[LINK] Battery back-up mandatory for NBN?

Kim Holburn kim at holburn.net
Sat Nov 6 12:19:09 AEDT 2010


On 2010/Nov/06, at 11:50 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:

> Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>> ... If we had $43b to spend only once, is spending it on the NBN the 
>> optimum use of public resources? ...
> 
> I don't think the Government strategy is to actually spend $43b of 
> government money on the NBN. It is to have a grand sounding, visionary,
> long term, nation building project. Then spend a few hundred million
> dollars on some pilot programs in marginal electorates, while the
> technologists and the market sort out the future of telecommunications.
> 
> Within a few years the NBN will be rendered obsolete by technological
> and market developments.

Sorry, don't see that at all.

> But this will not matter as most of the NBN
> will not yet have been built and what has been built will still be
> usable. The ALP can take credit for whatever emerges, saying that the 
> vision of the NBN has been fulfilled, even though the implementation 
> details have changed.
> 
> This is not much different from the opposition proposal, except
> the opposition is making the mistake for trying to design a commercially
> viable short term solution, where there isn't one. By doing the "vision
> thing" the Government is avoiding that trap.
> 
> Providing fibre to the home to some of Australia will be useful,
> although I don't think this is the future of telecommunications. Smart
> phones are becoming affordable and very popular (the Huawei IDEOS is
> less than US$200). There are numerous tablet computers for under $400
> being released for Christmas 2010. These devices will cause an explosion
> in the demand for wireless communications.

Yes but it's last 10 metre wireless.

> It will still be handy to have a high speed fibre connection for
> watching TV at home, or for business. But the major use of the fibre 
> will be backhaul for the wireless network. This is much like the Sydney 
> toll road building program of the NSW Government.

Yes, public roads.  The internet is like public roads.  The wireless connections you are talking about are like people's driveways.  No use in having a fast paved driveway onto a clogged goat track.  Wireless connections are also getting faster.  802.11n is what 54Mb.  There are various gigabit wireless projects in the pipeline.  

That's like saying all you need for mobile phones is bluetooth because that is what you actually talk with.

> These roads are 
> unsuited to Sydney's long term transport needs, but can be adapted for 
> Bus Rapid Transit
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_rapid_transit> as shown by the
> Brisbane South East Busway
> <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South-East_Busway,_Brisbane>.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tom Worthington FACS CP HLM, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
> PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
> Adjunct Senior Lecturer, School of Computer Science, The
> Australian National University http://cs.anu.edu.au/courses/COMP7310/
> 
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-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
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