Australia To Build Fiber-To-the-Premises Network 300
candiman writes "The Australian PM, Kevin Rudd, has just announced that none of the private sector submissions to build a National Broadband Network was up to the standard, so instead the government is going to form a private company to build a fiber to the premises network. The network will connect to 90% of premises delivering 100Mb/s. The remaining 10% will be reached with wireless and satellite delivering up to 12Mb/s. The network cost has been estimated at 43 billion AU dollars over 8 years of construction — and is expected to employ 47,000 people at peak. It will be wholesale only and completely open access. As an Australian who voted for the other guys, all I can say is, wow."
What's the point (Score:4, Interesting)
Australia is a censor black hole. If anything this is a trick to install filtering equipment everywhere.
If I was cynical (Score:4, Interesting)
Telstra's back door (Score:2, Interesting)
So Telstra got kicked out of the previous attempt, so they lean on a few of their mates in government and sure enough the old plan is scrapped and a new one is started.
Only the new plan is completely taxpayer-funded, subject to no open tendering process, and managed by some demonic clique of Aussie politicians.
Plus, Conroy can give up on his plan to make the commercial ISP's filter content when he can just wedge his filtering plans into this (and any vote becomes 'have nothing or have a filtered feed'). and once it's in it's a simple step to force all ISP's to use the govt's filtered backbone ('the only people using commercial ISP feeds are perverts and pedophiles and we need to stop them from doing that').
I don't know whether I'm too cynical, or not cynical enough.
But there's one last hope that this might actually be done right. I hope all the campaigning that went on to shut Conroy's first attempt down will work and we'll actually get it right.
Re:If I was cynical (Score:5, Interesting)
I'd label this an attempt by Senator Conroy to backdoor his internet filtering into existence
He doesn't need to spend $43B to do that; passing legislation to force ISPs to do it for him is quite sufficient.
we'll likely have to pay $100/month for access and be limited to 20GB of data traffic (both up and downstream) per month.
We'd be wishing for $100/20GB, if Telstra built the network. Because this is wholesale-only (no Telstra-style conflicts of interest), ISPs can compete fairly.
The other side of the coin is our overseas links. Right now there's a comfortable duopoly keeping prices high (and quotas low), but that may change a little when PIPE Networks gets their Guam cable [pipeinternational.com] built. We're going to need a lot more, though, when 19M people get their connections bumped up to 100Mbps.
Unsurprising (Score:3, Interesting)
none of the private sector submissions to build a National Broadband Network was up to the standard,
Living in Australia at the moment, this phrase doesn't surprise me in the least. The best thing you can say about Telstra is. "Their incompetence is the only thing saving us from their evil.". Right now I'm paying $70 AUD for ADSL2 with a 150GB. There's no fuzziness on what's permissible use either; they do provide 150GB... Telstra on the other hand, for $80 gives 12GB at 1.5Mbit, $100 if you want ADSL2, $160 if you want 60GB. What's worse is that my company rents lines from Telstra, so you'd think they could be AT LEAST as good as their competitors.
Escape from the Telstra monopoly (Score:3, Interesting)
This seems to me to be not just about getting better internet connections, but about ending Telstra's monopoly on wired communications.
At the moment, Telstra has a monopoly on the phone network due to their control over the copper lines, but as a company that's about the only thing it's got going for it. They sell access to the network both as a wholesaler and retailer. This new broadband network proposal won't be controlled by Telstra, so once users have an attractive high bandwidth alternative Telstra's business model might be in trouble.
Who pays the ISP's bills? (Score:4, Interesting)
Oh, that's right THE CUSTOMER DOES. This is the taxpayer paying off the taxpayers debt. The only way this is worthwhile is if it leads to an increase in production. Otherwise it is just bread and HD porn for the masses.
It isn't like I don't want high speed internet, but with some states nearly going broke and having trouble keeping the health system running, this is a colossal waste of taxpayer dollars.
As an Australian and a geek, I have to say. (Score:5, Interesting)
I couldn't possibly care less.
We've got a global financial crises on our hands, we've got a water shortage in Melbourne, we're relying on non self sustaining fuels and all we can spend our money on is a 900$ handout to a tonne of taxpayers who will promptly donate the money to Sony, Microsoft, Apple, Panasonic, Samsung, Dolce and Gabana, Reebok, Nike or a plethora of other companies or we'll drop a tonne of coin on fibre internet.
Really?
I've got 15mbit now with ADSL2, I am happy with this, infact considering copper lines have been layed for years and are still maintained let's look at some ADSL 3 action and how about we look at somehow increasing our average download caps which seem to be between 5 and 50gb.
I want cleaner air, I want solar, wind and wave electricity, I want money put into Australian business's which will produce products internationally, I want to see poor bastard farmers looked after who have been doing it extremely tough for 10 years.
All this and I'm a selfish as hell geek!
Don't get me wrong I'd love fibre to my house but is this really a priority? 43billion isn't chump change, we only have a population of 20million, let's piss it away on something more important than people needing more bandwidth to update their twitter pages.
Oh and I guess at 31 I've finally reached enlightenment with government PR and the media, the first thing I thought to myself when I heard of this is, I'll believe it when I see it.
Re:RTFA (Score:5, Interesting)
Why? Fiber is cheap. Copper is expensive - rip out the copper and sell it.
(Ok, now the economy is fucked this is less true than it was the year before last).
Installing fiber in built-up areas is more expensive than in rural areas - here in Paris they're having to use the sewers 'cos digging new holes would be insanely expensive. (Just this morning saw the poor guy in his shit-stained overalls sat in a truck bonding connectors to a huge bundle of fiber).