Poor Get Poorest NBN Service

Various/The Conversation, CC BY-ND

In "Three charts on: the NBN and Australia’s digital divide" (The Conversation, June 21, 2017), Schram, Baum, Fisher, Harris, Friel and Frereman show that socio-economic disadvantaged areas of Australia have been missing out on the faster fiber National Broadband Network (NBN). These areas get the slower wireless, hybrid fibre or satellite service. Even when location was taken into account (as wireless and satellite are primarily intended for low population densities) the same effect was found. However, why this may be the case: due to deliberate discrimination by NBN Co., an effect of the technology, or the way the existing infrastructure was built, the authors do not mention. Perhaps this will be in the peer reviewed publications of the research to come.

This is not quite the broadband for social good which  Roger Clarke and I envisioned in 1994.

NBN Pork-barreling Worked

Research by Alizadeh and Farid (2017) found that pork-barreling by Australian politicians over the National Broadband Network (NBN) worked. Voters who received early access to high speed broadband rewarded the party which provided this with their votes:

    "An analysis of the voting behaviour in the 2007 and the 2010 Federal elections shows a pattern in which the ALP held seats were the key beneficiaries of the early NBN rollout. Moreover, the results suggests that the Coalition held safe seats were the least likely to receive the infrastructure. Diverse sub-patterns across the three states of New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria have been discussed in details. However, the overall findings remain that the selection process for the early NBN rollout was skewed up for potential political gains.

    The paper then moves to the second question on whether the targeted infrastructure provision worked and swung votes for the ALP in the following 2013 Federal election. The analysis of the voting in the NBN early rollout areas versus the rest of the country shows a clear difference. While the ALP experienced an overall heavy negative swing across the nation and lost the election, the negative shift was highly mitigated in the NBN early release sites."

    From Alizadeh and Farid, 2017.

I suggest the lesson from this is: when proposing tech policy, find some aspect which offers short term political gain. Making appeals to the national interest and long term benefit is of little relevance to politicians aiming to win the next election. So how do we make changes we think need to be made to Internet policy appealing to voters in the short term and so therefore appealing to politicians?

Reference

Alizadeh, T., & Farid, R. (2017). Political economy of telecommunication infrastructure: An investigation of the National Broadband Network early rollout and pork barrel politics in Australia. Telecommunications Policy, 41(4), 242-252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2017.02.002

Time to Virtualise the NBN?

Sorensen and  Medina in "The End of Australia’s National Broadband Network?" (June 2016) deliver what some describe as a scathing assessment of the NBN. The Coalition Government first set out to build a copper broadband network for cities and terrestrial wireless for regional areas in 2007. Then a new ALP government canceled the contracts for the copper broadband, and also abandoned its own hybrid policy (2007), instead switching to FTTP fibre for cities. A later Coalition government then adopted the ALP's previous FTTN hybrid policy, scaling back the FTTP. This is hardly the first case in which a project is in difficulties due to political indecision.

The parts of the NBN which the politicians did not tinker with have gone well: the wireless for regional areas and satellites for remote. In my view the debate over FTTN v FTTP for homes in the city is of less importance, due to mobile broadband. It may not be worth installing fibre or copper for broadband to homes, as it is not homes where the consumer now wants the broadband, but on the mobile device in their hand.

References:

Coalition: Australia Connected: Fast affordable broadband for all Australians, Helen Coonan, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Media Release 80/07, 18 June 2007: https://web.archive.org/web/20070621082132/http://www.minister.dcita.gov.au/media/media_releases/australia_connected_fast_affordable_broadband_for_all_australians

ALP: New Directions for Communications - A Broadband Future for Australia – Building a National Broadband Network, March 2007: https://web.archive.org/web/20070606203548/http://www.alp.org.au/download/now/a_broadband_future_for_australia.pdf

Sorensen,  Lucia Gamboa &   Medina, Andrew. The End of Australia’s National Broadband Network?, Tech Policy Institute, June 2016. https://techpolicyinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Sorensen_Medina_TheEndofAustraliasNationalBroadbandNetwork.pdf

Planning to Use Broadband in Australia

In "It’s time for politicians to get technical" (AFR, 3 January 2014), Paul Smith writes about how broadband might be used in Australia. Amongst many others,  I get quoted about the effect on regional employment:

 Tom Worthington, an adjunct senior lecturer at the Australian National University’s school of computer science, also believes the advent of high-speed internet may not prove to be the boon for regional Australian living that many imagine.

He says while better broadband will allow those in regional areas to access services online, this may also result in a loss of face-to-face services.

In other words, while you will be able to consult a doctor, accountant, lawyer or teacher online more easily, you may not be able to see one in person, as they will have moved to the city or to another country.

