[LINK] NBN widening digital divide in bush

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Birch, Jim
> Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2011 3:52 PM
> To: link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [LINK] NBN widening digital divide in bush
> 
> 
> David Boxall wrote:
> 
> > If the anthill has copper, it must eventually get fibre. The fibre
> network should then continue growing to ever more remote places.
> 
> Do you think the people in Australian Antarctic Territories 
> should be on the fibre network too?  They have a valid need 
> so let's add one billion or so to the NBN budget. :)

Actually, the people in Antarctica are on 100 Mbps links. Not sure if
the Aussie contingent are, but I know for sure the US guys are.

> The NBN make a choice between fibre, wireless and satellite 
> based mainly on cost, with maybe some other technical issues 
> in cases.  Fibre is first choice on speed but is very costly 
> where a long trunk is required to service a few people.
> 
> If a national phone system was being put in now it would have 
> a much more wireless.  A lot of the current rural copper 
> would not be laid.
>
<SNIP>

Jim, you do realise that you just shot down the entire rational behind
the NBN with that last statement.

And it is a fact that third world countries now have better connectivity
than us, and all via Wireless.

In other words, whereas infrastructure lack previously prevented
secondary economies from adequately being able to compete on the global
stage, that is now no longer the case for India, China, Pakistan, Brazil
and Indonesia. All of whom who have connected approximately 2 billion
phones in the last five years with approx 1.8 billion being since the
release of Android and the legitimisation of the Chinese clone phone
makers.


Tom