It intrigues me that, where a copper line exists and the NBN is not some
form of fixed line, the old copper must remain to satisfy the USO. Even
if ADSL is turned off, so the copper can be maintained to a lower
standard, it's still two sets of infrastructure being paid for by the
customer/taxpayer. In the not-much-longer term, optical fibre would
prove many times cheaper.
<https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-masters-the-fixed-to-wireless-flip-452447>
By Ry Crozier
Mar 6 2017
6:36AM
Promised FTTN, given fixed wireless.
NBN Co has flipped 62 towns that were destined to receive FTTN
connections under its original three-year construction plan onto fixed
wireless or satellite connections.
The trend is revealed via a reconstruction of the three-year plan by
iTnews, and confirms fears that some customers with existing
fixed-line connections aren’t able to keep them.
These fears were stoked in late January when NBN Co refused to
disclose how many premises with existing ADSL connections would only
be offered a satellite NBN connection.
Numbers of ADSL-to-NBN satellite conversions are extremely difficult
to track.
However, it has become apparent that NBN Co is pushing users promised
FTTN connections onto its fixed wireless network instead, affecting 59
towns on the original three-year plan.
A further three locations appear to have been given satellite
connections instead.
iTnews can reveal whole towns that were originally in the FTTN
footprint have now been allocated fixed wireless.
They include Coraki and Tumbarumba in NSW; Childers, Millmerran,
Toogoolawah in Queensland; Railton and Sheffield in Tasmania;
Chiltern, Dimboola, Donald, Eildon, Nathalia, Rosedale, Rushworth and
Timboon in Victoria.
In addition, a number of other towns within larger fibre-serving areas
(FSAs) are finding themselves allocated fixed wireless connections
instead of FTTN.
“NBN Co is always looking for the most cost and time efficient way to
deliver the NBN to Australians," a spokesperson told iTnews.
“In some cases we find that are able to use our existing fixed
wireless infrastructure to [service] areas that had initially been
earmarked to receive a fixed-broadband connection.
“This usually means that we are able to connect these end-users sooner
as we don’t have to build out new infrastructure to connect them to
the nbn network.”
iTnews understands that the cost to run fixed backhaul to a town is
one reason it might be shifted into the fixed wireless footprint instead.
In addition, users on larger properties - particularly on the fringe
of town - may not be able to achieve an acceptable speed using FTTN
due to their distance from street cabinets.
Even if none of these reasons apply, there is one consideration that does.
NBN Co indicated earlier this year that a customer with an existing or
promised fixed-line connection isn’t guaranteed to keep or receive it
respectively.
“NBN Co’s mandate is to provide broadband access to all premises in
Australia with some form of NBN technology, whether that be fixed
line, fixed wireless or satellite,” the company said.
“The technology that may already be available in an area (for example
ADSL or 4G etc) is not so much a driver of NBN Co’s technology choice
as other factors such as the cost per premises of servicing the area.”
The reconstruction:
<https://i.nextmedia.com.au/Assets/NBNReport-iTnews.pdf>
WHY WAS A NEW THREE-YEAR PLAN NEEDED?
When NBN Co culled its three-year construction plan five days before
Christmas 2016, it laid down a challenge.
Removing the detailed document – which described the type of access
technology an area would get and when – further eroded public
oversight of a $49 billion+ project at a time when taxpayers found
themselves even more exposed via a new $19.5 billion loan.
It’s taken the best part of two months and many late nights, but we’ve
now fully reconstructed the only three-year construction plan ever
published by NBN Co. This new version is current as of March 2, 2017.
Restoring this document provides a base level of transparency on a
whole-of-project basis. We hope you find it useful.
--
David Boxall | Dogs look up to us
| And cats look down on us
http://david.boxall.id.au | But pigs treat us as equals
--Winston Churchill
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