Read the item IT News
http://www.itnews.com.au/News/364809,nb ... -path.aspx

[drsmith]

For those interested, weekly updates on the progress of the rollout are available from the following link.

http://www.nbnco.com.au/about-us/weekly ... eport.html

[fabricator]

According to a newsletter released by Prospect council, PRO-02 (2500 premises) is going to be build as FTTH and Instructions have been issued for construction. This is in addition to the known PRO-01, and I presume is adjacent.

The NBN website is useless at getting more info, as until they actually start rolling out cables it doesn't appear on the map nor in the news section.
We still don't know where the remaining 31,500 premises from the 34,000 Turnbull announced for SA are even located, bloody pathetic, why the secrecy Malcolm ?

Honestly its like an episode of Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy
"But Mr Dent, the plans have been available in the local planning office for the last nine months."
"Oh yes, well as soon as I heard I went straight round to see them, yesterday afternoon. You hadn't exactly gone out of your way to call attention to them, had you? I mean, like actually telling anybody or anything."
"But the plans were on display ..."
"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."
"That's the display department."
"With a flashlight."
"Ah, well the lights had probably gone."
"So had the stairs."
"But look, you found the notice didn't you?"
"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'."

[monotonehell]

+20 points for quoting DNA.

[rubberman]

From the SMH:

http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government ... hv3tp.html

Nothing new here actually. This is what the tech heads and anyone with a modicum of public utility provision has been saying for over a year now. I dare say that when Australian businesses start heading off to Canberra weeping about how hard it is to do business competing against other countries with better broadband infrastructure, and can the government please install FTTP, it will be time for the next election.

Perhaps the SMH would have more credibility in this had it raised these well known points before the election. I suspect that they are just trying to regain some of the readership they lost in the months before the last election. Fat chance.

[monotonehell]

From the SMH:

http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government ... hv3tp.html

Nothing new here actually. This is what the tech heads and anyone with a modicum of public utility provision has been saying for over a year now. I dare say that when Australian businesses start heading off to Canberra weeping about how hard it is to do business competing against other countries with better broadband infrastructure, and can the government please install FTTP, it will be time for the next election.

Perhaps the SMH would have more credibility in this had it raised these well known points before the election. I suspect that they are just trying to regain some of the readership they lost in the months before the last election. Fat chance.

Just what everyone who understands the tech has been saying for the past year or so. Where's the face palm smilie when you need it?

[fabricator]

If you look on this page you can find the full video of the National Broadband Network Senate Estimates.
http://parlview.aph.gov.au/browse.php

I've watched the entire 5 1/2 hours of the 28/11/2013 one, a lot of problems brought to the surface in that, the media only cover some of it.

For instance the Department of Communications staff who have to ensure the costs for FTTN are correct/worth the effort, do not actually have any information on the wire gauge or condition of the copper cables themselves. Really thin copper wires are almost useless for VDSL2 services, and generally the newer the area, the thinner the wires (cost cutting by Telstra). No one asked Telstra for info on the copper itself, nor the number of ADSL lines with faults, but still work for voice, Telstra didn't give the information out either, despite it clearly being needed.

So how can you cost FTTN when you don't know what copper is useless due to being corroded or never suitable to VDSL2 in the first place ?

[Vee]

Ziggy, old mate installed by Turnbull.
Surprise - NOT !!! 21st century services including telehealth, online education, internet TV, business, folk operating in a modern, connected world need high speed, reliable broadband not fraudband.

Ziggy Switkowski warns of more NBN cost blowouts as services of the future in doubt
Note:

The slower transmission speed (under FTTN) model would compromise the provision of telehealth, distance education, internet TV and other business applications.

SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government ... hv3wv.html

NBN: unlikely to meet Coalition's deadline.
SMH
http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government ... hv3tp.html

Not faster, not sooner, not happy.

Telstra copper network an absolute disgrace (Comms Union)
ZDNet
http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-copper- ... 000023717/

Basis of copper in the mix fraudband!!

FTTN cabinets, skills significant threats to Coalition's alternative NBN model
http://www.zdnet.com/fttn-cabinets-skil ... 000023753/

The reliance of fibre-to-the-node (FttN) technology on individually powered 'nodes' will demand "a higher degree of skills" than FttP and present major issues for the Coalition government's alternative NBN plan, advice prepared by NBN Co for incoming communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned.

The "Blue Book" background advice leak in this piece reveals more about the FTTN handicaps.

[fabricator]

This article is a few months old, but still just as relevant.

http://www.zdnet.com/landline-complaint ... 000022321/

Official complaints about landline telecommunications services surged by 18.3% during the 2012-13 year while NBN customers had “very few” problems with the services, Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) Simon Cohen has revealed as he released the latest statistics about the industry dispute-resolution body’s activities during 2012-13.
Consumers complained about 18,963 Internet fault-related issues during the year – equivalent to 52 new reports every day – about fully unusable services (up 24% year-on-year to 4811 issues), slow data speeds (up 16.5% to 4324 issues), and dropouts (up 10.6% to 3330 issues).

Consumers complained about 18,963 Internet fault-related issues during the year – equivalent to 52 new reports every day – about fully unusable services (up 24% year-on-year to 4811 issues), slow data speeds (up 16.5% to 4324 issues), and dropouts (up 10.6% to 3330 issues).

[drsmith]

Some numbers on rollout rates and how long it would consequently take to complete.

http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/government ... hv3xi.html

For comparison, Ziggy Switkowski in Senate hearings last week described the average rollout rate since July was between 3000 and 4000 premises per week and unlikely to increase until certain issues with the rollout process are addressed. NBN Co's stats over the past 4-weeks show that brownfields premises passed has averaged around 5000 per week.

Meanwhile, the AFR today has this on the strategic review,

Sources close to a strategic review being prepared for Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull by NBN Co say it will push for wider use of the ­copper network, a change that would provide slower internet access to millions of Australians than foreseen in the Coalition’s original plan. By limiting more fibre to “nodes”, or cabinets on street curbs, instead of direct to buildings, NBN could deliver big financial savings for the project, which is now budgeted at around $20 billion.

“They want to bring the fibre down, not up,” a source said. “They’re aware that doing 2.8 million homes directly with fibre is still a huge project.”

http://www.afr.com/p/technology/nbn_rev ... xHaPzxiCcN

[Vee]

The latest.
The Age reports:

Do you want Foxtel broadband?

http://www.theage.com.au/digital-life/c ... 2ylet.html

That's an emphatic No! from me.

[drsmith]

NBN strategic review to be released by year end.

http://www.afr.com/p/technology/coaliti ... VOhwfE06SN

[Vee]

Why won't Turnbull and the Coalition listen to the tech experts?
Another item on the NBN. Experts highlight that Telstra's Copper network was designed for telephony not data!!!!
FTTN will stymie innovation.

Tech leaders call for speed, ubiquity in NBN rollout

“If we want to compete in the global economy and the global stage, we’re going to need an infrastructure to support that,” said managing director of Microsoft Australia, Pip Marlow.

Technology leaders have called for the Coalition government to go ahead with accelerating rollout of the national broadband network (NBN) but blasted its plan of relying on Telstra’s ageing copper for much of the network.

AFR
http://www.afr.com/p/technology/tech_le ... BIAu5I0rfO