[LINK] Study casts doubt on claims for broadband

[David Boxall]

On 29/11/2010 4:45 PM, Marghanita da Cruz wrote:
> David Boxall wrote:
>> Another one for the NBN-knockers:
>> <http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/study-casts-doubt-on-claims-for-broadband-20101128-18cfg.html>
> <snip>
>> Also, the research cited by Mr Rudd covered the periods 1985 to 2001 and
>> 1984 to 2002, ''when the internet was in its infancy and broadband was
>> pre-natal''.
>>
>
> Well apparently Telstra was nursing its new baby at the
> time. Though it is disappointing to hear the minister
> still pushing TV as the main benefit of broadband - whether
> it be wired or wireless - invoking Youtube or Vimeo would
> have been much more forward moving:
>> Residents in Centennial Park, Sydney have been at the cutting edge of change. Around 400 dwellings made up of single residences and high rise flats in Centennial Park were involved in a cable TV pilot study which enabled them to receive a range of news channels (CNN and Worldnet), education and scientific channels as well as the ABC, SBS and a local community channel. The homes in Centennial Park are wired up by a combination of optical fibre to a series of hubs and then the individual homes are connected by coaxial cable. This hybrid arrangement of optical fibre and coaxial cable allows the homes participating in the pilot to receive between six and ten channels of television. The number of channels available to consumers will eventually be much higher, of course.
>>
>> Telstra is continuing its program of laying optical fibre cable around Australia in preparation for a wide range of entertainment and communication services. This modernisation of the existing infrastructure will allow cable TV and, in the future, a range of interactive broadband services such as video-on-demand, home banking and shopping, and interactive games. Nationally, cable will have been laid passed one million homes by the end of 1995 and four million homes will be able to access the cable network by mid 1999.
>>
>> The initial Pay TV network will be separate to the existing telephone network. However, it is the first step in building a fully integrated broadband/narrowband network which will, in time, allow the existing telephone traffic to be integrated onto the new broadband network.
> ...
> <http://www.telstra.com.au/abouttelstra/education-centre/interactive/convergence/>
>
Which brings up an interesting point: the most substantial benefit of 
the NBN doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Internet.

1. One reason the NBN went for fibre to the premises was to circumvent 
Telstra's monopoly on the last mile.
2. High capacity physical links can substitute for broadcast, freeing up 
valuable spectrum.
3. ?

-- 
David Boxall                    |  Dogs look up to us
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