[LINK] NBN Rollout in Tasmania: Next Phase

Ross Kelso kelso at internode.on.net
Thu May 5 12:19:19 AEST 2011


In Link Digest, Vol 222, Issue 13 on 5 May 2011, David Lochrin said:

<snip>
QUOTE:
Windsor staked his political future on Labor?s successful implementation of the National Broadband Network, saying in his post election address that you "do it once, and do it with fibre". ?He has been panned time and again for being computer illiterate himself and for having been hoodwinked by the ALP.

But lo and behold, yesterday The Land reported that the town of Armidale had an 89 per cent take-up rate for the NBN, and would be the first in mainland Australia to receive the roll-out. ?One wonders whether any politician understands his electorate this well and can deliver on promises so comprehensively.
UNQUOTE

How about that - a takeup rate of 89%...!  though at this stage that would mean connection takeup, not actual use. ?
<snip>

# My understanding is that any so-called '89 per cent take-up rate for the NBN' means those properties have agreed to a passive NBN connection; from Tasmanian experience the actual sign-up to an ISP service would be much less, even though in the tassie case the retail rates were artifically low as NBN Co were not charging the long-term wholesale rate.  I understand the lower initial rates are also to apply in Armidale.

# As to the adage attributed to Tony Windsor MP, it should instead read: "You do it once, you do it right, you do it fibre BUT you
install in underground".  From my own onsite inspection, Armidale is being 'blessed' with overhead fibre cabling in streets where Telstra's CAN is underground - so much for creating infrastructure of the future!

Cheers

Ross Kelso, PhD
http://www.rosskelso.com
http://www.noaerialnbn.org
Director, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN)





More information about the Link mailing list