[LINK] How fast is the NBN?

[Glen Turner]

> Rod Tucker's info-graphic for The Conversation envisages a typical 
> Australian home in 2020 having a tablet computer, a laptop, four 
> smartphones and three TVs, all in use simultaneously: 
> https://theconversation.com/infographic-how-fast-is-the-nbn-54392

Hi Tom

Rod's wrong (sorry mate). Go into JB HiFi and simply *look*: speakers, 
games consoles, televisions, PVRs, blueray players all want internet. Even 
the water systems in Bunnings want a wifi link, let alone the doorbells.  

You won't make it through school these days from Year 9 upwards without 
access to a computer to make assignment-writing more efficient. So the 
kids alone will have two devices, and probably more.

The TV isn't really an standalone internet device, it's just a big screen. 
Pull up Netflix on your phone, Chromecast it to the telly. So I doubt TVs 
will count much as internet devices which pull significant data from 
outside the home (as compared to within the home).

> Similarly, I suggest projections of the amount of bandwidth for the 
> "home" of 2025 is largely irrelevant.

Actually it makes no difference to the need for first mile fibre if the 
antenna is within the home or outside the home on a powerpole. Either way 
we're eventually going to pay for a thing which looks like a 
fibre-to-the-home NBN, give or take a few metres of cable.

My bet is "within the home" because of the way telco economics work: 
they'll want a levy per device, but one of the really attractive features 
of wifi is the ability to add more low-use devices for little initial 
hassle and no ongoing messing about.

I also think there's still substantial benefit to a "home area network" 
for TVs, printers and so on. And one you've got a wifi core device, 
running the Internet to that is a no-brainer.

-glen