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National Broadband Network

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Aussiejeff said:
Or more likely 10+ if things don't work out as planned. The chances of this puppy being "on time, on budget" is going to be remote as hell.
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Yeah, I do this kind of stuff for a living, just wondering if I'll get some work out of it at any stage over that next 10+. I like my chances

m.
 
What they should do, if they are going to start digging up the streets, is to also do a complete underground conversion for all services, mainly getting rid of death trap electricity power poles. But that would be an afterthought no doubt, requiring the same bit of street to be dug up again 6 months later . Let's get it right for a change, we now have the opportunity?
 
This is an excellent initiative from our government. previous posters in this thread have questioned its use and lack of enterprise in the use of current broadband speeds. 100mbit pipe to the home opens up endless possibilities that will, in time, come to the fore. Build and they will come!

This is a major step forward for our next generation and their next generation. We may only see the potential by our twilight years but the future will make good use of this major infastructure.

With all the bleating hearts raving about greenhouse gasses and the like, imagine this:
-Diminished need for the daily interstate business traveler because of the 3d hologram interactive video conferencing.
-Centrally located specialist surgeons offering real time advise to the local surgeon when things turn pear shaped on the operating table.
-Instant blood test analysis over broadband for remote residents.

20 years ago basic video conferencing to the masses was science fiction. Let your imagination run wild at what the potential holds for such a communication vehicle.

It probably wouldn't be my first choice in national infastructure but I'm just glad a government finally has some foresight to start on something truly worthwhile for our future generations.


cheers,
 

At last a poster that gets it....so much misinformed opinion in this thread.

I find it amazing how every time my quota and or line speed goes up i always find
something to do with it....back in the day i used to struggle to use my 3 gigs a
month, now i gobble up 15 gigs.

100mbit means no need for FTA or cable/sat TV...no need for normal phone lines,
everything's video and on demand, watch one HD channel while recording another 2

Gaming in 300+ player servers (FPS) with no lag or ping issues...proper global gaming
on a massive scale...imagine streaming news...pressing the blue button to get the live
feed from the riot.
 
The Country town that wanted fast broadband

Woop Woop is a town in the middle of nowhere with poor telco services. It has 100 houses and Life on the land is tough, many people have considered making a seachange.

One day, Mr Big Spender comes along and tells them if they vote him at the next election, he will provide them with cheap fast internet services. The towns people rejoice and vote him in at the next election thinking that this guy cares about people in bush, he tells them warm and fuzzy stories about 'working families' and how he is going to build a nation.

A few months later Mr Big Spender comes back to Woop Woop to tell about his new plan. He going to spend $2mil to employ 10 people to build this super fast internet service. The town's people jump up and down, hooray !!!

One smart guy steps forward and says 'Where is this $2mil coming from?'
Mr Big Spender says he doesn't have the money, what he will do is borrow $2mil from people who want to make a risky investment, in return he will pay them interest at the rate of 6% a year.

Our smart friend does some quick mental arithmetic and works out that the interest bill is going to be $120,000 a year. 'How are you going to pay back that interest Mr Big Spender?'

Mr Big Spender waves his right hand about and explains 'Simple, that $120,000 must be split between all the towns people'

'Well there are only 100 houses in this small town of ours, so that means that we each must pay $1200 a year or $100 per month per household for this fancy new service. That assumes that we all join this service. What if only half of us take up this offer?, then it would cost $200 per month per household, that's not very cheap, I may aswell stick to what I have right now and not even bother using your fancy infrastructure'

Mr Big Spender replies back 'Dont worry about it, it's going to take 8 years to build, by then you will be more than happy to pay $200 a month for it. Just make sure you vote for me again in the next two elections '.


PS. I do support high speed broadband, It would do wonders. My problem is that we have no idea if this proposal will make a profit. Without a profit, it would be hard to find a private partner, also, whats to say that there are willing buyers of these bonds, and who is going to purchase the wholesale network and for what price in a few years time. One thing that is for sure is that Labor is doing very well at making nice to bush voters.
 
So_Cynical said:
Gaming in 300+ player servers (FPS) with no lag or ping issues...proper global gaming
on a massive scale...imagine streaming news...pressing the blue button to get the live
feed from the riot.
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Well, your gaming speed makes it all worthwhile then, doesnt it! We got through 25gig last month, so it cant be all that slow!
 
Waz, I see your point but take into consideration if anyone with vision was beaten down with your perspective. There have been hordes willing to shout down initiatives well before Edison lied and deceived the public against Tesla and there will be more in the future.

So_Cynical, you bring up a good point about free to air TV. at 12mbits for a hi def signal and 6-8 for an SD one, how much airwave space would it free up to not be broadcasting. What future technology could take over that bandwidth?

Toddlers to teens of today will have a vision to dream in years to come with a fresh mind on what a roll out like a national broadband scheme will offer. They'll be able to think in a way free of the current generations' preconceived notions of past and current technology. The next generation's entreupenuers to take this to the next level. Current CEOs with savvy will know this.

I see that many have an emphasis on a payback deadline. How long did the Sydney Harbour bridge take to be repaid? How did it change the face of the harbour city, likewise the gateway in Brisbane. The gateway opened up the south east corridor to the gold coast and massive investment followed.

Again, I'll reiterate. I'm proud someone in power has taken the long view initiative to build something truly great that will change the face of this country. The last one I can think of is the snowy river hydro scheme. I bet there were plenty of neigh sayers on that call, too.