Australian Broadband Report

The Australian Department of Communications released a Broadband Availability and Quality: Summary Report, 23 December 2013. The report found 91% of Australian premises have access to xDSL and 28% other high speed broadband fixed connections. In this report "availability" is a synonym for geographic coverage of premises and "qualify" for broadband speed. The report did not look at the affordability of broadband, which should be a factor in availability, nor does it look at reliability or latency. The issue of latency is one for satellite links and some terrestrial wireless links, where the data takes a long time to transit the network making some real time applications unworkable.
The report found the major issue with access and quality were regional areas and some pockets in urban areas. One option I suggest which could be used to address this is are 4G wireless networks. Rather than build a completely separate fixed wireless network which was the policy of the previous government, I suggest supplementing the 4G networks of the mobile phone carriers.
Curiously the DOC version of the report at 1.4 Mbytes is about five times as large as the PDF version. This is due to one image of a tag cloud being stored in the wrong format. The image is a 1.2 Mbyte JPEG file, when converted to PNG format it reduces to 180 kbytes (with no loss of quality). As I pointed out previously, on its own broadband will do little to benefit Australia. What is also needed is training in how to make use of computers and telecommunications. In this case it appears that staff at the Department of Communications have not been trained in how to format documents correctly.

Availability

The total of this section exceeds 100 per cent because the majority of premises have access to multiple broadband technologies.

• Approximately 9.9 million premises (91 per cent) have access to fixed line broadband services delivered via xDSL technology.
• Approximately 3.1 million premises (28 per cent) have access to a high speed broadband platform (defined as including fibre-to-the-premises, fibre-to-the-node, hybrid fibre coaxial networks and fixed wireless networks).
• Approximately 8.8 million premises (81 per cent) have access to 3G mobile broadband services and about 6.4 million premises (59 per cent) have access to 4G services.
• All Australian premises are covered by satellite broadband, although there is a ceiling to the capacity of these services and therefore not all premises can access a service.

Quality

• Approximately 3.1 million premises (28 per cent) have access to peak download speeds of between 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and 110 Mbps.

• Approximately 7.1 million premises (65 per cent) are in areas that have access to peak median download speeds of less than 24 megabits per second over the copper network.

• About 0.7 million (6 per cent) premises are unable to get access to a fixed broadband service.

• Of premises with access to xDSL broadband services over copper, about 3.7 million are located in areas with an estimated peak median download speed of less than 9 Mbps, and 920,000 in areas with an estimated peak median download speed of less than 4.8 Mbps.

Wireless Broadband for the Community

The take-up rate for the NBN in Tasmania was reported to be 38.5% after three years. The previous government was not too worried about the NBN take-up rate, as the copper network was to be switched off, so consumers would not have much of a choice. Does anyone have statistics for the take-up rate for high speed broadband in other countries?

One option I suggest for Australian urban areas is to combine 4G wireless mobile services with wireless broadband. This could complement FTTN and FTTP. The existing mobile service has limited capacity, but could service moderate home use. The service could be exp[anded by installing picocells on the same fibre used for FTTN and FTTP. Roaming could be enabled to allow a subscriber to any mobile company to use these cells. Also a lower tariff, comparable to wired services, could be offered for those using the wireless service "at home".

Using mobile broadband would create a virtual NBN at low cost. Rather than have to build an extensive wired network and home there were customers, the existing mobile network could be used and then cells added as demand increases.

With advances in 4G the mobile broadband service could carry 4K TV. The advanced HEVC codec allows compression of a HD TV at 6 Mbps and 4k TV at 12 Mbps to 30 Mbps. This could be carried on a 4G LTE-A network, using the Multicast-broadcast single-frequency network (MBSFN) option.

However, many of the community services envisaged for home broadband do not need high speeds. Instead they need trained staff and well designed applications. As an example  home health care is mentioned as a use for the NBN. But a person's vital signs (body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate) would only need about 10 bps to transmit.  More sophisticated monitors require more bandwidth, bit still far short of broadband, such as such as electrocardiography at 4 kbps.

But the greatest benefit from home health monitoring is likely to come from checking on the patient's general level of activity and asking them how they are. Advice to doctors, commissioned by the Department of Health recommends a minimum of 640 x 480 Video, with a minimum throughput on the link of 384kbit/s should be available, which far less than high speed broadband.

On-line education is also an application often given for home broadband. But while students like rich multimedia, this does not necessarily improve learning. The report "Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies" from the US Department of Education found that video does not improve online learning.

There can be considerable public benefit from broadband without running it to each home. Community centres provide not only a way to consolidate technical services, but also provide experts in health and education. Australia now has free Internet access in public libraries, which is an underrated achievement.

Internet in libraries builds on the library's traditional role providing access to information and literacy. Universities and TAFEs are turning their libraries into learning centres, with computers in place of books. They are keeping the staff to help the students, not only work the computers but with finding, using and creating information. The Gungahlin Town Centre Library in Canberra is a good example, where the one building accommodates the public library, a school library, a TAFE campus and broadband connected community rooms. This could be extended to provide support for university students as well.

