[LINK] Question re Telstra/NBN deal

[Jan Whitaker]

http://www.theage.com.au/national/coming-your-way-a-telco-revolution-20100620-yp74.html

"Telstra chief executive David Thodey signed a heads of agreement 
with the government yesterday that spells generational change for the 
company, as it will abandon its traditional core business of 
fixed-line communications networks. "

"Telstra will then decommission its copper and cable networks, 
getting out of the business of wholesale networks to concentrate on 
providing retail services and mobile and wireless services. "
Decommission

"Telstra will transfer customers from its copper and hybrid fibre 
coaxial cable networks to the new network in return for further 
payments from NBNCo. "

So if someone has no desire to buy/sign-up for internet services and 
want to keep their POTS line (plain old telephone service), will they 
be allowed to? What does 'abandon' mean? Does 'decommission' mean the 
consumer would need to shift to fibre connectivity? Is there a change 
in the required phone system in the house as a result?

If the copper and coax networks are going away, what happens to all 
this Foxtel/cable internet installation going on and already in 
place? Does all this total shift increase the cost of the project 
since by the way I read this ALL houses will need to be reinstalled 
in order to have comms service of any sort?

Sounds like a lot more work to be done.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

_ __________________ _