Many residents who reside in Yendon, about 16kms out of Ballarat Victoria, complained to their local council about the introduction of fixed wireless towers due to potential radiation concerns. Some scientist believe that radiation levels emitted from these towers are too high so they should be kept well away from permanent residential areas.

Installation recommendations of wireless tower locations state they shouldn’t be erected within 500 meters of a school, however the proposed locations for Yendon are believed to be within 150 meters of the closest occupied house while a further two houses are located an additional 50 meters after that.

Although plans for the NBN’s fixed wireless service extend to only 4% of houses and businesses in some regional areas, it’s still represents a large proportion of the population and appears to be another hurdle for the NBN Co to climb over.

Read more at theage.com.au – Tower ban regions face slower broadband

It’s believed that 49 new estates across Victoria’s metropolitan and regional areas with another 42 estates in New South Wales and 20 in Queensland, will now have new fibre broadband services installed free-of-charge over the coming months and well ahead of schedule.

In Victoria alone, the revised December increase means that 4636 premises have now been touted in the NBN Co Greenfield construction plans which is well up from the initial target of 1780 premises.

Read more at theage.com.au: Victoria’s new estates win in NBN rollout

What does this mean for consumer? Well it should in turn benefit the consumer also and ease any concern in regards to any inflationary or sharp rises in costs for broadband, phone and IPTV services in the same period. However, just because the NBN has frozen prices for five years it doesn’t mean that retail service providers (E.G. Telstra, Optus, iiNet etc..,) will freeze their prices over the same duration.

Remember this article in coming years and think twice when you hear of any NBN service provider making an announcement that talks about about jacking up prices.

This means the entry level wholesale price would not rise until at least July 2017, and then increase by no more than 1 to 2 per cent per year after that, depending on inflation.

However NBN Co cannot guarantee retail service providers would not increase retail prices independently of wholesale prices.

Read more at smh.com.au – NBN reveals 5-year fixed price plan

Nicknamed the ‘Nerve Centre’ the new facility will be an information hub for consumers and service providers for all things NBN and in addition, host the Network Service Operations Centre (NSOC), the National Test Facility (NTF), the Service Activation Centre (SAC) and the Discovery Centre.

Learn more about the NBN Co’s new operations and demonstrations facility at computerworld.com.au – NBN Co opens new facilities in Melbourne

It could be some years away yet until Telstra cable broadband services are decommissioned in favour of the new high speed national broadband network, so it makes sense for the Telco to upgrade services in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast to the DOCSIS 3.0 HFC cable broadband standard.

The upgrade will boost present download ‘peak’ speeds from 30Mbps to 100Mbps although the DOCSIS 3.0 technology has the theoretical ability to produce downloads speeds of up to 160Mbps.

Learn more about the upgrade at itnews.com.au – DOCSIS 3.0 to expand beyond Melbourne

The government has really failed to capitalise on winning over the public and fully explaining both the immediate and future benefits, and prosperity, that the upcoming National Broadband Network will bring to Australians. And now that it’s coming, I wouldn’t be holding my breath too long for the government to educate you on the NBN.

So it’s up to you to find out what you can, because after all, you’re going to be affected by this new broadband network one way or another. Below is a link to four new videos that will assist you in understanding what the NBN is all about and how to connect to it if required.

NBN Explained Videos

• 1. Explaining the NBN – Reasons and benefits (2:25)
• 2. Getting connected to the NBN (1:20)
• 3. Explaining how to connect your phone to the NBN (1.23)
• 4. NBN process explained for property developers (1.56)

Mr O’Sullivan indicated that there should be full transparency on what Telstra spends the money on in order to contribute to a level playing field and so that the incumbent cannot further monopolise the Telco industry.

“We’d like a level playing field so we can play a competitive game.”

“We think there should be full transparency. Where the money is spent should be accounted for,”- Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan

Read more at the heraldsun.com.au – Optus wants conditions put on Telstra’s $11b NBN windfall

The initiative which aims to provide service providers with new high speed wholesale broadband services is expected to assist small businesses by reducing costs, bolstering efficiency and reaching new markets.

“Our research indicates that many home office/small office operators and small businesses are currently using standard residential services for their telephone or broadband, or opting for business-grade offerings over copper-based ADSL2+ services. Beyond this, for larger small businesses, there is a quite a big jump to business-grade fibre-based services”.

Read more at the NBN Co – NBN Co to offer new services to ISPs tailored to small businesses

See below snippet taken from the Optus media release for more Optus NBN prices and information.

From November 21, customers will be able to choose from a great range of Optus NBN plans for their fixed broadband needs. Monthly plans will start from $39.99 for 40GB of data (including up to 20GB peak and 20GB off-peak*) when bundled with any contracted Optus postpaid mobile plan from $19, plus the entry level “Stay Connected” speed pack.

On the $109 and $129 ‘yes’ Fusion plans, customers will receive a 500GB and 1000GB data allowance plus unlimited standard calls to fixed lines and mobiles all within Australia. All Optus month-to-month plans come with a free NBN Wi-Fi gateway and no service installation and set-up fees . To ensure a smooth transition to the NBN, Optus will also have specialist installation teams on the ground to connect customers and help make their experience as seamless as possible.

With regulatory uncertainty clouding the Telco for the past couple of years, Telstra’s board members would be quietly celebrating the outcome of the shareholder vote as it almost instantaneously provides stability and also places the Telco $4.7 billion greater than under the best available alternative.

All that stands in the way of a fully fledged NBN now are the concerns raised by the ACCC in relation to Telstra’s structural separation undertaking (SSU) that were submitted to the competition watchdog some time ago for approval.