The Lexus and the Broadband Network

Political commentators in Australia are struggling to explain the difference between ALP and Collation broadband proposals to the voters in nontechnical language. The ALP proposes continued roll-out of Fiber To The Premises (FTTP) for the National Broadband Network (NBN), whereas the Collation wants to use mostly Fiber To The Node (FTTN). My suggested analogy is: Should you buy a new car or fix up the old one, or "The Lexus and the Broadband Network".

The Lexus and the Broadband Network

The ALP FTTP proposal is like the car salesman offering you a new Lexus: sure it is expensive but it will be fast and reliable and last a long time. The Collation's custom auto centre says your ten year old Toyota Camry (copper cable) is mechanically sound, it just needs some new parts (FTTN) and will be much cheaper. Your kids say they don't want an uncool Lexus, or an old Camry, they want a cool Italian Scooter (Wireless Internet). You tell them they will grow out of the scooter in a few years and then want a real car, to which they reply "Whatever". ;-)

ps: In my view, if the government, whoever they are, want to save money, they could prioritize fibre roll-out in greenfield sites and areas with no, or poor broadband.

We have had TFFN in Canberra for just over a decade, with the Transact system. If you have power poles handy, and the citizens don't mind more overhead wires, it is a cost effective system. Also it works okay in new buildings. My apartment building has a fibre optic node in the basement and twisted pair copper to each unit. But if you are going to the trouble of putting new cables underground, then they might as well be fiber-optic, as most of the cost is in digging the trenches.

The areas with copper phone and Pay TV cable could be left for last, where it is working okay. This would be a slight change to the current government's NBN FTTP to achieve cost savings proposed by the opposition. Installing new FTTN should only be done on a limited scale, where the copper cable is new enough to be kept, but so far from the exchange that higher broadband speeds are not possible. The FTTN should be done so it can be upgraded to FTTP later.

Optical Network Architectures

Greetings from the 8th International Conference on Computer Science and Education (ICCSE 2013) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where Professor Wen-De Zhong is speaking on "Optical Network Architectures". This is a hot topic in Australia, with the national political discussion of the merit of the ALP's National Broadband Network fiber to the home and the rival hybrid fibre to the node from the Liberal Party. The professor pointed out that FTTH was increasing at 25% annually in Asia Pacific, which leads the world in implementation of the technology. He discussed BPON, EPON, and GPON. Hybrid optical/copper systems were not discussed.

Coalition’s Proposed Alternative to the NBN

The Australian opposition have released "Fast. Affordable. Sooner. The Coalition’s Plan for a better NBN". This proposes halting the roll-out of the NBN Fibre to the Home in Australia and using Fibre to the Node instead. We have had TFFN in Canberra for just over a decade, with the Transact system. If you have power poles handy, and the citizens don't mind more overhead wires, it is a cost effective system. Also it works okay in new buildings. My apartment building has a fibre optic node in the basement and twisted pair copper to each unit. But if you are going to the trouble of putting new cables underground, then they might as well be fiber-optic, as most of the cost is in digging the trenches.

If the government, whoever they are, want to save money, they could prioritize fibre roll-out in greenfield sites and areas with no, or poor broadband. The areas with copper phone and Pay TV cable could be left for last, where it is working okay. This would be a slight change to the current government's NBN FTTH to achieve cost savings proposed by the opposition.

Broadband Future in Canberra

Greetings from the University of Canberra where Robin Eckermann is talking about the synergy between wireless and fibre optic broadband at the  "Converging on an NBN Future: Content, Connectivity, and Control", 9am, 9 October 2012. Like many of the speakers Robin has long term involvement in formulating Australian broadband policy, as well as planning real broadband networks. He emphasises that the digital economy is already here and we need to think about uses for broadband, not just an emphasis on higher speeds. The obvious one I see is in higher education, which is being transformed by on-line access.

Converging on an NBN Future: Content, Connectivity, and Control

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is the most significant Australian national infrastructure project in decades. It promises to revolutionise the underlying telecommunications infrastructure of the nation while reshaping Australia’s policy environment for telecommunications. Broadband is not just about higher speeds and ubiquitous connectivity but a complex social system that can affect the various aspects of social productivity, enhanced community engagement, improved education and health systems.

The NBN is notable for the level of criticism it has attracted, principally within the fractured political domain, but also from those who see alternative visions of network connectivity based on mobile communications. Its ongoing deployment may be affected by changes to governments; however its fundamental rationale and design is already remaking our use of the Internet, through changes to regulation, consumer expectations, service delivery and more.

The Symposium will offer an exciting and challenging look at the critical questions and issues we face as the NBN commences widespread operations in Australia. We bring together scholars, industry analysts and participants, and government regulators and policy makers to address the important issues that arise. We invite industry professionals, academics, policymakers and the public to engage in this public discourse about how we can better adopt new technologies and how we can enhance social connectedness.

