NBN Rollout Scrapped

[drsmith]

The brownfields rollout now at 340,956 as at the end of March is rapidly approaching the strategic review target of 357,000 by the end of June.

http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco/documents/nbnco-rollout-metrics-31032014.pdf

Also of interest, the brownfields rollout have averaged about 10,000 per week over the past 3-weeks which represents a significant increase on the average of earlier weeks.

Brownfields passed in the quarter to the end of March was approximately 68,000 suggesting 400,000 is achievable at that rate by the end of June.

 

[sptrawler]

Your friends must either be very rich and/or very low users of data, given the massive cost of replacing ADSL with 4G for an average user consuming ~50GB per month. It would cost between $370 and $650 (Telstra/Optus), compared to ~$50 on ADSL or NBN.

And then there's the physical issues, which would prevent everyone doing so. Cue the CSIRO's latest report, which just repeats what everyone in the industry has been saying for years, but Jones, Bolt et al and their merry band of technical ignoramuses cannot grasp: http://www.businessinsider.com.au/w...l-fail-as-the-world-sucks-up-bandwidth-2014-4

The people I was refering to were my two daughters and a mate who has moved into our holiday home. They are far from rich actually probably represent the other end of the scale.
All of them are wireless only.
I asked my friend what plan he had, and it is 8gig of 4g costs $45/mth.

 

[NBNMyths]

The people I was refering to were my two daughters and a mate who has moved into our holiday home. They are far from rich actually probably represent the other end of the scale.
All of them are wireless only.
I asked my friend what plan he had, and it is 8gig of 4g costs $45/mth.

So low volume users then (compared to the average of ~50GB/month last time I looked at the ABS). For ~$45/month on the NBN you'd get 100-200GB.

 

[DB008]

So low volume users then (compared to the average of ~50GB/month last time I looked at the ABS). For ~$45/month on the NBN you'd get 100-200GB.

Some plans here...
http://www.whistleout.com.au/Broadband/National-Broadband-Network-NBN-12Mbps-Plans

More like $50+

To get something decent (Tier 2 plan), your looking at around $70-$80 per month.

 

[sptrawler]

So low volume users then (compared to the average of ~50GB/month last time I looked at the ABS). For ~$45/month on the NBN you'd get 100-200GB.

Yes, but low volume users are thinking, why have a mobile a landline and a wireless tablet.

They think the tablet and mobile phone are a must, so are dumping the landline.

I've just checked my usage and it is between 4gig and 7gig per month. I keep my land line because it comes with free calls to any mobile, free national calls and 20gig adsl2 and line rental for $80/mth.
Because I travel thoughout Australia I have a Telstra mobile.
If I didn't do remote areas, I would consider full wireless.

 

[sydboy007]

Some plans here...
http://www.whistleout.com.au/Broadband/National-Broadband-Network-NBN-12Mbps-Plans

More like $50+

To get something decent (Tier 2 plan), your looking at around $70-$80 per month.

plenty of NBN plans available for less than $50 even at 25 or 50 Mbs rates. Skymesh even offer a 100/40 plan for $49.95 and it's feasible to get 100GB of downloads a month at 25/5 for less than $50

I'd take a fibre connection for use at home over wireless any day.

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/?acti...99999&needhw=yes&conntype=9&conntype=5&sort=2

 

[sydboy007]

Yes, but low volume users are thinking, why have a mobile a landline and a wireless tablet.

They think the tablet and mobile phone are a must, so are dumping the landline.

I've just checked my usage and it is between 4gig and 7gig per month. I keep my land line because it comes with free calls to any mobile, free national calls and 20gig adsl2 and line rental for $80/mth.
Because I travel thoughout Australia I have a Telstra mobile.
If I didn't do remote areas, I would consider full wireless.

Depending on how many calls you're making you'd probably be better off on a higher mobile plan for calls and using mynetfone for landline calls via VOIP at 10C untimed.

A Telstra pre paid encore CAP could be the way to go. Free calls to landlines and mobiles after 6pm and the ability to use the $30 or $40 you pay as credit for other services ie set your wife up on a telstra simplicity plan and SMS credit2u each month to get her calls basically for free. As long as you recharge each month the credit you build up doesn't expire. It's the only mobile option with Telstra that's competitive.

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/?acti...9&upfront=999999&needhw=yes&conntype=1&sort=2

https://www.mynetfone.com.au/whirlpool/VoIP/Plans/WhirlpoolSaver-Plan

I happily use the neosaver plan for 100 calls at $5 a month including to 31 countries (some including to mobile phones) with a free DID that you can set up anywhere in Australia - I did this for my aunt and picked a DID that was local to one of her children so they could call her cheaply. Use the G.711 codec and you'd not know the difference to a standard phone call.

