[LINK] Only 4,000 homes hooked up to NBN

[Tom Koltai]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au 
> [mailto:link-bounces at mailman.anu.edu.au] On Behalf Of Kim Holburn
> Sent: Tuesday, 3 January 2012 6:08 PM
> To: Link list
> Subject: [LINK] Only 4,000 homes hooked up to NBN
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-01-03/only-4000-homes-hooked-u
> p-to-nbn/3756204
> 
> > Only 4,000 homes hooked up to NBN
> > 
> > Figures from NBN Co show take-up of the National Broadband 
> Network is 
> > behind schedule, with only 4,000 households connected to the 
> > high-speed network at the end of 2011.
> > 
> > That figure is well behind an initial target set by the 
> Government to 
> > have 35,000 households connected by June last year.
> > 
> > The Opposition's telecommunications spokesman Malcolm 
> Turnbull says it 
> > is further evidence of the Government's poor policy execution.
> > 
> > "Well it's pathetic," he said. "It would be comical, this very low 
> > take-up, missing their targets by so much.
> > 
> > "They said themselves that they were going to have 35,000 customers 
> > connected to the network by June last year, and yet they have only 
> > 4,000 connected, only 2,315 of which are connected to the fibre 
> > network.
> > 
> > "So this is a shocking shortfall."
> > 
> > NBN Co has attributed the shortfall to delays in the 
> rollout while it 
> > waits for Telstra's structural separation approval, which 
> will clear 
> > the way for it to use the telco's underground infrastructure.
> > 
> > 
> > Audio: Poor planning behind low take-up: Turnbull (AM)
> > But Mr Turnbull says that is a poor excuse.
> > 
> > "The reality is that they have not been able to deliver the 
> > connections they said they would," he said.
> > 
> > "There are plenty of areas in Australia where the Telstra 
> > infrastructure was either available on a temporary basis if 
> you like, 
> > before the final agreements were entered into, or areas where the 
> > Telstra infrastructure, such as green fields sites, was not 
> relevant 
> > in any case."
> > 
> > Telecommunications analyst Paul Budde says NBN Co is right 
> to wait for 
> > the Telstra deal to be approved by the ACCC, which is 
> likely to occur 
> > next month.
> > 
> > "That now gives NBN Co the opportunity to roll out the NBN 
> [much more 
> > quickly] with the assistance of Telstra," Mr Budde said.
> > 
> > "So, yes, there was a backlog, but because of the contract 
> signed with 
> > Telstra, all indications are that that backlog will disappear over 
> > 2012, and that the company will be on target for 2012."
> > 
> > "2012 will be the test year," he added.
> > 
> > "If we were to talk about this a year from now and it is still a 
> > disappointment, then I think we would have a problem.
> > 
> > "I think that if you could get the 500,000 rollout, roughly that's 
> > what they are looking at.
> > 
> > "So if you start looking at 400-500,000 people that are able to get 
> > access to it, then I would think you start looking at at 
> least 100,000 
> > people that should be connected to the network around that time."

Interesting numbers. I think Paul is being positive by suggesting that
the NBN will be able to turn on "at least" 454 connections per every
working day over the next year.
I look forward with interest to the reports on the amazing logistics
which judging by overseas activity.... (e.g.: FIOS pulls plug on new
Fibre Rollouts) 
Or lack of, possibly wont be needed unless 3G/4G somehow get much more
expensive which of course would have the benefit of making the NBN
appear more competitive.

Oh wait, I believe there's news on that front:

Quote/ [From:
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/telecommunications/mobile-
phone-operators-face-1bn-spectrum-fee/story-fn4iyzsr-1226235075269]
Mobile phone operators face $1bn spectrum fee

The 15-year spectrum licences - necessary for delivering mobile services
- are up for renewal this year, and as the government puts the final
touches to the renewal process, the expectation is that the sale of the
licences could bring in up to $4bn to government coffers.

When the licences were first sold to the likes of Telstra, Optus and
Vodafone between 1998 and 2000 they fetched a combined $2bn, but as the
use of mobile services has blossomed over the past decade analysts
expect the fee to double.

Mobile operators are desperate to renew the licences, and to acquire
additional spectrum, which allow them to load more customers on to their
mobile networks and offer faster download speeds.
Without the added capacity, the mobile operators would be facing
overloaded and unusable networks.
...

Last Paragraph: 

"If Hutchison and the Vodafone group don't want to pony up $1 billion,
then they might decide to take on an equity partner and make a bigger
move into the fixed-line business."
/Quote

Well there it is. In one swoop. The Communications Minister has managed
to pay for a tenth of the NBN. Voters of course will blame the carriers
for the price hikes and gleefully abandon their mobile phone broadband
plans for NBN connections.

UMMM. Still thinking about that one. I guess it all depends on who
uttered the words in the closing para above and what their understanding
of tethered versus the convenience of untethered is.
Oh, and of course, whether or not the funding for the Vodafone network
comes from similar sources as those that pulled the plug on the FIOS
network Fibre rollout (excepting D.C.).

> > 
> > Prime Minister Julia Gillard has rejected the Opposition's 
> criticism.
> > 
> > "The roll out is proceeding. We did take the time necessary to 
> > negotiate with Telstra an appropriate agreement to use its 
> > infrastructure because that meant that the NBN could be rolled out 
> > more easily using pre-existing infrastructure," Ms Gillard said.
> 
> 
> -- 
> 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 



TomK