SPEAKERS
Matthew Allen (Curtin University)
Keith Besgrove (Dept. of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy)
Sean Casey (NBN Co. Limited)
Tony Eyers (Tektel)
Robin Eckermann (Robin Eckermann & Associates)
Gerard Goggin (University of Sydney)
Geoffrey Heydon(CSIRO Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation)
Gwang Jae Kim (Hanyang Cyber University)
Catherine Middleton (Ryerson University)
Lesley Osborne (Australian Communications and Media Authority)
Franco Papandrea (University of Canberra)
Sora Park(University of Canberra)
Rosemary Sinclair (UNSW Australian School of Business)


ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM

This symposium is part of an ongoing investigation of the “Broadband and Society” research team launched in Oct 2011, in order to systematically review the users, industries and the government in adopting new technologies. We held our first public symposium in Dec 2011 in Perth.

Dr. Matthew Allen (Professor, Curtin University)
Dr. Catherine Middleton(Professor, Ryerson University)
Dr. Sora Park(Associate Professor, University of Canberra)
Dr. Chun Liu(Assistant Professor, Southwest Jiaotong University)


*This is a free event. Lunch and tea will be provided. 

NBN Symposium in Canberra 9 October 2012

The University of Canberra is the venue for a public symposium on "Converging on an NBN Future: Content, Connectivity, and Control", 9am, 9 October 2012. Many of the speakers have had long term involvement in formulating Australian broadband policy, as well as planning real broadband networks.

Converging on an NBN Future: Content, Connectivity, and Control

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is the most significant Australian national infrastructure project in decades. It promises to revolutionise the underlying telecommunications infrastructure of the nation while reshaping Australia’s policy environment for telecommunications. Broadband is not just about higher speeds and ubiquitous connectivity but a complex social system that can affect the various aspects of social productivity, enhanced community engagement, improved education and health systems.

The NBN is notable for the level of criticism it has attracted, principally within the fractured political domain, but also from those who see alternative visions of network connectivity based on mobile communications. Its ongoing deployment may be affected by changes to governments; however its fundamental rationale and design is already remaking our use of the Internet, through changes to regulation, consumer expectations, service delivery and more.

The Symposium will offer an exciting and challenging look at the critical questions and issues we face as the NBN commences widespread operations in Australia. We bring together scholars, industry analysts and participants, and government regulators and policy makers to address the important issues that arise. We invite industry professionals, academics, policymakers and the public to engage in this public discourse about how we can better adopt new technologies and how we can enhance social connectedness.

SPEAKERS
Matthew Allen (Curtin University)
Keith Besgrove (Dept. of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy)
Sean Casey (NBN Co. Limited)
Tony Eyers (Tektel)
Robin Eckermann (Robin Eckermann & Associates)
Gerard Goggin (University of Sydney)
Geoffrey Heydon(CSIRO Australian Centre for Broadband Innovation)
Gwang Jae Kim (Hanyang Cyber University)
Catherine Middleton (Ryerson University)
Lesley Osborne (Australian Communications and Media Authority)
Franco Papandrea (University of Canberra)
Sora Park(University of Canberra)
Rosemary Sinclair (UNSW Australian School of Business)


ABOUT THE RESEARCH TEAM

This symposium is part of an ongoing investigation of the “Broadband and Society” research team launched in Oct 2011, in order to systematically review the users, industries and the government in adopting new technologies. We held our first public symposium in Dec 2011 in Perth.

Dr. Matthew Allen (Professor, Curtin University)
Dr. Catherine Middleton(Professor, Ryerson University)
Dr. Sora Park(Associate Professor, University of Canberra)
Dr. Chun Liu(Assistant Professor, Southwest Jiaotong University)


*This is a free event. Lunch and tea will be provided.

Solar Powered NBN Co Discovery Truck

The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), have a "NBN Co Discovery Truck" touring Australia to promote broadband use. The schedule says the truck is at Toormina today and then will be at Penrith (NSW) on 26 June. I saw the display in Canberra this week. This is a good display, but I suggest NBN Co need a smaller version of the truck for urban areas.

The NBN truck is a very large semi-trailer which requires a specially qualified driver, wide roads, a large set-up area and several staff. Also the display needs considerable amounts of electricity from a diesel generator.

I suggest NBN Co commission a smaller truck for inner urban areas. This could be small enough to be operated by one person with an ordinary car licence and use solar, or mains power, when set up for display.

Smallest trucks can have their engines "de-rated" so they can be driven with an ordinary car license. A small display on the back of such a truck could be powered from batteries, charged while driving and supplemented by a small solar cell. An ordinary outdoor power cable could be used to run the display for extended periods and a small generator used intermittently when there is no mains and no sun.

The display could be secured and automated so that one person could set it up and oversee it, but would not need to be present all the time.

Several companies make small hybrid trucks using similar technology to the Prius hybrid car. These small trucks are popular with parcel delivery companies and local councils, as they are most efficient for stop start traffic. One of these would generate enough electrical power to run a display for a day. One is the Hyno Hybrid Truck, from Toyota's truck subsidiary.

