[LINK] Battery back-up mandatory for NBN?

[Richard Chirgwin]

Tom asks:

> So who is correct: the Minister, or the NBN documentation?
The answer is, "both". Everyone's forgetting that Tasmania is a pilot. 
The documentation for the pilot sites should be read in that context: we 
do not know if all of the procedures for NBN Tasmania will be adopted 
nationally. That's the reason for a pilot - the outcomes of the pilot 
provide input to the rest of the rollout.

There are two pertinent processes regarding the battery backup:

1. The ongoing NBN consultations; and
2. The USO inquiry.

NBN Co may decide that battery backup is either its responsibility, or a 
contractual condition on retailers; or the USO inquiry may find that 
batteries are a USO obligation. And, of course, if the minister makes 
the battery a license condition, that would remove any controversy as well.

On 25/10/10 11:02 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
> Are backup batteries being provided to all NBN customers as the Minister
> for Communication claims, or are these a customer installed option, as
> the NBN documentation states?
The minister didn't claim that the batteries *are* being provided, he 
said he has instructed that the backup *will be* mandatory; which I 
suppose returns to the "pilot vs. live" issue.

Cheers,
RC
> On ABC Radio in 2009 I stated that:
>
> "One thing the NBN needs is a battery backup lasting at least 4 hours,
> so the system keeps running in an emergency. Failing to design the
> system for this would be unethical for ICT professionals involved in the
> project. The responsible decision makers involved, from the minister
> down would have to answer to a court if deaths result during a
> disaster."<http://blog.tomw.net.au/2009/04/nbn-needed-in-emergencies.html>.
>
>
> Stephen Conroy, Minister for Communications appears to agree with this
> point of view. On the ABC Insiders program yesterday, he said:
>
> "... And to give you another example, a story was written on Saturday I
> think, yesterday which suggested that we were going to be not having
> battery back-up.,
>
> The journalist was told the Government has instructed the national
> broadband network that battery back-up will be mandatory. Yet the story
> still appeared without any reference to that. ..."
> <http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2010/s3046664.htm>
>
>
> However, the NBN Tasmania web site says that backup batteries are an
> optional extra:
>
> "The NTU is supplied with a 240-volt regulated power supply. You can
> purchase and install a back-up battery to minimise the risk of
> interruption to the telephone service when there is a power failure.
> Once the battery is installed and charged, the NTU will remain
> operational for up to 4 hours in the event of a power outage. Unless a
> battery is installed and maintained by you or your retail service
> provider you will not be able to make or receive any phone calls,
> including calls to emergency 000 services, during a power failure."
> <http://nbntasmania.com.au/index.php?Doo=PageView&id=114>
>
>
> The battery brochure from the Tasmanian NBN gives details for the
> customer to install the optional backup battery:
> <http://www.nbntasmania.com.au/283/NBNT1829%20NBN%20UPS%20Brochure.pdf>.
>
> So who is correct: the Minister, or the NBN documentation?
>
> More in my blog at:
> <http://blog.tomw.net.au/2010/10/battery-back-up-mandatory-for-nbn.html>.
>
>