It’s expected that Telstra will address and rectify these issues promptly as failure to do this by 31st December 2011 would activate a compulsory functional separation which would leave the ACCC and Communications Minister, Senator Stephen with greater control of how the Telstra’s retail and wholesale businesses would be separated.

The study found that if the NBN project remains on track the take up of fibre services could exceed that of DSL with 3 million connections to Australian Households and Businesses toward the end of 2015, and that approximately 4.2 million premises may have NBN Co fibre in 2017 at some stage.

A very impressive statistics and forecast no doubt, however if the Liberal Coalition government happens to take office in 2013, all of these figures could become thwarted. Whether or not a future coalition government continues with the present NBN plans or not, it will still be subject to a productivity commission enquiry which will slow the process down significantly while it conducts its investigation.

Opposition Communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull has gone on record to say that all existing NBN contracts and services will be honoured if the Coalition wins office, but could not guarantee the future of the remaining NBN roll out.

ICT Companies and ISPs that were covered in study include NBN Co, Telstra, Optus, iiNet, VHA, Soul/TPG, FetchTV, FOXTEL, Eftel and a few others.

One would hope that if a huge national project such as the NBN found its feet and was well and truly up and running by the time the next election came around in 2013, that it would continue to be developed for all Australians to grow and prosper in regardless of who’s in office at the time.

The ASA have a $150 million dollar investment in Telstra which equates to 10,000 proxy votes and its statement is the strongest sign yet that deal will get the full stamp of approval at Telstra’s upcoming AGM in Sydney next Tuesday 18th October 2011.

They believe the Telco has no other option than to embrace the deal with the government and feel that all shareholders should vote for the agreement as it will also give the board greater bargaining power should further negotiations take place.

After obtaining shareholder approval, all that stops the Telstra NBN deal from going through is the recent structural separation concerns aired by the ACCC. These issues are expected to be resolved without contention which would then pave the way to a Telstra NBN deal.

It’s expected that approximately 14,000 business owners and residents whose properties reside in the first release areas will be able to order, sign up and switch on National Broadband Network Internet and Phone (Bundles) services from tomorrow onward.

NBN Co Head of Product Development and Sales, Jim Hassell had this to say….

“The launch of commercial services over the fibre network in the mainland First Release Sites marks a significant milestone for the delivery of the NBN. It is the start of a new era of service and competition as providers begin to offer a range of different plans over our open-access wholesale network.

“It is also an important landmark for NBN Co as we start to generate our first revenue from fibre services. Not only is the NBN a project that will see our national infrastructure upgraded, it is an investment through which revenues are planned to eventually repay the initial outlay and deliver a return to taxpayers.”

Construction will commence shortly in Geraldton, Victoria Park and Mandurah, Western Australia, and in Bacchus Marsh and South Morang, Victoria along with further extensions to the existing site in Brunswick Victoria.

Below are the locations and their scheduled start dates which are expected to take up to one year before activation is available.

START DATES
Geraldton WA October 2011
Victoria Park WA November 2011
South Morang Vic November 2011
Bacchus Marsh Vic November 2011
Mandurah WA December 2011
Brunswick Vic March 2012

Joined by the Minister of Broadband and Communications Stephen Conroy, NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley and Telstra boss David Thodey, the Prime Minister stated the deal would involve giving the $38 billion National Broadband Network (NBN) access to Telstra’s fixed line copper PSTN network.

Telstra’s shares were also halted from trading in New Zealand during the announcement this morning and are expected to significantly rise once trading resumes from yesterday’s closing value of $3.03. Investors have been reluctant up until now to buy into Telstra amid fears of uncertainty with the Labor government’s NBN project.

Now that the deal has been signed and sealed, it also paves the way for many contractual obligations such as a $800 millionr deal with Optus to transfer its cable customers to the NBN and in effect, make it more difficult for the Liberal party to deliver it’s alternative broadband plans for Australia if it were to win the next election.

Little did he realise that the Australian National Broadband Network uses exactly the same optic fibre technology and consequentially, his ignorant point of view has actually bolstered the Labor Government’s NBN case and the longevity of fibre optic broadband.

“The NBN that they’re going to roll out will be up to 100Mbps, down to 12Mbps in some areas … The Germans have done 26 terabits. that’s 26 million megabits per second. We’re going to get a hundred. Not a hundred million — a hundred megabits per second. Their 26 terabits is 2.6 million times faster than what we’re getting. And Canberra want us to believe that the technology we’re spending up to 60 billion on, won’t be updated by the time it’s rolled out. Of course, they’re kidding!”

Here the live audio feed here: Alan Jones Comments – the NBN in perspective. Read more at delimiter.com.au

Updated by Ronnie 1.20pm 26/05/2011
———————————————-

26Tbps Record Speed Proves NBN Fibre Longevity
A 26 terabit per second fibre optic data transmission speed test which smashed the previous 10 terabit broadband speed record set back in 2010 essentially proves the decision was right to use fibre optic cable over other competing technologies for Australia’s national broadband network construction.

Scientists at Germany’s Karlsruhe Institute of Technology have finally given the Gillard Government and NBN Co chief Mike Quigley something to smile about when they set a new data transmission speed record that could effectively send the equivalent of 200,000 high res images, 400 million phone calls or 700 DVDs across 50km in one second.

This type of technology could perhaps one day transmit similar super fast speeds over distances of 50 to 100km, or even further if amplified, and would act as an excellent transmission method for bandwidth hungry cloud computing, 3D television and high quality teleconferencing services. This is not to mention yet to be invented future virtual reality applications and automation services that we’ll all be using in years to come.

