[LINK] NBN take-up in Tassie

[Jan Whitaker]

One in 10 of first 4000 offered sign up for a service on NBN

Ben Grubb
October 22, 2010 - 5:10PM
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About 11 per cent of Tasmanians who were offered to become NBN-ready 
in the first three towns have taken up a service, figures revealed in 
senate estimates this week show.
    * 4000 premises were offered to be NBN-ready.
    * 51% (2040) consented to being NBN-ready.
    * Of that 51%, 21.3%  have taken up a service
    * Of the initial 4000, 10.9% (436) have taken up a service.

So far, 51 per cent (2040) of the 4000 premises offered a connection 
in Tasmania have consented in the first three towns to a box being 
installed on the outside of their building that is required if they 
wish to connect to the NBN at some point.

Australians will be required to connect to the NBN if they wish to 
retain their fixed-line phone service, or transition their ADSL 
broadband connection from Telstra's copper-based network, once 
Telstra's copper is decommissioned.

Of the 4000 who were offered an NBN connection, 10.9 per cent (436) 
have taken up a service with a retail service provider such as 
<http://www.internode.on.net/>Internode, 
<http://www.iinet.net.au/index.html>iiNet and 
<http://www.iprimus.com.au/>iPrimus.

Communications Minister Senator Stephen Conroy yesterday said that in 
Tasmania "take up rates have been strong".

"This represents strong interest from residents in taking up 
fibre-based services now and into the future," he said.

He suggested that it was likely many in Tasmania who wanted to 
connect to the new fibre-based network were still on contracts with 
their current internet provider.

"Most customers will have to see out existing contracts before they 
can make the switch to the NBN but as more retail service providers 
come on board, they will be able to transfer their customers sooner," he said.

He also said that the $25 million NBN Implementation Study by 
KPMG-McKinsey found that the NBN would be "viable,with affordable 
prices for consumers, on the basis of take up of premises passed of 
between 6-12 per cent per year.

"NBN Co is already at the top end of that range after justth four 
months," he said.

The Coalition reportedly 
<http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/just-1-in-10-opt-to-take-up-the-national-broadband-network/story-fn59niix-1225941975757>told 
The Australian that the 11 per cent take-up rate was "appallingly low".

The NBN will connect 93 per cent of the nation to a fibre network 
that is planned to replace the existing copper network owned by 
Telstra if the company's shareholders approve an 
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/biz-tech/telstra-joins-broadband-revolution-with-11b-sweetener-20100621-ypuu.html>$11 
billion deal for transfering customers on to the new network.

Telstra's CEO, David Thodey, has urged his shareholders to 
<http://www.theage.com.au/business/telstra-urges-shareholders-to-support-11b-deal-20100621-yqid.html>approve 
the deal.

Those not in the fibre footprint will be served by either wireless or 
satellite technology.

Until the deal with Telstra is aproved, NBN Co, the company charged 
with building the network, is offering connections to the new 
fibre-based network at no cost and on an opt-in basis, whereby 
home-owners or occupiers of premises have to fill in a consent form 
so that it can install the box required on the outside of premises so 
the network can be used.

Conroy this week told this website that he was considering to 
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/minister-threatens-to-use-law-to-force-people--on-nbn-if-states-revolt-20101021-16uge.html>mandate 
the NBN connection upon every house or business, to ensure all had 
the opportunity to use it. The Tasmanian government is considering 
passing laws that would instead make the NBN opt-out, meaning 
paperwork would need to be filled in if you didn't want to connect to it.

Recent figures showed people consenting to have the connection 
equipment installed was 
<http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/up-to-90-see-the-need-for-nbn-speed-20101018-16pcd.html>higher 
on the mainland.

The author of this post is on Twitter: 
<http://www.twitter.com/bengrubb>@bengrubb

This story was found at: 
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/one-in-10-of-first-4000-offered-sign-up-for-a-service-on-nbn-20101022-16x6z.html 




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

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