It should be noted that the idea of a traveling display of telecommunications technology on a truck around Australia is not a new one. Digital video expert, George Bray, ran the "TechTrek", around Australia, in 2002. George used a converted camper-van, sponsored by the Australian Government and technology companies, to survey the use of the Internet and demonstrate its benefits. This was reported by the BBC. The "TechTrek Final Report" (George Bray, May 2002) is available.

NBN Demonstration in Canberra

The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co), have a "NBN Co Discovery Truck" touring Australia to promote broadband use. The truck is located behind Old Parliament House in Canberra today, so I went along this morning for a look (individuals can just turn up but groups should book). There is a standard 20 minute demonstration for a group of about a dozen. I was impressed how the demonstrators were able to explain a complex technology in simple terms.

The "truck" is a semitrailer, with a diesel generator built in (the generator could do with some more vibration isolation) and two telescopic sides, making a relatively spacious display room. Visitors enter via stairs at the rear (there is also a wheelchair lift) and exit at the front. One wall of the interior is wide-screen display made up of a 2 x 6 matrix of high resolution flat panel screens. The other wall has examples of the NBN equipment.

The interior is very plain white and shiny metal, with a rubber floor, clearly being designed for heavy use by many visitors. The space reminded me of a mock-up of the International Space Station which I saw at NASA.

The demonstrators showed the NBN website where details of the roll-out are provided. Canberra's northern satellite town of Gungahlin is being cabled first, which makes sense as this missed out on the Transact fibre optic system in other parts of the city.

There are three examples of the NBN hardware displayed: fibre, wireless and satellite. The fibre system has three boxes installed in the home: one on the outside wall where the fibre terminates, a power supply and a box inside the home which phones and computers are attached to. The power supply has a large lead acid backup battery in it (same size as used in UPS and security alarms) to keep the phones working during a blackout. There is provision for two phones and up to four separate data services.

The NBN equipment looks well engineered. One addition which I suggest householders in bushfire prone areas make is a metal cover for the fibre optic cable and box outside the house. The cable and box are plastic and would melt due to radiant heat in a bushfire, cutting off communications (the cable itself would survive as it is underground).

After the demonstration there was time for questions. Normally with such a demonstration for the public I wince about the oversimplification and inaccuracies which creep in. But the NBN demonstration staff did a very good job under extreme pressure. The audience in this case was not your usual members of the general public, including people from the Government's National Digital Economy Strategy and myself (I helped write the public Internet policy for Australia).

A video is shown during the presentation, which I was amused to find featured Tony Windsor MP's electorate office.

The truck will next be travelling to Coffs Harbour on 21 June 2012. I recommend a visit, when the truck visits you.

There is also a NBN Co Discovery Centre in the Innovation Building, 1010 La Trobe St, Docklands, Melbourne (bookings required).

Many questions remain with the NBN. One of these is about the relative merits of fibre optic cable and wireless. While much of the debate over the NBN has been about the merits, or otherwise, of Fibre To The Premises (FTTP), many regional households in Australia will get wireless, not fibre. The use of wireless was also a key part of the current opposition's policy, when they were in government (and it is likely that a future such government would have a broadband program with the same technology as the NBN, but different political branding). The use of wireless in regional areas and fibre optic cable in more densely populated urban areas makes engineering and financial sense. The question then is where should the boundary between the two be and if they should overlap.

NBN Co Discovery Truck

The National Broadband Network Company(NBN Co), have a "NBN Co Discovery Truck" touring Australia to promote broadband use. The truck is located behind Old Parliament House in Canberra, until Wednesday (group bookings are being taken for demonstrations). The truck will next be travelling to Coffs Harbour on 21 June 2012.

There is also a NBN Co Discovery Centre in the Innovation Building, 1010 La Trobe St, Docklands, Melbourne (bookings required).

Quick Guide to the National Broadband Network

The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) have produced the "National Broadband Network: Guide for Consumers". Unfortunately this 34 page PDF document (558 Kbytes) is much more than the average consumer needs. For example, the consumer does not need to know why the NBN was built, just why they might want to use it. Details of Licensed/Public Spectrum are not relevant.

I did a quick search and found ACCAN also offered an "NBN: Quick Guide", which is more suitable for consumers. But there were so many options (Word Document, Adobe Acrobat PDF, Printed Version), that it was all a bit confusing. I expect the average consumer would give up at this point and look elsewhere.

Here is the text of the quick guide, which is readable, but lacking in color (I converted it from word processing to web format):

NBN: A Guide for Consumers

NBN: Fast Facts

• The National Broadband Network (NBN) is public utility infrastructure that will cover all premises in Australia.

• It is being built by NBN Co Limited – a wholly Government-owned company.

• The NBN will consist of fibre-optic cable to 93% of premises. The remaining 7% of premises mostly in rural and remote areas will get fixed wireless or satellite connections.

