NBN take up = 16%

[Super Nova]

1Mbps is the current rate, 10mbps is not far away and 100Mbps will not take that long and the new speed just requires new gear at either end, the fibre can carry terabits per second

Just because a backbone can carry heavy data rates does not mean that it is avaioable for the end points. Fibre depending on it's quality can carry a lot of information. The trick is the physics on how to transmit encoded signals that maximise the use of fibre. We have moved to have mulitple channels/frequencies carrying lot's of information to a more complex mechanism encoding the light signals to carry more information. This is generally between large routers. You can not offer end points the speed of the backbone, that will not work.

12mbps is fast enough? For todays applications maybe altho I bet that it is starting to not be enough but stuff like TV over IP will need more.

Now you are speculating. 12 mbps is definitely fast enough for TV. Improvements in data compression will make it last even longer.

An advantage of the FTTP is that upload speeds can be a huge percent as fast as can download speeds, unlike ADSL etc.

With the move towards thin clients (dumb screens) the processing power is in the network. Like cloud comuting. The need for large uploads is diminishing not growing. As i said, if you truelly need large upload speeds you need a different archecture than pushing huge data into the network from an office or home.

Wireless, no matter how advanced still needs lots and lots of transmission points which I doubt would be built and they would still be wired back—the NBN could provide that back wiring.

I agree. Also fibre needs points wired to every connection point. The trick here is you do not need to have fibre for the last mile. You use fibre to a common point in the area and then wireless for the last mile or so. this would save huge amounts of cash because that is where a majority of the cost is. So i argue for the compromise. Fibre to carry the backbone... wireless for the last mile for most people where fibre to the door is prohibitively expense. Where this does not work, then a network of wireless routers or satelite as the last draw.

[Super Nova]

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission Thursday approved a plan to open vacant TV channels for wireless broadband, a win for high-technology companies that have long sought to use the airwaves for new services.

At an agency meeting, the FCC's board unanimously reaffirmed a 2008 decision to open up the broadcast airwaves and clarified some technical details about how companies will be able to use them. Google Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Dell Inc. are among the companies that have pushed the FCC to open up the TV airwaves, and they have already been testing ...

There you go. the US is reusing old spectrium space for broadband wireless.

[Jovial Monk]

Copy of a post from PA:

Here it comes:

Optus may connect customers to NBN

Optus is in advanced talks to transfer its cable broadband customers to the Government's proposed National Broadband Network (NBN).

According to a report in the Australian Financial Review, the deal would resemble the $11 billion non-binding agreement established between NBN and Telstra earlier this year.

The deal would see Optus's 425,000 broadband cable customers shift to the NBN.

The NBN is trying to create alliances with telcos rather than competition.

It has proposed transferring copper and pay TV cable networks customers onto the new fibre network.

The Government has promised the NBN will reach download speeds of 1 gigabit per second.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010 ... ion=justin

1Gbps now, 10 next year. Bandwidth and nice clean signals, what’s not to like?

On the other, decaying, moribund board SN is rhapsodising about a new wireless network, ubiquitous antenna everywhere, EM through the roof all to deliver a tiny fraction of what the NBN can deliver and for about the same money—ubiqitous means $$$. Digital EM signals attenuate quickly so mobile phones send out very powerful intense EM a cm away from your ear. Madness! Now they want to do this for a second grade network??? Guess firms have money tied up in wireless.

[Super Nova]

1Gbps now, 10 next year. Bandwidth and nice clean signals, what’s not to like?

I would like it. the issue is value for money andthe fact the tax payer is footing the bill.

We will need to have this conversation in 10 years time and see where the technology landscape is then.

Is it value for tax payers money.... no.
Is it a rolls royce solution to the problem ... yes
can we afford it... looks like it, aussie ecconomy is booming relative to the rest of the west.
So it may be the right call.... time will tell.

[TomB]

I would like it. the issue is value for money andthe fact the tax payer is footing the bill.

Well, if you choose not to take it up and you're paying for it anyway then more fool you. But of course it will eventually be sold off for a phenomenal profit (by a leeching Lib govt) and all Australians will benefit from the proceeds (won't they?).

[IQSRLOW]

(by a leeching Lib govt)

Did the scrotum hanging in front of your eyes blind you to Liebors directive to sell it off?

[Super Nova]

I would like it. the issue is value for money andthe fact the tax payer is footing the bill.

Well, if you choose not to take it up and you're paying for it anyway then more fool you. But of course it will eventually be sold off for a phenomenal profit (by a leeching Lib govt) and all Australians will benefit from the proceeds (won't they?).

I would expect a government to sell it in the future. It would be a shame if it was overcapitalised because new more cost effective soltuons make it redundant or even not worth the value of the investment. In that case it will be sold for a lose to the public. however if legislation was passed to protect it as a monopoly then it could have value as the new backbone of the country then we can get ripped off on the price of the consumer service and the puyer could make heaps of money at our expense.

Only time will tell however experience shows that government driven major infrustructure projects like this are not value for money. It will not lake too long for the elephant to turn white and it will be a huge policial issue with the only winners being those employed by the scheme and who ever owns it when the overcapitalisation is written off.

I do not see how real competition will come into the equation that will force market driven consumer prices. Can someone explain how that will work under this scheme.

[Jovial Monk]

Why did yousay 12mbs was enough SN? Is that all your superduper drown the world in EM radiation can only do that speed with any sort of real world usage?

How about upload speeds?

Telstrahas letits copper network rot. We need a brand new network. Might as well make it FTTH!

[guest]

Why did yousay 12mbs was enough SN? Is that all your superduper drown the world in EM radiation can only do that speed with any sort of real world usage?

How about upload speeds?

Telstrahas letits copper network rot. We need a brand new network. Might as well make it FTTH!

We need a brand new network.

What Internet package do you have at the moment? Nothing is FREE ... what if the NBN will cost you $100 a month ..... will you still want it?

[Super Nova]

Why did yousay 12mbs was enough SN?

I said it because I think it is. The trend is for thin client applications (like web browsers) so the only real comms is the painting of a screen for 99% of the users of the web. A true 12mbs throughput, both ways is very fast to service this type of usage.

Where large data volumes need to occur is between backend servers. these servers need to the placed where the large pipes are., not in peoples homes. This is the case today anyway.

However thisis today's technology... tomorrow will be more than 12mbs. When that will come... we need to see.

EM radiation is not an issue. No-one worries about it when they use their mobile phone, set up WiFi in the home ...etc. It is not a health risk. We have evolved in a world full of EM. It is just a fact of the physical universe. Low level EM raditation at these frequencies do not harm us. Now if we started using the microwave frequency that excits water molecules, that would be different. Recent studies have also shown that mobile phone are not a n issue for the adult brain. Jury is still out on the developing brain. However that is something held to your head and is not what we are talking about.