After hearing the news of the record breaking broadband speed test, NBN Co chief technology officer Gary McLaren was believed to have stated that the respective results indicate the decision to use fibre to 93% of Australia’s population was the right way to go and that we can now be confident the NBN Co are implementing the right technology to ensure longevity for a fibre optic broadband network for decades to come.

Read more at zdnet.co.uk

Updated by Ronnie 10.40am 26/05/2011

Malcolm Turnbull and his aspirations to demolish the NBN (as appointed by Tony Abbott) would have you think not. It appears that Malcolm is taking any step necessary to do what he can to crush all credibility of this man (including the NBN) although he recently stated…

“Nobody is making any allegations against you, least of all anybody here,” Turnbull told Quigley yesterday, noting he just wanted to give the executive the chance to “correct” some of the statements which he had made.

Malcolm is referring to a recent accusation that apparently links Mr Quigley to knowledge and or involvement in bribery and corruption scandals. This is, of course, unproven and far from the truth as there is NO evidence connecting him to these indiscretions. Turnbull, Abbott and some of the media are determined to have you think so in a bid to swing the minds of the public their way.

Ignorance can be bliss, however its of vital importance that all the facts are known, especially when A. There’s billions of dollars of the public’s taxes at stake for national project that’s on a scale that this country has never seen before B. If you’re only taking into account opinions from an opposing political point of view from people who wish to ‘demolish’ a potential future benefit to Australia’s prosperity for their own benefit. C. Taking the possibility of destroying the life and reputation of an innocent man into account.

As the profile of the man emerged, it became clear he was well-respected as an intelligent and capable leader, a man who stayed true to his Australian roots yet had emerged on the global stage. It was perhaps also true that Quigley was disappointed not to have risen to the chief executive role at Alcatel-Lucent — yet he appeared to have bourne that disappointment humbly, and has been content to work in lesser roles.

Do yourself a favour and read more about the man behind the NBN Co and Turnbulls obsession to destroy the NBN in this featured story at delimiter.com.au.

It’s expected that Burnie, Devonport, Launceston and more suburbs of Hobart are to be flagged as the next locations to be connected. Ms Gillard stated that more than 800 jobs will be created and that a further 90 thousand households will be connected as a result of this latest roll out.

End update

——————————————————————————————
The NBN Co has just announced the next stage of towns to be provisioned with the national broadband network roll out. The towns (as seen below) include approximately 11,500 homes and business and will be connected to the new fibre broadband network starting from the respective dates.

Location – Premises (approx) – Start date
Triabunna – 500 – Late May
Sorell – 1500 – Late May
Deloraine – 1400 – Early July
St Helens – 2200 – Late July
Kingston Beach – 950 – Late August
George Town – 2600 – Late September
South Hobart – 2000 – Early October

More information, including network coverage maps, can be viewed at the NBN Tasmania website by visiting here.

This includes information about switching over, pricing, security and getting connected to the NBN. Also featured in the guide is the first glimpse of the NBN’s little grey box that will be installed in every Australian household, regardless if connecting to the network via fibre-optic cable, wireless or satellite technology.

The NBN box has 2 phone ports and 4 data ports and will be typically placed internally at your residence.

Read more about the NBN at ACCAN.org’s National Broadband Network: Guide for Consumers

Labor was out in force at Armidale just recently to promote the national broadband network for the bush. And subject to one of Mr Windsor’s key demands on voting the Labor Government in, was the early adoption of optical fibre for the bush, namely in Armidale.

Early indications from local residents are suggesting that the NBN in the area is highly being received, so much so that Senator Conroy has stated that approximately 90% of the 5739 eligible premises have acknowledged their acceptance by opting in for the trial.

Unlike the poor reception and negativity the NBN appears to be receiving in major metropolitan cities and the online space, Mr Windsor was quoted to say that the country people out in his electorate are ‘hungry for it’. He further added that much of this bad publicity was due to News Ltd and the scare campaign they were running against the NBN due to their unfavourable opinion on the way the last election result was chosen.

“News Ltd has to be reminded from time to time that they are not the government,”

The Parliament forms the government of the day and [News Ltd] doesn’t particularly like the way it was chosen, so anything that attaches to the way the government was chosen and broadband was one of those determining factors – is obviously seen by News Ltd as a target.

“But when you come out to the recipients of the infrastructure, these people want it, country people are hungry for it.”

Source: The Land

The finer details are expected to be set in stone sometime this week following last years’ non-binding heads of agreement where the pair agreed to fundamental principles involving an $11 billion dollar transfer of Telstra’s copper PSTN network along with the migration of their customers to the NBN.

It’s been suggested that the deal is being fast tacked prior to the release of Telstra’s half yearly results announcement later this week.

Source: smh.com.au – Telstra rushes to seal NBN Co deal before half-year results

Nothing appears to have changed since he last embarked his pre-election mission to persuade the public into thinking that his controversial content filtering plan for the Internet would free the Internet from child pornography and unlawful content, except to say that its introduction has now been scheduled for July 2011.

The majority of Telecommunication service providers, broadband experts and broadband enthusiasts alike, have always suggested that his proposed content filtering scheme will NOT stop this type of material surfacing and will slow down Internet connectivity. For example, just type in related search key words and see how far you get? The chances are not very far because this kind of content is not available to mainstream people such as you or I.

It’s believed that those responsible for organising and publishing explicit material that Mr Conroy speaks of, will always get around any type of online filter or preventitive software by distributing contraband via VPN (virtual private network) and other advanced methods of network transmissions.

Read more at arnet.com.au

Now I’m not saying that the Government shouldn’t intervene and help Queenslanders get back on their feet, off course not. Moreover, it’s becoming apparent that Mr Abbott uses any excuse to attack the NBN time after time. I understand that it’s his job to do so however it’s almost like he’s very scared that the NBN may succeed one day which will boost Australia and its economy in many different ways. If this turns out to be the case that would certainly make him look like a fool thyat tried to hold Australia’s prosperity back!