BTW, who was in power when the Snowy River Hydro scheme was approved?


cheers,
 
Just watching Stephen Conroy on lateline (ABC)

What an idiot, I can tell you now this thing is doomed , Rudd has just invented this after too many tax payer funded sherries.
 
marklar said:
Yeah, I do this kind of stuff for a living, just wondering if I'll get some work out of it at any stage over that next 10+. I like my chances
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I'm sure there would be plenty of work stemming in this area *if* there was the encouragement/incentives to businesses to really make the most of it.

Let us hope the Government also uses the opportunity to lead the way in providing new ways to access Government services via the new network. As previously stated, a network without content is just a few billion dollar wires.

One day I'd like to be able to vote, do my next census, interact with government departments over video link, be able to do video study courses from home or business, never have to visit the transport office ever again to register a vehicle, and be able to access all council services via the Internet. It would be nice if I never had to ever pick up a phone, press 3, 5, 2, 8 simply to talk to anybody in a government department ever again. Instead I simply wait in a que online, and when it was my turn the video of the person comes up and I can interact with that department over video conferencing without ever leaving home. There are uses I can see, but without a wholistic approach to both the network and the content side, it is going to be a lot of hot air.

The ABC and SBS has already led the way in Australia by offering television on demand over broadband, most episodes available online, discussion forums and the like. You would think the likes of the commercial channels would be fully into it by now, but of course they won't do it unless there is extra dollars to be made, so they need a kick in the pants somehow.
 
Stan 101 said:
Do you think this is a ridiculous idea, Burnsie?
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No it's a good idea but they'll never be able to achieve it, not enough expertise.
Just saw Nick Minchin he seems just as bad, thought they were talking about phone lines ??? then backed off as fast as he could.

Watch that get picked up by the media tomorrow.

Telstra with Govt backing could do it but the Govt couldn't organize a chook raffle on their own so I'm not at all optimistic.
 

I'm sorry I asked..Ever critical, never constructive..


Cheers,
 
Stan 101 said:
I'm sorry I asked..Ever critical, never constructive..
Cheers,
Click to expand...

I said Telstra should be involved thats constructive.

If you expect this Govt to get this off the ground you're dreaming......
they thrive on unfullfilled promises and this is the daddy of them all.....so far...

Yes and I'm sorry you asked too as it seems your motive was just to critisize, very unproductive of you, not constructive at all.
 
MrBurns said:
I said Telstra should be involved thats constructive.

If you expect this Govt to get this off the ground you're dreaming......
they thrive on unfullfilled promises and this is the daddy of them all.....so far...
Click to expand...

many more studies and committees and all sorts to go yet.
 
Trembling Hand said:
many more studies and committees and all sorts to go yet.
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No problem with the committees and studies and reports and talk fests no problem at all there, it's actually getting it done is where the problems will start.
 
For $43 billion the government could buy back Telstra for around $3.46 per share based on 12.4bn outstanding shares. Could it not then use Telstra's existing infrastructure as a starting point it's cashflow to roll out the broadband network over the 8 year time frame.

In reality the government would need to offer more and some of the $43bn figure could be in future dollars (less than $43bn in todays dollars offset by the future fund TLS holding). A higher price could potentially be offered if the government enticed shareholders with a combination of cash and government bonds.

After today's announcement who knows what the future might hold.
 
Aurora Energy ran a broadband over powelines (BPL) trial at Mt Nelson (suburban Hobart).

It did work but wasn't as good as hoped and was discontinued.

Aurora has since been building a fibre optic communications network and this is now in operation for non-household customers.

Aurora and the Tas Govt were behind the only state submission for the National Broadband Network (NBN) and for this reason Tassie is in front as far as Rudd's plans are concerned with construction works to extend the network to start later this year. No other state lodged a submission - worth noting in that context that the Tas premier was, before politics, an IT guru and has been personally involved with the submission (so I'm told).

Aurora is Australian but is not listed on the ASX. It is 100% owned by the State of Tasmania and was set up in 1998 with the primary functions of electricity distribution and retail, taking over those roles from the Hydro-Electric Corporation which is also 100% state owned.

Aurora:

Distributes electricity in throughout Tas.

Retails electricity and on a much smaller scale gas primarily in Tas but also interstate.

Has a communications network that forms the basis of its NBN plans. This network is already in use.

Attempted to build a natural gas distribution and communications network in Tas but was stopped on the basis of competion / ACCC concerns. Another privately owned company susequently built a much smaller, more expensive gas network which includes some empty conduit over a limited part of the route for future communications cable installation.

Purchased a partly built gas-fired power station from Babcock & Brown in a "fire sale" when that company hit financial trouble last year. The plant has commenced initial production in the past few days with completion later this year.

Has developed a unique household electrical safety device for household use that will very soon be sent free to everyone in Tas. Looking at broader marketing opportunities for this. http://www.auroraenergy.com.au/powerline_network/cablepi/

Also has activities in insurance, sports stadiums, runs a football tipping competition open to the public and recently launched a local TV program focussed on sustainability etc (somewhat ironic given the history of Tas politics and the power industry...).


Hydro:

Owns and operates 28 hydro power stations in Tasmania. Also owns and operates wind farms in Tas and South Australia. These account for about 50% of Australian renewable electricity generation and virtually all electricity generated in Tas. Also has an old gas-fired plant recently (last week) mothballed.

Generally acknowledged as a global leader in cloud seeding technology with routine (permanent) operations in Tas.

Has a consulting division operating internationally which employs about half the total staff.

Although it does not own the pipe or cable, was financially involved in bringing natural gas to Tas (2002) and is very heavily involved with the Basslink power and optical fibre cable, the communications aspect of which forms part of Aurora's NBN plans.
 
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