[LINK] Benefits of a digital economy enabled by the National

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Richard writes,

> School fibre programs exist under their own program ..

Yes NSW school students are fairly net 'complete' (if not for the other
17 hours) and I think Vic schools are also. But obviously the NBN could
offer excellent redundancy (& backhaul?) specially for a medical matter.
 
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/pipermail/link/2010-September/089445.html

> Moreover, if we look at the NBN's rollout plans - the idea is to get
> the fibre rolled out fast (with a) rapid pace of the anticipated rollout

Yes .. apparently NBN is already earning income


TELSTRA announced yesterday it would soon begin testing its broadband 
services on the trial Tasmanian fibre network. 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs


>From next month, 100 Telstra customers in the NBN trial sites of 
Tasmania's Midway Point, Scottsdale and Smithton will be offered free 
internet services and products so the telco can test the compatibility of 
the $43 billion network's infrastructure with its own products and 
systems.

The select customers will receive broadband connections capable of 1000 
megabits a second download speeds over the fibre network. 

They will retain and pay for services that currently use Telstra's copper-
based network, such as the telephone.

The trial marks the first time Telstra has sold internet services to 
customers using infrastructure it did not own. 

"The pilot is an opportunity for Telstra to assess how BigPond broadband 
services and next-generation digital home products such as T-Hub and T-
Box perform over the NBN," Telstra chief executive David Thodey told a 
business lunch in Tasmania yesterday. 

"It's unusual for Telstra to access another network rather than use our 
own, so it's important we ensure our products and services work smoothly."

A Telstra spokeswoman said the telco would make a decision on commercial 
offers once it had assessed the trial.

Telstra's involvement in the Tasmanian leg of the NBN will give the 
ambitious infrastructure project an important vote of legitimacy. 

The NBN, which aims to connect 93 per cent of the nation to a new fibre-
based broadband network expected to cost taxpayers $27bn, has been widely 
lauded by the telco industry but questions about its financial viability 
and the government's reticence to conduct a cost-benefit analysis have 
drawn widespread criticism of the project.

Telstra joins four other internet service providers - iiNet, Primus, 
Internode and Exetel - who have been selling services on the Tasmanian 
leg of the NBN since earlier this year. 

Optus has not decided if it will start selling services on the Tasmanian 
NBN but continues to evaluate its options, a spokeswoman said.

Although five ISPs are now participating in the Tasmanina trial, customer 
demand for the fibre-based services in the trial sites has been 
questionable. 

Last month iiNet managing director Michael Malone said only 70 customers 
between iiNet, Primus and Internode had signed up to the trial services. 

The NBN Co however said it was currently processing "hundreds" of new 
applications.

NBN Tasmania executive chairman Doug Campbell said Telstra's 
participation in the trial demonstrated the importance of the Tasmanian 
rollout.

"Not only is the NBN in Tasmania providing people in three communities 
with the first taste of the NBN, it is giving retail service providers 
the opportunity to prove the integration of their services onto the new 
network. They are also gaining valuable experience in the types of 
service plans that are attractive to customers using the impressive 
capabilities of the new network," Mr Campbell said.

The first phase of the Tasmanian NBN involves rolling out fibre to 4000 
premises in Midway Point in the south, Scottsdale in the northeast, and 
Smithton in the northwest.

ISPs involved in the trial are not being charged a monthly wholesale 
access charge by NBN Co to deliver the services. 

Instead each of the ISPs is only only be charged a one-off $300 wholesale 
access fee for each household or business they hook into the broadband 
network.

The absence of wholesale access costs was introduced to lower the cost of 
entry and boost take-up of the NBN's services in the Apple Isle where 
there have been doubts about demand for the super-fast internet service.


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