Back to the floods… Of course the Government should help out and will help out, however I’m sure they will consider many alternatives other than shifting funds away from the NBN. And in actual fact, it appears that Ms Gillard is doing that right now by establishing a business round table which would witness 10 Australian leading businesses assemble together and use their expertise and corporate support to provide flood relief.

It’s often said that business people are a lot smarter than politicians. I guess in this case it won’t be too long until that is proven or not.

Source: PC World

Not so much a destructive movement that devours everything in it’s path, however with the federal government 100% behind the NBN, its certainly almost at the point of being unstoppable. And it’s landmark decisions such as the respective contracts which continue to edge the NBN project to the point of no return, even if there is a change of Government.

Source: The Age

Offering participants ‘free’ fibre optic cable installation, which essentially would give subscribers first access to the NBN network once live, only drew the attention of 45% of Brunswick homes and businesses however the disconcerting figures have been blamed on the large rental market that exists in the area.

The National Broadband Network project is planning to distribute high speed broadband to 93% of the population by fibre, 4% via wireless and 3% via satellite and is expected to take in the vicinity of 9 years to complete.

Source: Moreland Leader

Mike Quigley (NBN Co CEO) has stated that specific targets for the rollout includes many assumptions based on the inclusion of Telstra, and much of these factors will continue to be discussed over the Christmas/New Year break.

Julia Gillard, Stephen Conroy, Treasurer Wayne Swan and Penny Wong were all expected to address the media today.

Key Points:
9.5 years to administer to 10 million homes with 93% fibre connection
Entry plan price $24 (wholesale) for 12 megabit connection
Business study based on 70% take-up
Total Cost: $35.9 billion ($27.5 billion Government investment)
Annual revenue forecast: $5.8 billion in 2021 & $7.6 billion in 2025

Read more about the NBN Business Plan release here: news.com.au

It’s expected that the business case will display how the NBN will cost taxpayers less than initially expected, and that a $5.5 billion saving would be obtained by the inclusion of Telstra. The Government will now hope they can secure the vital votes from independant sentors Steve Fielding as well as Nick Xenophon.

Read more at News.com.au: Government to release business case for national broadband network after pressure from Xenophon

Perhaps the more alarming factor to surface (or lack thereof) from behind Mr Hockey’s speech, was the absence of an NBN alternative. It sounds a lot like the Lib’s are basically committed to scrapping Labor’s whole Digital Education Revolution which includes new high speed broadband, computers, networks and IT programs for schools and of course the entire National Broadband Network project.

It’s one thing to throw around speculative numbers on how the Liberal party can return the economy back into the black by scrapping this and that, but without making any real policy announcements on sound alternatives, suggests uncertainty for effectively mounting a credible case. This leaves significant doubt that the only achievable outcome that a new Liberal Government in power would bring, is a return to the lack lustred innovative and visionary ‘dark ages’ of pre 2007 Governemnt.

Published by Ronnie on May 24, 2010 at 3:41 pm

Now the budget has been released and the process for the upcoming election has unofficially commenced, all parties are vying for your vote. That’s all good and fine, however what’s at stake here, and more importantly, at what cost? The Labor party has dropped the ETS and focused on the Super Mining Tax to bring in the bucks, while the opposition says they’ll scrap the NBN project in a bid to claw back the budget into surplus. So the NBN is being caught up in the firing line and will be a key issue on possibly deciding the fate of the next election.

I totally understand that significant projects that involve major spending must get scrutinised through parliament and healthy debate, however why can’t we see more negotiation and bipartisan outcomes when the future of Australia’s prosperity is at stake. Surely anyone can see the benefits of a NBN under the ‘right’ conditions, but why must one party oppose another just to win votes and regardless of the consequences?

I am not supporting Labor, but to be fair the ETS, Health reform and projects such as the NBN are continually being rejected by the opposition in Parliament. Maybe I’m being bias, however being passionate about technology and the benefits of high speed broadband for this country, I think it’s just not bloody fair that a visionary project that will benefit Australia for many years to come be used as a tug-of-war for your vote.

You might not want to vote for Labor (or Liberal for that matter), but we sure as hell need a a fair and competitive telecommunication Industry with super fast broadband.

Calling all Australians…. Vote 1 for the NBN!

 Published by Ronnie on June 16, 2010 at 2:04 pm

Strong growth in mobile revenues and new customers helped Optus record a 15.7 per cent rise in profit to $165 million for the December quarter, compared with $143m in the previous corresponding period.

Revenue from the mobile business surged 9.6 per cent to $1.46 billion, spurred on by an 11 per cent increase in mobile services revenue to $1.18bn, compared to $1.06bn in the previous period.

via The Australian.

The upgrade, which involves pushing the network to the DoCSIS 3.0 standard, will also put Optus’ cable network on par with the planned speeds of the National Broadband Network roll-out. However, the NBN will not be available to retail customers for several years.

via ZDNet Australia.

A National Audit Office inquiry has also found the failed tender process came at a cost to taxpayers and project proponents of more than $30 million.

via World News Australia.

There is now mounting speculation that the bill could be delayed until after Telstra’s half-year results in the middle of this month, when the telco is expected to announce progress in its dealings with the government.

via The Australian.

At least 10 percent of the population are left out – or about two million Australians, who largely live in the regions.

via VIEW News Sunshine Coast

The open-access model proposed for the NBN means internet service providers and other players in the sector will avoid the problem of the current regime, which sees many companies at a disadvantage because of Telstra’s near-monopoly of the infrastructure.

via Telstra BigPond

“NBN Co is playing an important role planning and deploying the NBN and I am confident we have in place a great board to direct that vital activity,” he said.

