[LINK] Ergas article in the Oz

[Stilgherrian]

On 29/06/2010, at 3:12 PM, Jan Whitaker wrote:
> Will it still be plug and work with current phones?

Yes. A standard analog phone socket will be one of the interfaces on the NBN customer premises equipment (CPE).


> What happens in 
> power outages (our current phones continue to work)?

It appears this will be left up to the end customers to decide.

"NBN Co response to industry submissions -- proposed wholesale fibre bitstream products" [there's a catchy title] of March 2010 says:

.....
It was generally agreed by RSPs that battery backup capability for the ONT device should be offered as an optional component rather than mandated. While battery backup is considered an important feature for particular customer segments (such as the elderly or others who may require priority assistance) the following was also acknowledged:

* An increasing number of emergency/distress calls are made using mobile telephones

* A large proportion of premises use telephone equipment (cordless phones or PABX systems) that are not line powered, and hence will typically be rendered inoperable during a power failure regardless of whether the ONT is fitted with a battery backup capability.

It was also acknowledged that it will be critical to set end user’s expectations of service behaviour during a power outage. Clearly articulating the NBN ONT POTS availability during a power outage is key.
By offering the battery as an option, environmental issues can be minimised by reducing the number of batteries in circulation (i.e., only end users who actually require the capability will have a battery installed).

http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/upload/files/Response_to_Industry_Submissions/NBN_Co_response_to_consultation_submissions.pdf
.....

This doesn't prevent NBN Co being required by legislation to provide battery backup for everyone, of course. This is merely the consensus of NBN Co and its potential customers, the retail service providers (RSPs).


> Not everyone 
> wants Internet, believe it or not. :-)

Not everyone wanted a landline phone either, but we still ran the cables down every street.

Stil


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