[LINK] Beyond this project [WAS: Battery back-up mandatory for NBN?]

[Tom Worthington]

Michael Skeggs mike at bystander.net wrote:
> ... Tom has written these sentiments before. I think the model he
> envisions is closest to ubiquitous wi-fi (or successor? WIMAX?) with
> the bulk of actual devices connected wirelessly to a local device
> connected by fibre. ...

Yes. The wireless bit of the NBN might be using WiFi, WiMax, a cell 
phone picocell, or all at once. The main point is to have the wireless 
part of the link being shared as a public resource. It makes little 
sense to install a fibre node to each home and the have the householder 
plug their own private WiFi into that.

> ... avoids the technical limitations of using wireless for the last mile ...

To get enough bandwidth we need wireless for the last 10m to 100m, 
rather than the last mile.

> Wireless is not suitable for high bandwidth applications over any
> great distance, or where there is a large population attempting to use
> it simultaneously. ...

Wireless can be used over great distances and for a large population,
but you may need different technology for each. In regional areas we 
need a service which can go many kilometres for a few users. In cities 
we need something which covers a much smaller area, so the spectrum can 
be reused.


-- 
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/