The government has just released draft legislation to ensure that new homes are wired with fibre optic connections.

via The Australian.

What is scary is that the censorship doesn’t stop at the filter, but is also present in the public justification for the filter. In an even more shocking move, the Department has indicated that it may not publish all submissions, singling out submissions made by individuals using online tools like the Getup campaign (that now has over 120,000 signatures on this issue).

via Internet filtering: Listen to the people.

The parties are nevertheless discussing commercial wholesale arrangements for NBN Co’s use of Telstra’s passive infrastructure, including ducts and exchange space, and backhaul.

Welcoming the announcement Senator Conroy issued a release noting that; “While there are many complex issues still to be resolved before any final agreement is reached, I remain optimistic that both parties can find a mutually acceptable outcome.”

via iTWire .

“Such strong demand for the Australian Broadband Guarantee is further evidence of a growing demand for better broadband services across the country and the need for better services in regional Australia,” he said in a statement. “The Australian Broadband Guarantee remains a very popular and successful safety-net program while the NBN is rolled out.

via ARN.

The NBN project is well and truly underway and the latest eventuation has witnessed a NBN CEO and now an NBN Board take shape, so where are we at and what’s next? The answer to this question is definitely not straight forward, but I’ll make an attempt to summarise the current status quo of the Australian National Broadband Network.

- Michael Quigley has been named the Executive Chair (CEO) of the Australian NBN (NBNco).
- Doug Campbell has been appointed Chair of Tasmanian NBN Company Limited (TNBNCo).
- Doug Campbell, Peter Hay, Siobhan McKenna, Diane Smith-Gander and Gene Tilbrook have all been named as NBN Board Directors.
- NBNco headquarters is still up for grabs. Queensland, NSW and Victoria are all front runners, however location might be split among all three states.
- Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy states that Implementation Study underway and hopes to be completed in February 2010.
- Tasmanian Roll underway in October 2009 and will be overseen by Aurora Energy.
- Winning Bidders to be announced and construction expected to commence in Regional Backbone areas of Wonthaggi, Leongatha, Korumburra, Inverloch, Foster, Yarram, Victor Harbor, Broken Hill, Darwin, Geraldton, Emerald and      Longreach in September 2009.
- NBN legislation expected to be introduced into Parliament by Senator Conroy later this year in a bid to ensure NBN’s legitimacy and procession.
 

As you can see, the NBN project is still in its infancy and if this past years progress is anything to go by, I’m expecting that the entire NBN roll out period will be significantly longer than the stated 8 year duration that the government had previously forecast.

Mike Quigley, former head honcho of Alcatel, has been named executive chairman of the National Broadband Network Company.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced Mr Quigley’s acquisition over the weekend and stated that his 36 years of experience of major Fibre-to-the-Home developments with some of the United States leading Carriers led to his successful appointment. The announcement comes along side the commencement of the first stage in the Tasmanian NBN rollout which has been earmarked to provide of 600km of cable to 5000 homes and businesses.

Although Mr Quigley was born in England, his academic background was completed in Australia which I guess makes him an Aussie? He obtained several degrees in mathematics, physics and engineering at the University of NSW and almost immediately after graduation, joined the work force with a group called Standard Telephone Co. This company was later bought by Alcatel and after spending 36 years with Alcatel, many of it as CEO, My Quigley called it a day after the recent merger with Lucent.

My Quigley, who now joins the likes of Doug Campbell that heads the Tasmanian NBN, will commence his new role immediately.

The Federal Government has announced six ‘blackspot’ regions that will be listed for broadband backhaul builds come September this year. Communications minister Stephen Conroy has called for submissions from Tenders with the successful applicant to receive $250 million for the National Broadband Network backhaul in these areas.

The regions scheduled to receive the broadband Backhaul are South West Gippsland in Victoria, Darwin in the NT, Geraldton in Western Australia, Broken Hill in NSW, Victor Harbour in South Australia along with Emerald and Longreach in QLD.

Stephen Conroy went on to say that the National Broadband Network backbone infrastructure developments will not be limited to these locations and subject to the first tender, further locations will be announced later in the year.

The NBN backhaul commencement is expected to kickstart the first of approximately 25,000 local jobs that will be directly initiated by the National Broadband Network rollout throughout the course of the 8 year project.

Buying a house, or building a new house for that matter, can be an exciting venture and at the same time, a pain in the right old bleeding if you haven’t prepared enough. This is not to mention the potential headache around broadband availability options? Did you ever stop to consider what type of broadband provisioning will be, or is, available to you in this respective area? There are also many broadband obstacles to be aware of when moving into a new greenfield estate, such as limited technology types, delays and worst case scenario, no broadband option at all (with the exception of slow satellite).

Sol Trujillo’s (ex Telstra CEO) last parting shot at Australia suggested that our country is a couple of years behind the broadband eight ball, especially when compared to other developed countries, and this is almost made evident with the upcoming new National Broadband Network, or should I say, the time it’s taken Australia to get this far. After all, we don’t want to implement a new technology that will be outdated by the time it’s fully operational, nor do we want to wait 6 or 7 years to be able to use it!

First of all we had a Liberal Federal Government that talked about updating broadband in Australia, but sat on their butt for a few years while bickering with Telstra and did nothing. Then we had a new Labor Government that proposed a Fibre to the Node NBN model ‘hooray’… which failed after, ‘they say’, was a lack of feasibility within all the proponent’s submissions. Then, there was the big announcement, a very bold vision that is meant to propel Australia to the top of the Broadband list, a National ‘Fibre to the Premises’ model which will take 8 years to build and have speed upwards of 100Mbps that will reach 90% of Australian homes.