 

[sptrawler]

Depending on how many calls you're making you'd probably be better off on a higher mobile plan for calls and using mynetfone for landline calls via VOIP at 10C untimed.

A Telstra pre paid encore CAP could be the way to go. Free calls to landlines and mobiles after 6pm and the ability to use the $30 or $40 you pay as credit for other services ie set your wife up on a telstra simplicity plan and SMS credit2u each month to get her calls basically for free. As long as you recharge each month the credit you build up doesn't expire. It's the only mobile option with Telstra that's competitive.

http://bc.whirlpool.net.au/bc/?acti...9&upfront=999999&needhw=yes&conntype=1&sort=2

https://www.mynetfone.com.au/whirlpool/VoIP/Plans/WhirlpoolSaver-Plan

I happily use the neosaver plan for 100 calls at $5 a month including to 31 countries (some including to mobile phones) with a free DID that you can set up anywhere in Australia - I did this for my aunt and picked a DID that was local to one of her children so they could call her cheaply. Use the G.711 codec and you'd not know the difference to a standard phone call.

Thanks for the info Syd, my wife doesn't have a mobile(she hates phones). But I really do need to rationalise my situation. $110/month is crazy really, when I consider how much we use the services.
My $30/month Telstra plan, I've had for years, as you say there are probably better plans.
Getting my hip replaced today, so it will have to wait untill I stop crying and can think straight. lol

 

[drsmith]

Thanks for the info Syd, my wife doesn't have a mobile(she hates phones). But I really do need to rationalise my situation. $110/month is crazy really, when I consider how much we use the services.
My $30/month Telstra plan, I've had for years, as you say there are probably better plans.
Getting my hip replaced today, so it will have to wait untill I stop crying and can think straight. lol

I have a VOIP internet and mobile setup with Iinet.

The VOIP internet is $60pm for 100gig/month and includes local and national calls.

The mobile is 1.5gig/month + $450 (or something like that) included calls for $20. It's Optus network though so that's a bit of a disadvantage.

I made the mistake though of purchasing their hardware (Bob). The base unit while being very plasticy (I did say my spelling was crap) works fine although the answering machine can be slightly feral on occasion. The handset though is exceptionally bad and overall worth little more than immediate dispatch to the xxxxhouse.

 

[NBNMyths]

I made the mistake though of purchasing their hardware (Bob). The base unit while being very plasticy (I did say my spelling was crap) works fine although the answering machine can be slightly feral on occasion. The handset though is exceptionally bad and overall worth little more than immediate dispatch to the xxxxhouse.

Couldn't agree more. I had 2 BoBs, then 2 BoB2s and they were hopeless. I eventually went to a standard VoIP router, then plugged in a Uniden 2-line cordless phone, giving me PSTN and VoIP lines. Works great.

 

[sydboy007]

Couldn't agree more. I had 2 BoBs, then 2 BoB2s and they were hopeless. I eventually went to a standard VoIP router, then plugged in a Uniden 2-line cordless phone, giving me PSTN and VoIP lines. Works great.

Mynetfone are selling the Gigaset (Siemens) A510IP VoIP Hybrid Phone quite cheap at $99.95 for base station and single handset, but the 3 handset package for $179.95 is a standout deal.

I have a working couple running multiple home businesses off a 3 handset setup and they couldn't be happier. Can have up to 8 VOIP providers configured with certain calls only ringing on particular handsets. 2 VOIP + 1 PSTN call at the same time. It's perfect for a small business. VERY reliable. Great call quality. Up to 6 handsets on the 1 base station.

 

[So_Cynical]

I have a VOIP internet and mobile setup with Iinet.

The VOIP internet is $60pm for 100gig/month and includes local and national calls.

The mobile is 1.5gig/month + $450 (or something like that) included calls for $20. It's Optus network though so that's a bit of a disadvantage.

Something we can agree on Doc, i have the same plan and its a hoot.

 

[sydboy007]

So Malcolm has come out and told us he's shocked that the areas due for fixed wireless and satellite now have massive increases in demand - near 80% instead of the forecast 30%. Who could uh known that if you introduce a reasonably priced broadband solution into under serviced areas that demand might actually take off?

Seems those rolls royce NBN satellites are not looking such a bad investment after all.

Malcolm also goes on to say NBN doesn't own enough spectrum on the edges of the main cities, but he's somehow forgot that Labor wasn't willing to sell off 30MHz of the digital dividend spectrum on the cheap, so actually Malcolm has quite a bit of spectrum available for the NBN if he wished to use it. Me thinks he's gunning for a reduction in the amount of fixed wireless and a bigger rollout of FTTN in the areas most likely to require high levels of copper remediation. Talk about setting up for a budget blowout.

