[LINK] NSW government fibre

[Bill D'Arcy]

Linkers
Bernard drew attention to the use of NSW Government fibre to create local
loops in April
<http://www.anu.edu.au/mail-archives/link/link0204/0491.html>.
Russell commented in part
<http://www.anu.edu.au/mail-archives/link/link0204/0515.html>:
"This action by the NSW government has the potential to be as significant
and far reaching as the action taken by the ACTU to smash resale price
maintenance when it bought into Bourkes department store in Melbourne in
the early 1970's."
Premier Carr told the State ALP conference in May
<http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/05/25/1022243279157.html>:
"We can increase internet speed by 30 times and we'll strike a blow for
competition by using the entire public sector's muscle to ensure Telstra,
Optus and other telcos give us the best deal possible."
There has now been some action:
Accidental Telco
http://australia.internet.com/r/article/jsp/sid/12538
BY CRAIG LIDDELL (profile) | October 17, 2002
<snip>
The New South Wales (NSW) Government is calling for expressions of interest
for local loops to attach up to 5000 government sites to broadband
connections running off state-owned fibre. The central aim of the
Telecommunications Strategy is to identify the thousands of kilometres of
unused fibre-optic capacity already owned by government authorities. That
would then be offered to private companies.
</snip>
The NSW Government's Telecommunications Strategy is at
<http://www.oit.nsw.gov.au/pdf/3.5.1.Telcos.pdf> and states in part:
"For example, the Rail Infrastructure Corporation (RIC) has an existing
optic fibre network linking rail locations in the City Rail network bounded
by Muswellbrook and Newcastle in the north, Lithgow in the west, and
Goulburn and Kiama in the south. The excess capacity in this network
provides an opportunity to increase the rollout of broadband services
across parts of NSW."
I, as do most people here in the Blue Mountains, live only a short distance
from the Lithgow line, a tantalising but exasperating reminder of what
could be. But isn't. The copper up here will not connect me at more than
14.4.
What is required to create a local loop, to tap into the Rail
Infrastructure Corporation's fibre, to deliver broadband to the community
and businesses (final mile issues), and are there any
community/privately-owned models that would provide a useful guide? Or is
this pie-in-the-sky, gee whiz political blandishments?
Bill D'Arcy


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