[LINK] Battery back-up mandatory for NBN?

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

On 29/10/2010 9:27 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
> Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
>> On 28/10/2010 9:20 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:
>>> My view is that the NBN is intended to replace the current telephone
>>> service
>> No it isn't. The NBN will be offering new and different services ...
>
> My understanding is that fibre will be laid instead of copper 
> telephone cable in "greenfield estates". If you want a telephone 
> service (or data) you will need to plug into the NBN box or use wireless.

Which isn't replacing anything, it's a new service to a very small 
number of users.

> The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
> issued a "National Broadband Network: Fibre-to-the-premises in
> greenfield estates Consultation paper", 29 May 2009, which says:
>
> "With FTTP, battery backup systems need to be provided for lifeline 
> services in the event of power failure.

How many people need lifeline services? Very few, as far as I know.

The question that I ask, and I think Paul Brooks has asked as well, is 
"why should everyone have to have a battery if most don't need it?"

The question seems moot anyway as it would appear that the politicians 
have taken the simplistic way out and will waste many dollars and cause 
future problems and liabilities. Who is responsible if a battery fails 
in a life threatening situation?

I don't know what world you live in Tom, but $90-150m/year forever isn't 
a few dollars in mine.

And it is reported that the overkill regarding battery number is likely 
to give rise to environmental problems. I wonder what your students on 
green ICT courses think of that?

NBN batteries to cost $150m a year
The Australian
October 28, 2010
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/nbn-batteries-to-cost-150m-a-year/story-e6frg6nf-1225944418464

<quote>
PROVIDING back-up batteries for 11 million phone subscribers to the 
National Broadband Network will cost taxpayers up to $150 million a year.

Back-up battery units will be made mandatory on the NBN after industry 
concerns over consumers' ability to place emergency calls during a power 
outage.

Once the NBN is fully operational, about 2 million to 4 million back-up 
batteries are expected to be disposed of annually.

The McKinsey-KPMG implementation study into the NBN said it would cost 
an "additional $90m to $150m each year" to give all phone service users 
the emergency back-up batteries.

"This estimate is based on a high-quality sealed lead acid battery, 
which costs approximately $40 and has an operational life of three to 
five years," the implementation study said.

The price was based on heavily discounted wholesale rates for lead 
batteries of between 66 per cent and 79 per cent.

The study's $43 billion costing of the NBN did not include the price of 
a power supply unit to house the batteries. It also advised against 
mandatory back-up batteries because of the environmental hazards of 
battery disposal.

NBN Co, the company charged with building the fibre network, initially 
said back-ups would be optional.

Its own technical documents state that NBN Co would not supply, install 
or maintain a back-up battery, and that the power supply unit could be 
ordered as an optional component.

However, the government recently instructed NBN Co to make back-ups 
mandatory, after industry concerns over the ability to place emergency 
calls on the NBN during a power outage.

An NBN spokeswoman has confirmed residents would not be slugged with 
additional fees to purchase back-ups.

"NBN Co has factored the cost of the battery back-up into its business 
case," she said. "It will come at no cost to end-users.

"Additional details in relation to technical and operational issues are 
subject to further development by NBN Co, following feedback on the 
technical specifications. Further information will be released in due 
course."

The McKinsey study said NBN Co should not be required to provide battery 
back-ups to all Australians but should "provide a PSU with the option to 
insert a back-up battery for all FTTP (fibre to the premises) customers".

It warned of potential environmental problems related to the battery 
program.

"Providing batteries universally would involve disposing of 
approximately 2-4 million batteries annually," it said. "This could 
cause an environmental hazard if toxic lead-acid batteries used are not 
recycled or disposed of safely.

"If a battery back-up approach is pursued, NBN Co should explore 
available technologies to reduce the cost of the solution, for example, 
batteries that automatically enter stand-by mode unless a call is in 
progress."

Taxpayers are expected to pay for about $26bn of the total spending for 
the planned high-speed broadband project.

The government has yet to respond to the McKinsey report.
</quote>

It all smacks of the nanny state to me.

-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
email:	 brd at iimetro.com.au
website: www.drbrd.com