How many years has it taken??? How much longer will we have to wait??? It appears that many of us will have to wait longer although for some of us, things may be taking shape, although it still could be quite some time away yet. Sure it’s frustrating not to know if your new residence is eligible to receive ADSL, ADSL2+, Cable or Wireless Broadband let alone Fibre, but all is lost though as the Australian Government has commenced a process to make the provisioning of fibre broadband technology ’mandatory’ to all new greenfield residential estate developments as from 1st July 2010.

This is great news for anyone thinking of building a home in these areas in the short term. At least your new home will be ‘future proofed’ for fibre. What’s more, it’s also been stated that fibre-to-the-home technology already exists in more than 120 greenfield estates which translates to approximately 150,000 homes. The problem is the lack of information for identifying these areas and who and where to go to find out more? I’d recommend contacting the respective council and estate developer to find out further information on broadband options and fibre provisioning and hope that the FTTP rollout will backhaul these estates first.

Fibre in greenfield estates
As part of its National Broadband Network initiative, the Government has announced that the use of fibre optic technology will be required in greenfield estates.

Given the superior properties of fibre optic networks, it would be counter‑productive to have homes built in new developments with the latest building technology but connected by antiquated copper wires. Greenfield estates across Australia will therefore be required to use fibre optic infrastructure to the home and workplace.

The Government has released a stakeholder consultation paper on the implementation of its fibre in greenfields initiative. Submissions are due by 5:00pm (AEST) Friday 12 June 2009.
‘Caption taken from dbcde.gov.au’

Split into Retail and Wholesale divisions and we’ll give you the option to buy 49% of the NBN. Maybe not quite that easy, however it’s been stated that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy and the Federal Government will offer Telstra the option to buy a 49% stake in the National Broadband Network if they structurally separate, or should I say functionally separate.

Dangling a lucrative NBN carrot such as the opportunity to own 49 percent of Australia’s next big thing since the Snowy Hydro Hydro Electricity Project will give incoming Telstra CEO David Thodey and the Telstra Board something to think about. It’s not just separation that they will need to consider, moreover this could very well mean that Telstra may have to hand over its existing fibre network among other goodies.

In other related NBN news, it appears that AUSTAR is also vying for a piece of the action. The regional Pay TV Provider has indicated that they have already held informal talks with the Federal Government regarding their wireless communication spectrum and how it could become a vital instrument for the National Broadband Network program.

AUSTAR currently holds a 2.3Ghz and 3.5Ghz band radio spectrum licence for regional Australia until 2015 which they purchased back in 2000 for $140 million. A Wireless and WiMax solution for many rural sectors of Australia could play a pivotal role in delivering high speed broadband Internet, voice and high definition TV services to these regions, especially using the soon to be obsolete analogue TV towers that are left behind.

Meanwhile, failed NBN bidding participant, Axia NetMedia, might not be out of the race just yet. In a Request For Proposals debriefing held recently, Axia NetMedia Global Development and Marketing Vice President ‘Mark Blake’ did not strike out his company’s potential inclusion into, at least, some of the NBN’s construction.

Although tight lipped on outcomes of the debriefing, Mr Blake did suggest that citing certain elements of their recent NBN proposal, he remained confident that specific parts could be used in the upcoming $43 Billion NBN. Furthermore, he admitted that the opportunity for participation had now become more possible, opposed to less.

Could it be likely that Axia NetMedia, like AUSTAR and Telstra, play a major role in the upcoming NBN construction process? From the sounds of Mark Blake, you’d be likely to think as much.

Keep informed with all the important news on the upcoming 100Mbps National Broadband Network right here at the Youcompare Blogs.

It’s been stated that work on the new national broadband network could commence shortly with $250 million to be allocated on a fibre optic backhaul by September.

The Australian Federal Government will start seeking Tenders shortly, who will then be required to submit proposals by June this year in order to start development in rural and regional areas come September where there is very little network competition. The somewhat hasty directive by the Government is also asking for feedback on who should build and own the network.

The document barely outlines the important factors surrounding the new NBN with many analysts stating that it leaves too many questions unanswered.

Anyone wishing to get the most out of broadband Internet access does not have to look any further than super fast high speed Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology. Connection speeds of 100Mbps are achievable with FTTP technology but it doesn’t stop there. On a commercial level, Fiber to the Premises is already transmitting speeds of up to 1Gbps (1000Mbps) in some countries.

The Australian Federal Government’s $43 billion National Broadband Fibre to the Premises Broadband Plans are to connect 90% of Australia’s population with lighting fast 100Mbps Broadband within 8 years. A very ambitious target considering it’s going to cost a whopping $43 billion, however, most industry experts agree that this latest FTTP announcement is a master stroke and if it becomes fruition, will push Australia up the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) rankings as a front runner in World Class fixed line and wireless Broadband Internet technology.

So what is FTTP?
In a nutshell, Fibre to the Premises is a communication delivery technology that uses fibre optic material opposed to the copper based infrastructure wiring witnessed in current ADSL2+ and landline phone services. FTTP differentiates from other similar fibre based communication methods such as Fibre to the Node (FTTN), Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC – that Telstra BigPond currently use), as it bypasses the ‘last mile’ copper wires that these methods require.

Why do Australians need FTTP?
Touted as the biggest Infrastructure project that Australia has ever seen, I can understand why many average Aussies may be concerned and or scratching their heads and asking why do we need a super fast broadband network such as this. After all, we’re talking about investing $43 billion now, and not $4.7 billion any more.

