[LINK] Is the NBN Ready for Extreme Weather?

[Kim Holburn]

Bit of a stretch.  Fibre is chemically far more stable than copper.  Cell nodes are not going to change.  Fibre nodes, exchanges, the same.  The current POTS uses a mixture of above and below ground cabling and so I guess will the NBN.  Underground fibre requires much less maintenance and can probably handle being flooded.  Underground cabling is susceptible to earthquakes, floods; overhead to storms and fires.  

One main difference is customers have to have their own backup electricity.  Don't we take any responsibility for this.  The government has to do everything for us?




On 2012/Dec/06, at 8:30 AM, Tom Worthington wrote:

> Frank Yardley from the NCCARF Emergency Management Network at RMIT 
> University pointed out a Senate Inquiry into preparedness for extreme 
> weather events. It invites submissions on the preparedness of major 
> infrastructure, including telecommunications: 
> http://www.aph.gov.au/parliamentary_business/committees/senate_committees?url=ec_ctte/extreme_weather/tor.htm
> 
> My suggestion would be that as a matter of policy, the combination of 
> the NBN and mobile phone networks should be made as reliable as the old 
> PSTN was. This should not be just for voice calls but for data as well.
> 
> The Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) used underground cables and 
> switching centers with backup power supplies. The system would therefore 
> work during power failures, floods, cyclones, fires and other disasters. 
> The NBN relies on mains power in the customer's premises to function. 
> While there is provision for battery backup where a voice service is 
> provided, many people will be using VoIP via the Internet, where no 
> battery backup is provided. Also the fiber optic cable may be more 
> vulnerable to damage, where it enters the customer's premises. Mobile 
> mobile phone towers may be more vulnerable to damage in disasters.
> 
> 
> -- 
> Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
> PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
> Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards
> Legislation
> 
> Adjunct Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science,
> Australian National University http://cs.anu.edu.au/courses/COMP7310/
> _______________________________________________
> Link mailing list
> Link at mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

-- 
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
T: +61 2 61402408  M: +61 404072753
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request