Factor in Malcolm is still living in double rainbow fantasy land about the quality of the copper. The below graphs shows just how far out from the guestimates cold hard broadband speed reality is in Australia.

note: while the mybroadband site does talk about medians and labor has talked about averages I would find it very hard to believe that the median and average could be so far apart for most suburbs. I'd argue the median figures are more likely to be wrong than the averages.

 

[So_Cynical]

New Bureau of Statistics internet usage figures out today, to 31st Dec 2013

Surprise surprise the 20 year trend continues with Aussies Downloading more than ever, 55% up on the same period last year with fixed line downloads more than 22 times greater than wireless, and wireless at close to capacity.

In the three months leading up to 31 December 2013, Australian internet users downloaded 860,000TB of data (823,000TB through fixed line connections and 37,400 via wireless). While that's a big figure in and of itself, it's a 55 per cent increase on the volume of data downloaded just one year earlier.

http://m.cnet.com.au/australians-downloading-more-and-at-greater-speeds-339347031.htm

 

[NBNMyths]

New Bureau of Statistics internet usage figures out today, to 31st Dec 2013

Surprise surprise the 20 year trend continues with Aussies Downloading more than ever, 55% up on the same period last year with fixed line downloads more than 22 times greater than wireless, and wireless at close to capacity.

http://m.cnet.com.au/australians-downloading-more-and-at-greater-speeds-339347031.htm

Yes, haven't you heard? The NBN is a white elephant. Fixed lines are dead. We're all moving to wireless. It must be true, because Alan Jones, Ray Hadley, Andrew Bolt, Piers Ackerman, Tony Abbott et al told us so….

 

[sydboy007]

Malcolm Turnbull pre elction

the Coalition will conduct an independent cost benefit analysis of the project and a review of the regulations relating to broadband.

Malcolm Turnbull post election

Pushing NBN co to move to the MTM model before the CBA has handed down it's findings.

Rank hypocrisy from the man, along with the fact he's waster how many millions on a CBA he seems to have not needed. Possibly Michael Vertigan hasn't done much so Malcolm is heading things off by making the CBA irrelevant.

3 years of hounding Labor for investing so much money without a CBA, and now he's doing the same.

I suppose in Malcolms' defense he never actually said they'd use the CBA. Must be like communist Russia where the outcome was known before the report was written?

 

[sydboy007]

http://www.zdnet.com/au/nbn-co-should-own-copper-hfc-networks-switkowski-7000028219/

In an interview on ABC's The Business last night, Switkowski said negotiations should result in NBN Co taking ownership of the networks from Telstra.

"I think the outcome of these negotiations should lead to a situation where the copper network, the ownership, is transferred into the NBN; the ownership of the HFC network is transferred into NBN," he said.

"And then we get to invest in it, provide in-fill where needed, upgrade progressively over time so that as consumer needs for ever-higher bandwidth, which we know are going to grow spectacularly, can be met by our use of those networks."

He said that this would mean that NBN Co would take on the responsibility for maintenance of the copper network which a leaked analysis of the Coalition's policy by NBN Co prior to the election estimated that maintenance costs for fibre to the node with the copper network included would be between four to six times that of the fibre to the premises model.

"For this to work, NBN has got to be a monopoly provider and will wholesale to all of the retail service providers including TPG," he said.

-----------------------

Malcolm Turnbull pre election

“Labor’s re-establishment of a public monopoly in a crucial sector of the economy, and its archaic refusal to weigh options, costs and benefits, or seek genuinely expert advice, demonstrate disdain for the proven policy principles of the past 30 years.”

I wonder why being a monopoly post election is now OK????

 

[Knobby22]

For Malcolm's plan to work, he does need to own the copper wire otherwise it will be a bureaucratic nightmare. The present joint operation with Telstra is untenable as he now wants to keep some of the copper.

But Optus own fibre and TPG want to cherry pick. The more they steal customers, the bigger risk to the project. Is he going to try to stop them rolling out fibre?

 

[sydboy007]

Further rank hypocricy from Turnbull

December 2011

“One of my concerns is that as the rollout confirms the NBN to be logistically daunting and financially untenable, NBN Co and the Government will try to obscure this by focusing on the easiest areas, not those most in need.”

February 2014 Broadband Availability and Quality Report

the analysis has found that there are areas of inadequate access to infrastructure across the country, including areas distributed as small pockets of poor service in metropolitan and outer metropolitan areas. It will be difficult for NBN Co to deploy in these areas but the objective is to prioritise the areas of greatest need where this is logistically and commercially feasible.”

Latest statement of expectations

"NBN Co will prioritise areas identified as poorly served by the Broadband Availability and Quality Report published in February 2014 (including any subsequent refinements arising from additional data) to the extent commercially and operationally feasible.”

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So within 7 months of taking his ministerial position Turnbull has moved NBN to the position he firmly criticised a bit over 2 years ago.

 

[sydboy007]

Sums up the CBN quite nicely