I suspect that many average Australians are ignorant of the potential future benefits, innovations and business opportunities that a high speed FTTP National Broadband Network will invite. It’s quite possible that many people are merely thinking that a new FTTP network will just provide faster broadband in order to deliver triple play services such as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) bundled with Broadband and Home Phone services. Well I can tell you that’s only the beginning.

Firstly we could start with improvements in Home, Recreation and Business automation technology. Fast FTTP broadband will also assist Australia both nationally and on a global scale to acquire new business opportunities and become more competitive on the world platform. But then there’s Innovation!

Robust Broadband could provide the ability for consultations with Doctors, Accountants, Bank Managers etc… from home via Video type conferencing to their practice. People with medical conditions can be monitored more closely and on a frequent basis. It’s also been stated that Medical Specialists and Surgeons will eventually be able to perform delicate operations on patients while being on the opposite side of the globe!

This is only the beginning. These possibilities, like many new and emerging innovative services and business that fast Broadband will breed, could also create a run on effect for the environment (e.g Alleviate traffic congestion) which will also impact positively on our everyday lives (E.g. Less pollution).

FTTP is more than just improving your Broadband download speeds. Broadband is a revolution and the new upcoming Fibre to the Premises Broadband Network is a stepping stone to the next level.

Search and compare fast ADSL2+ and Cable Broadband Internet Plans right here at Broadband Guide.

And the winner is… The Australian People!

Putting the future of Australia first, the Federal Government today announced that it has scrapped requests for proposals on the NBN by effectively terminating this process on 7 April 2009 and simultaneously announcing a new $43 billion project in which the Australian Federal Government will build, own and operate a new high speed National Broadband Network over the next eight years.

The Government envisions the future broadband network to predominantly use FTTP – Fibre to the Premises (aka FTTH – Fibre to the Home) which consists of fibre optic technology. It’s still unclear what remote and regional parts of Australia will use for Broadband delivery, although it’s been suggested that developments in new Wireless technology could play a significant roll in these areas.

A new NBN process will commence immediately with the Federal Government to establish a company to build and operate the initial $4.7 billion stage of the broadband network. This includes an overhaul on ‘blackspots’ throughout the country along with work on a new FTTP and Wireless network in Tasmania to start as early as July 2009.

Telecommunication regulatory reform has also been announced with the Government seeking views and opinions on making the broadband regime more effective, especially in regards to the churning process which involves consumers migrating or transferring from their existing ADSL or Cable connections to new high speed broaband Internet access on the upcoming new Broadband Network infrastructure.

Stay tuned to Youcompare and Broadband Guide for further NBN developments!

Telstra’s public policy and communications representative ‘David Quilty’ has stated that the telco is not considering legal action against the Federal Government after being booted from the NBN tender process.

Speculation has emerged stating that Telstra would seek compensation claims in excess of $80 billion from the Government if another proponent was to win the rights to build a national broadband network which accessed Telstra’s existing copper network.

Senator Conroy has withdrawn from making any hypothetical remark on the possibility of compensation claims by Telstra, although he did point out that Telstra had already brought the access issue before the courts (unsuccessfully). 

“In fact, Telstra decided to take this matter all the way to the High Court,”

“Even (chief justice) Michael Kirby joined the other six members to say that when Telstra purchased the network, they purchased it with an access regime in place. Get used to it,”

Telstra is certainly showing signs of backing down, however Mr Quilty once again stood behind his company’s ongoing broken record excuse that ‘puts their shareholders first’  by saying that Telstra were unable to submit an extensive NBN proposal through fear of vertical separation which is something that Telstra cannot contemplate.

Quilty also played down any possibility that the board, including chief executive ‘Sol Trujillo’, faced uncertain futures following their ballsup with the whole NBN process that witnessed billions wiped from Telstra share prices which infuriated Telstra shareholders.

Canadian NBN hopeful ‘Axia NetMedia’ has finally shed some light on their proposal and ability to construct a national broadband network in Australia after months of keeping a low media profile.

In essence, an Axia built broadband network could fundamentally be up to 5 times faster and cost half the price compared to that of current high speed fixed broadband. A $15 broadband access price absolutely blows Telstra’s $85 per month out of the water. It actually makes you wonder how these figures can be so contrary of one another.

Unlike any of the other NBN tender potentials (except Telstra within Australia), Axia NetMedia has extensive experience in rolling out national broadband networks in several countries. Their port folio includes metropolitan and regional projects across France, Canada and now Singapore regions.

Axia NetMedia chief executive and chairman ‘Art Price’ recently stated that who can you justify $20 -$30 for a local copper loop when a prospective ‘Fibre to the premise’ service in a major metropolitan area for $15 per month.

If Axia NetMedia are true to their word, then Telstra have a got a real fight on their hands and perhaps the winning applicant is not a foregone conclusion after all. After considering some of the view points being touted by Mr price, it certainly appears that the Government’s eight person expert panel is going to have their work cut out with recommendations to the federal Government for a $15 billion new Australian national broadband network.

Read more at ‘The Australian’

Broadband Internet speeds of 25-50 megabits per second (Mbps) to 65-75% of households, and 12-20Mbps to the remaining 25-35% that cover 80-90 percent of the population. These are figures that can be achieved by Telstra for a national broadband network VDSL2 Fibre to the Curb ‘upgrade’ (FTTC, also known as Fibre to the Node). After following the progression of the NBN saga closely, it’s an extremely possible scenario that could be well on the money and have a very fast turn-around time to boot. 

VDSL2 research and testing has not only commenced, but has been well underway for quite sometime now by Australia’s largest telecommunications provider ‘Telstra’. The incumbent has been playing their cards very close to their chest and has been unwilling to reveal it’s blueprint for Australia’s new $4.7 billion dollar (or should I say $10 billion?) high speed broadband network. If they were to win, the odds are very short that their preferred choice of broadband delivery method would in fact be VDSL2. This type of telecommunication technology could easily support simultaneous triple play services such as high speed broadband, voip/telephony & digital TV (or IPTV) products at the minimum government required broadband speed of 12Mbps.