• You will still buy your phone and internet from service providers such as Telstra, Optus, iiNet and Primus. You won’t deal with NBN Co.

• Connecting your premises to the NBN doesn’t mean you have to sign up immediately for a phone or internet service if you don’t want to.

• The NBN will be used first for the internet and for carrying phone calls, with more services such as TV, movies, video telephony, smart metering and health monitoring becoming available in the future.

• If you are happy with your existing phone handset, in most cases you can keep it.

• The existing copper-wire telephone network will be disconnected in stages as the NBN is rolled out. In wireless and satellite areas, the copper network will be maintained for at least 20 years.

• You will get a Network Termination Device or “NBN box” inside your premises or in a few cases on the outside wall.

• NBN Co will provide a one-off back-up battery to people who get connected. This back-up battery will power a regular phone plugged into the NBN box for up to five hours in the event of a power failure.

• In apartment blocks, some equipment will be installed in a central location such as a basement and then each apartment will have its own NBN box.

So what is the NBN?

The National Broadband Network, known as the “NBN”, is a high-speed telecommunications network being constructed by NBN Co Limited, a company set up by the Commonwealth Government in 2009.

The NBN gives everyone a high-speed link between their premises and their service provider. Today this type of high-speed broadband is only enjoyed by a very small number of Australians. It is expected that the NBN will be fully completed by 2021.

What is the technology?

NBN Co will use three types of technology to deliver broadband to all Australians:

• Fibre-optic cable capable of delivering speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or more to 93% of premises;

• Fixed wireless and satellite connections delivering 12 Mbps to the 7% of premises that are unable to be connected via the fibre-optic cables.

Fixed wireless and satellite will be used mostly in rural and remote areas.

Will I deal with NBN Co?

NBN Co won’t deal directly with consumers, except during the first-time installation of your NBN box. NBN Co deals with service providers and is required to allow all service providers to plug in to the network for the same price.

You will deal with your service provider as you do now – i.e. companies such as Telstra, Optus, iiNet, Primus, TPG and others.

Will I need a back-up battery?

NBN Co will provide a one-off back-up battery to people who get connected. This back-up battery will power a regular phone for up to five hours in the event of a power failure. The battery will have a life of around three years and it will be the responsibility of everyone to replace and maintain their own battery.

It is important to note that many people have cordless phone handsets that already rely on the mains power. You can continue to use these but the NBN Co back-up battery won’t power these phones in the event of a power failure.

What will the NBN be used for?

The NBN is public utility infrastructure that will cover all premises. Think of it as similar to the power grid. A hundred years ago, the first electricity network was built for one purpose: street lighting. Much later, it started being used for indoor lighting in homes. Later still, it started being used for new appliances like electric stoves, heaters and refrigerators.

In the same way, the NBN will first be used for high-speed access to the internet and for phone calls. But soon it will start being used for a range of other services which are separate from the internet. In the future you may get TV delivered over the NBN, or you might have video consultations with your doctor, or a range of other in-home services.

Will fibre cables be installed overhead or underground?

If your current phone lines are underground then the NBN fibre cables will probably also be underground. If your current phone lines are overhead then the fibre will probably also be installed overhead. NBN Co will make these decisions on a case-by-case basis, so we can’t be sure what will happen in each case until the rollout is more advanced.

1. What if I live in an apartment or other multi-dwelling unit?

In general, NBN Co will install fibre to every dwelling it can. Because there is a lot of variation in the layout and facilities in apartment buildings, the installers will check the buildings in advance and figure out the best way.

In some apartment buildings, they may need to install equipment in a central location, such as the basement of the building. This equipment will be owned by NBN Co, not by the building owner.

2. Should I connect now or later?

There are advantages in having the connection to your premises done at the time the network is first being rolled out. Advantages may include:

• Saving money on the installation. Connection is free at the initial rollout. It is uncertain whether people will have to pay if they decide to connect later;

• Avoiding hassles. Remember that around 18 months after the NBN fibre-optic cable is rolled out in your area, the existing copper-wire telephone network will be disconnected. When that happens, being connected to the NBN will be the only way to have a fixed-line phone service. To ensure you have an uninterrupted service, it makes sense to be connected at the start.

Want to know more? The full report, NBN: A Guide for Consumers, can be found at www.accan.org.au/NBNGuide

ACCAN is the peak body that represents all consumers on communications issues including telecommunications, broadband and emerging new services. We provide a strong, unified voice to industry and government as we work towards availability, accessibility and affordability of communications services for all Australians.

The Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) is a non-profit society founded in 1996 which promotes Internet development in Australia for the whole community – private, academic and business users. ISOC-AU is a chapter of the worldwide Internet Society and is a peak body organisation, representing the interests of Internet users in this country.

From: NBN: Quick Guide, Internet Society of Australia (ISOC-AU) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), 2012

National Broadband Network Business Model

Paul Fletcher MP, will speak on "Why the NBN business model is deeply flawed ...?" at the Australian Computer Society meeting in Canberra, 12 Noon 28 February 2012.

