[LINK] NBN costs

[Stephen Loosley]

Andy writes,

> Mr. Trumble, please explain how a node is upgradable? Oh, you rip
> it all out and start again? Mmmmm, more affordable....  -andyf



… Leading telecommunications expert Paul Budde has released a mid-year assessment of the NBN, which blasts the politicisation of digital infrastructure.

He says it is time for a politically agnostic review to determine how the project should proceed.

Mr Budde notes that while the pricing model was under debate, the decision by NBN to stick to the Coalition's fibre to the node-based network, rather than the earlier fibre to the premise (FTTP) model, ultimately meant it was building an asset that was of greatly reduced value to a future buyer.

He said the fact that NBN was increasing the number of premises that would receive fibre to the curb (FTTC) technology was an indication that it understood that there was a longer term problem with fibre to the node (FTTN), and said it was actively building in random inequality for residents across Australia.

"FTTN is inferior to FTTC/FTTP and customers are worried about getting an FTTN connection because they understand others will get the superior service," Mr Budde said.

"Interestingly, and telling, is that there are little or no complaints from the one million plus FTTH connections."

Mr Budde said it was shameful that politicians had turned the NBN into a "political football," rather than treating it as a national interest investment, and said it was time for a bipartisan plan to be drawn up to fix the current situation and provide a sustainable trajectory for the network build.

"It would be a proper review by real experts – not by handpicked political appointees.... Let the engineers and other experts decide on the best solution," he said.


http://www.afr.com/technology/web/nbn/nbn-chief-blames-isps-for-poor-performance-as-experts-call-for-policy-review-20170731-gxm94w