[LINK] NBN is FTTH

[Tom Worthington]

At 10:13 AM 7/04/2009, George Bray wrote:
>$43b for a FTTH network covering 90% of homes and businesses. ...

My take on it: "Australian broadband many happen 
despite government plan" 
<http://www.tomw.net.au/blog/2009/04/australian-broadband-many-happen.html>.

The Australian Government has announced it has 
rejected all tenders and will instead will set up 
a new company to build and operate a New National 
Broadband Network . But unless the scope of the 
project is reduced to a realistic level this 
appears no more likely to succeed than the failed NBN tender process.

The failure of the NBN tender process is not 
unexpected, given the stringent requirements set. 
The aims for the new company appear to be more 
limited, but still may be beyond the technical 
capabilities of the technology and the management 
abilities of the government. This project is far 
larger and more complex than the many Defence 
Department projects which have recently failed 
due to poor management and overly ambitious 
technical requirements. As currently scoped the 
project would appear to have minimal chance of success.

However, developments with broadband technology, 
particularly wireless broadband, may make the 
system obsolete before it is built. This may save 
the government from embarrassment by allowing the 
new technology to meet many of the stated goals, 
without the planned system ever being built.

From: New National Broadband Network, Joint media 
release, PRIME MINISTER, TREASURER, MINISTER FOR 
FINANCE, MINISTER FOR BROADBAND, Document ID: 
110063, 7 APRIL 2009 
<http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/022>:

     SPECIFICATIONS

     The new superfast network will:

     * connect homes, schools and workplaces with 
optical fibre (fibre to the premises or 'FTTP'), 
providing broadband services to Australians in 
urban and regional towns with speeds of 100 
megabits per second - 100 times faster than those 
currently used by most people—extending to towns 
with a population of around 1,000 or more people
     * use next generation wireless and satellite 
technologies that will be able to deliver 12 
megabits per second or more to people living in 
more remote parts of rural Australia
     * provide fibre optic transmission links 
connecting cities, major regional centres and rural towns
     * be Australia's first national 
wholesale-only, open access broadband network
     * be built and operated on a commercial 
basis by a company established at arm's length 
from Government and involve private sector investment
     * be expected to be rolled-out, 
simultaneously, in metropolitan, regional, and rural areas.

     Every person and business in Australia, 
no-matter where they are located, will have 
access to affordable, fast broadband at their fingertips. ...

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Tom Worthington FACS HLM tom.worthington at tomw.net.au Ph: 0419 496150
Director, Tomw Communications Pty Ltd            ABN: 17 088 714 309
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617                      http://www.tomw.net.au/
Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Australian National University