ACS TSA Communication SIG

Why the NBN business model is deeply flawed ...?

Why it matters from a public policy perspective

Paul will present the case that, as a standalone business model, the NBN is fundamentally flawed. It is far too costly – reflecting political decisions. Its take up assumptions are extremely unrealistic, and are unlikely to be met. This matters because taxpayers are paying; and if it is a commercial failure it will also be a public policy failure, with the likely result being collapse well before the build is complete. There is no cost benefit analysis to demonstrate that public benefits exceed the costs. Early signs confirm the view that the business case is flawed. The better approach for Government support of broadband is to focus on areas of broadband need, focus on ubiquitous services rather than the highest speeds, make the private sector the driver with government subsidies appropriately targeted where necessary, and to promote a funding model that is sustainable in the long term.

Biography: Paul Fletcher MP, Member for Bradfield

Paul Fletcher was first elected to the Federal Parliament as the Member for Bradfield at a by-election in December 2009 and was subsequently re-elected with an increased majority in August 2010. Prior to entering Parliament, Paul was the principal of a strategic consulting firm serving the communications sector and before that was Director, Corporate and Regulatory Affairs, at Optus for eight years. He is a well-known figure in communications policy in Australia and recently wrote a highly regarded book on broadband and telecommunications, Wired Brown Land. Paul previously worked as Senior Advisor, and then Chief of Staff to the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, during the Howard Government. He has dual first class honours degrees in law and economics from The University of Sydney and an MBA from Columbia University in New York where he was a Fulbright Scholar.

About this Event

Date: Tuesday 28th February 2012
Time: 12:00pm for 12:15pm start finish 1:45pm

Register On-line

Australian Opposition Broadband Policy

Malcolm Turnbull, Shadow Minister for Communications, outlined the coalition policy on broadband at the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) 20 July 2011. Unfortunately Mr. Turnbull has not provided a copy of the speech, nor has CEDA. From media reports, it would appear the coalition policy differs only in detail and timing from the ALP Government policy.

The Government is decommissioning the copper network and replacing it with fiber to the home, terrestrial fixed wireless and satellite (for more remote areas). Revenue from urban areas would cross-subsidize rural users, to provide national uniform pricing.

The coalition alternative is to install fiber in new greenfield urban areas and where the copper has deteriorated. Where copper cable is in good condition it would be used for fiber-to-the-node. The existing hybrid fiber/coaxial network installed for Pay TV would be retained. Vouchers would be provided to subsidize rural subscribers.

The difference between the two policies is mostly one of timing. The ALP policy will see a much more rapid replacement of copper with fiber.

The Coalition also proposes a Productivity Commission inquiry into how to deliver broadband. Such an inquiry is likely to come up with whatever answer the government of the day wants. The results of the inquiry can be predetermined by the brief the commission is given. If given a brief with a short timescale, emphasizing cost to the government, then the Coalition policy will look better. If told to look at the long term social and economic benefits, then the ALP policy will be better.

The common factors between the Coalition and ALP policies are the recognition that fiber is the better long term option and that regional areas will need a subsidy for social equity reasons.

The deficiencies in both the government and opposition policies are the lack of recognition of the growth of mobile wireless devices and the need to invest to get the community, business and government "broadband ready".

Mobile Broadband as the Predominant Internet Access Method

The coalition and ALP policies both assume that fixed broadband to homes is the primary service required. This fails to recognize the rapid increase in the use of wireless broadband with mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablet computers, popularized by the Apple iPhone and Apple iPad. There are now broadband plans for less than $10 a month being offered which include the tablet computer.

Low cost laptops with wireless are also becoming common. The influence of the mobile paradigm is now spreading to the desktop, with the new Microsoft Windows, Apple OS and Linux user interfaces for desktop computers being modeled on a mobile interface. Mobile is becoming the predominant paradigm, with fixed devices being required to fit in with this.

For a consumer who primarily uses the Internet via their mobile device, it will not make much sense to be tethered to a home fixed line connection. There may be savings in cost from using the fixed link and higher more reliable capacity, but these will hardly be compelling. Rather than wireless being an add-on for a fixed connection, as at present, the fixed link will need to adapt to be an add-on to mobile access.

Making the Community, Business and Government Broadband Ready

Both coalition and ALP broadband policies take a "build it and they will come" approach, in assuming that the available broadband will be used and will result in social and economic benefits. However, seemingly inevitable developments, such as the paperless office and TV based education, did not happen as expected.

While the cost of the NBN is criticized by the opposition, its cost will be dwarfed by the cost of the Australian economy adapting to its use. Use of on-line working will require the retraining of the workforce and the introduction of new systems.

There are also be negative social and economic effects of broadband, which need to be taken into account. Readily available on-line services will result in the reduction of face-to-face services. Access to services via broadband will open the Australian service industry to overseas competition.