Although Telstra submitted a ‘non compliant’ NBN proposal, this is not to say that the telco cannot stitch up a ‘backdoor’ deal with the government that will take advantage of VDSL2 technology for a proposed NBN. You see, it’s no secret that Telstra has been considering VDSL2 as it’s primary architecture for a NBN. There are plenty of facts’, quotes, and articles floating around the Internet to suggest that Telstra are in the box seat when it comes to A – Being the most logical and experienced bidder to take on and build a broadband network of this magnitude; and B – Use VDSL2 technology (Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line) which provides faster speeds over similar distances using copper lines than that of ADSL2+. VDSL2 is essentially an upgrade that will supersede ADSL2+ DSLAMs in telephone exchanges across Australia. Whether DSLAMs will remain for other ISPs to use (if this were to be the case) is another story.

For example, an article appearing on New Zealand based Stuff.co.nz just recently, and of course Telstra’s non compliant 12 page NBN proposal, is reporting that a Telstra constructed national broadband network would use VDSL2 technology and be built by 4000 workers using Alcatel- Lucent materials and equipment. It makes perfect sense that the facilitation in regards to accessing and upgrading exchanges with the required new equipment to be governed by Telstra, after all who else knows an Australian exchange better than Telstra themselves? With this in mind, along with the threat of countless court room litigation cases if Telstra were not to win the NBN, a VDSL2 roll out would be performed much much more faster by Telstra than any other party.

Kevin Rudd, Stephen Conroy, their NBN panel and the Australian Government have an enormous and convoluted task with the whole NBN dilemma as it now stands. Not only do the need to ‘tick off’ pre-election promises, however they also need to consider the possible backlash from Telstra shareholders if Telstra were to lose out on the NBN; endless courtroom litigation waged against the government by Telstra (again, if it were to lose); regulatory guidelines such as operational or structural separation placed upon Telstra (if it were to win) and the consequences of such if adequate competition guidelines aren’t included; implications from the likes of Optus, Terria and other constituents (if they were to lose), but most importantly and above all other implications – whats best for the Australian people and Australia’s future!

One thing is certain though, no matter which way the decision goes…. it’s time for Kev and Steve to stand up and get their hands dirty. Telstra for the win in my opinion.

The network would use VDSL2 technology to provide download speeds of 25-50 megabits per second (Mbps) to 65-75 percent of households it reached and speeds of 12-20Mbps to the remainder. Telstra could start building the network next year, but gave no completion date.

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** Updated ** Telstra ‘Booted’ from NBN Process - Tuesday 16th December 2008

As at 15th December 2008, Telstra has been officially ‘rejected’ from the $4.7 billion NBN process by the Australian Federal Government. Sighting a technicality in Telstra’s Broadband Network proposal, Communication’s Minister ‘Senator Conroy’, in a recommendation passed on by the expert panel, stated that Telstra had been rejected on the grounds that it failed to submit a mandatory element of the proposal surrounding a small to medium business plan. 

Sol Trujillo and Telstra appeared to be walking a tight rope right from the NBN inset by submitting a non-compliant bid which entailed a 12 page document only, whilst competing entities were believed to have submitted comprehensive proposals that incorprated 1,000+ detailed pages.

Calling Telstra’s Bluff, the Australian Government has now sent out a loud and clear message by dumping Telstra. This action has essentially displayed a show of strength which indicates the NBN process will not be compromised by parties seeking to hold the Government at ransom.

Telstra’s motives may have been driven by the shareholders best interests, or so they keep saying, however on the flip side it could also be clearly interpreted as an arrogant and somewhat ignorant mistake that has grossly underestimated the Government’s integrity and could cost them dearly. Of course the Telco has their shareholders to consider, but breaking the rules is breaking the rules and above all and foremost, the Government has the entire population of Australia to consider, and has acted accordingly.

As an initial result, Telstra now sees it shares plummeting to their lowest point since entering the ASX in 1997. They also have to explain their actions to their shareholders which has already seen billions of dollars wiped from share pricing. The Government meanwhile, without Telstra on board, have a NBN selection process that will now be perceived as a ‘fair’ and ‘equal’ platform that will offer an ‘open access’ environment which will encourage competition; provide innovation and growth potential through regulatory guidelines; and a future broadband network that should benefit both consumer and business alike.

So what now for Telstra?

The wounded incumbent will now have to consider contingencies as a result of being ‘dumped’. Some say they will try and re-enter the NBN process and negotiate with the Government. The problem here is that it could be too late, and that other bidders will see this approach as a ‘breach’ of guidelines and ‘unfair’.  Either way, litigation could be imminent in a race with such a high purse.

To even contemplate Telstra laying down without a fight is absurd. If they decide not to pursue legal proceedings, they may in fact build their own network as an alternative, or should I say ‘upgrade’ their existing network. Telstra have got the finance, firepower and experience to scale up their network so that it’s faster and made available way way before any future new national broadband network is built. One mustn’t forget all their ongoing technology research and testing that they continuously conduct. Using Wireless technology and as close as early next year, Telstra can roll out robust high speed broadband that can reach 21Mbps for rural areas, and between 50-100Mbps with VDSL2 and Hybrid Fibre Cable technology in maor metropolitan regions. Funnily enough, the latter of these broadband speeds will easily surpass the 12Mbps minimum requirement set by the Government on the NBN process too.

Don’t worry about Telstra folks, they are far from out of the race, regardless of what you, me or anyone else thinks.