[LINK] ABC-Telstra deal -- the terms and conditions

[Adam Todd]

>> Telstra charges for BACKCHANNEL traffic.  If ABC were to datacast and
>> as the agreement seems to point, be forced to use only the Telstra
>> Network for traffic inbound and outbound, the outbound flow would 
>
>Thanks Adam.  I thought of that interpretation, but there is also the
>possibility that it could mean the back-channel link from the customer
back to
>the ABC (or have I got my terminology mixed up here?).  

Not generally from the customer (viewer) to the Web Server.  THat's a
forward channel from the ABC's point of view.

BACKCHANNEL is a term Telstra seems to have almost trademarked and means
data going OUT frm a primary resource or connection INTO the Telstra network.

But then you said this ...

>It seems to me that the outbound datacasting information (possibly streaming
>media) would be carried by ABC radio, TV channel or satellite, but that the
>return channel from the customer would need to be carried by an ISP. This

Now that is an interesting thought.  But that would mean that Telstra would
have to put set top boxes in every house to make that work. 

In such case the backchannel would indeed be Telstra (fom the customer)

Is this possibly why Telstra demanded the Federal Government fund
Set-Top_Boxes for all households?

>could mean that ABC is to promote both its datacasting services, and Big
>Pond together.

Gawd help us!

>How do other people read it?

Well You have convinced me :)  Now do something useful with it :)