[LINK] The PLAN, and broadband speeds?

[Jan Whitaker]

At 09:04 AM 23/06/2007, rchirgwin at ozemail.com.au wrote:
>So in the right application, wireless is perfectly acceptable. 
>Here's the choice:
>
>- Go from dial-up to WiMax, and get a share of a moderately-fast channel.
>- Wait until someone decides to run a 20 km fibre run for a tiny 
>handful of customers, which might never happen.
>
>Which is better?

Improvement is better. What I don't understand is the constant push 
for something called parity when the physics and cost/benefit of the 
situation means it won't happen, at least not sustainably. I'm with 
you on this one, Richard.

BUT if Jamie Packer wants to buy an outback property and run a fibre 
link to it -- and PAY for that -- he should be allowed, right? Or if 
xx telco can see a way to make a buck out of running fibre off a 
backbone to a cluster with microwave line of sight to get to the 
town, they should be allowed, right? At one time, the educational 
institution I worked for in metro Phoenix was the largest 'phone 
company' in the state because of the microwave system we owned. Yes, 
we licensed the frequencies, but we owned the gear, bypassing all but 
the need for a few trunk lines to make outgoing calles. Ran highspeed 
(at that time) data and video across it as well. Saved heaps of 
money, too, merely from replacing the leased data/voice lines which 
were often only needed for internal communication.

Is any of that possible in Australia or is it so tightly regulated 
that we're stuck in quagmires of "plans" that never see the light of 
day? Isn't that the area of competition that we should be looking at?

Jan


Jan Whitaker
JLWhitaker Associates, Melbourne Victoria
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
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