[LINK] NBN widening digital divide in bush

[Tom Koltai]

Here Here David.

I don't think the country politicians agreed to a 43 billion dollar
network that would not increase the benefits for those living in the
bush.

So before the NBN the bush had the Broadband guarantee (1 MB via
Satellite).

Now after 43 billion the people in the bush have, a huge 1 MB via
satellite.

For the next crop of farmers to have a chance, we need ALL of the
anthills to have exactly the same level of connectivity that they have
now - at the least.

If that's copper, then the copper needs to be replaced with fibre. If
that's Satellite ? Then the 1 MB needs to be replaced with bonded
quadLNB quadrature antenna satellite technology that is capable, right
now of delivery 24 MB per second to the most remote corner of Australia.

For 43 billion dollars, at the very least, lets put up 3 new satellites
that have the battery, cpu and transponder capacity to deliver what is
required.

After all, if Foxtel/Austar can deliver 6Mbps (HD) per digital satellite
channel, then the NBN can do at least as well.

Or, fibre to each anthill.

When the citizens voted for the NBN, they were told it was for Australia
and on that basis they voted as a country. They didn't vote to cherry
pick the CBD's of six states cities.

In fact Senator Conroy is also for an expanded NBN in the bush... He
said:

"This initiative builds on the Government's significant investment in
the National Broadband Network (NBN) by supporting initiatives that
improve service delivery and promote broadband take-up and use in
regional, rural and remote communities," the Minister for Broadband,
Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said.

http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/043

Initiatives - my guess is that initiative does not mean - the same as
what was before...

I guess, he must have forgotten.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of David Boxall
> Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2011 3:20 PM
> To: link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [LINK] NBN widening digital divide in bush
> 
> 
> On 13/07/2011 1:15 PM, Birch, Jim wrote:
> > ...  It doesn't make economic sense to take a fibre to
> every anthill
> > in central Australia.  There's a cost/benefit trade off. ...
> Are economic considerations the most important? What was the cost
> benefit trade off in laying copper to so many remote 
> locations? Was cost 
> benefit analysis even done?
> 
> If the anthill has copper, it must eventually get fibre. The fibre
> network should then continue growing to ever more remote places.
> 
> -- 
> David Boxall                    |  When a distinguished but elderly
>                                 |  scientist states that something is
> http://david.boxall.id.au       |  possible, he is almost certainly
>                                 |  right. When he states that
>                                 |  something is impossible, he is
>                                 |  very probably wrong.
>                                                   --Arthur C.
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