Broadband can be used to provide e-health and e-learning to regional areas of Australia. However, not only will this allow provision of services where there are no face-to-face services currently, but also it will allow government and commercial providers to withdraw face-to-face services in urban areas. Just as ATMs resulted in fewer bank branches, broadband will result in fewer clinics and schools.

The policies also assume that services over broadband to regional Australia will be provided from other parts of Australia. However, once the fiber is laid, the extra cost of access from another country is minimal.

One way to maximize the positive social and economic benefits of broadband is to invest in training and systems to make use of it.

Broadband Use Does Not Happen Naturally

One of the assumptions of the coalition and ALP broadband policies is that its take-up will happen naturally. However, my experience with working on e-learning over the last few years has shown this is not the case. Even ICT professionals, who are highly skilled at using computers and the Internet need to be trained in how to use it for education. ICT professionals undertaking on-line courses need to be shown how to use it for their education and , in particular, how to have a productive and professional on-line discussion with their peers.

Teachers, even university lecturers in ICT, need extensive training in how to use ICT for education. Educators need to learn new skills. It is not just a matter of replacing the classroom with a video conferecne. The teaching staff also need extensive support with the software and systems used. The situation is likely to be the same with e-heath and with other service providers.

The Austrlaian Government has made a start with its Digital Education Revolution (DER) strategy. But far more than the allocated $2.4B will be required to support integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in Australian schools. More funding will also be needed for the vocational and higher education sectors.

Australia needs to invest heavily in training the workforce in the use of broadband. If not, other countries, particularly Indian companies who then outsource to less developed countries, will be providing the bulk of these services within a few years.

More in my submission to the Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network: "Broadband for a Broad Land: The role and potential benefits of the National Broadband Network the for Environment and Education".

Some Non-Financial Costs of the NBN

Graig Gamble wrote about "Some advantages of the NBN" in the Canberra Times (11 Jun, 2011 12:00 am). But these advantages will not be without some cost. Apart from the financial cost of the system, the the National Broadband Network (NBN), will invovle social changes. There will need to be investments to counter the undesirable possible changes.

1) Benefit of the NBN will not be evenly distributed

As with most technological developments, those with more resources and education will be in a better position to benefit from it. The NBN will provide high speed broadband to homes and small businesses across most of Australia, However, having speed broadband is not the same as being able to make good use of it.

Rural Australia will benefit from better Internet access, but the more remote areas will get only wireless access, which will reduce the relative speed of access they have compared to the city.

There will be advantages for those with a disability, for telecommuting, e-health and e-learning. However, these will not necessarily be extra optional services. When banks introduced ATM, phone banking and Internet banking, this allowed them to reduce the number of branches. Similarly, government, medical and educational institutions will be able to reduce their face-to-face services, by introducing on-line facilities.

2) Ubiquitous broadband will be wireless

There is a myth that Australians are early adopters of technology. As my colleague, Dr Idris Sulaiman has found, the residents of Indonesia are overtaking Australian Internet use. This is due to due to wireless Internet on mobile phones. Internet on phones is more expensive, slower and less reliable than the NBN's optical fiber network. The NBN's fixed wireless for regional Australia is a little better. But mobile Internet provides the great advantage of being with you where and whenever you have a phone. Just as Australia is investing in a fixed network, the world is remaking the Internet to be mobile.

3) TV is the NBN killer application

The major application for the NBN is digital TV, the less glamorous one is old fashioned telephones. While much has been made of low take-up rates for the NBN in pilot sites, the government has a guaranteed market for the NBN. It is planned to phase out copper cable, with it not being installed for new housing developments. If a homebuilder wants a phone connection or Internet access, then they will have a choice between the NBN's fiber cable or wireless. Old fashioned copper telephone cable will not be an option. This will ensure the takeup of the NBN, assuming householders want a landline phone.

The most likely use for the NBN will be for digital TV. Already pay TV providers are offering services over ADSL Internet connections (and Transact's fiber optic cable in Canberra). While much is made of free DIY video on the Internet, it is likely that households will be willing to pay for professionally produced TV. It is also likely that current broadcast channels will be carried over the NBN. This will create some interesting regulatory issues, with the NBN not being limited by traditional broadcast regions.

4) NBN Worth it Just for Phones

The cost of the NBN was estimated at $42B, then $35B and likely to go lower, as the NBN Corp works out how to install it efficiently. Also newer technology is likely to lower the cost. Installation in new suburbs and apartment buildings is the cheapest option and retrofitting old suburbs the most expensive. The best strategy in social terms is to install the NBN in regional areas and those pockets of the city without adequate broadband currently. New greenfield developments can also be done first as they are cheap. Most Australian city suburbs with adequate ADSL broadband can be done last, or perhaps never, if wireless technology improves to the point where NBN is not needed.

5) NBN Will Not Make Internet Cheap

The cost of providing an Internet service has little to do with the cost of cables, but is mostly about billing and marketing. So the NBN will not make the Internet cheaper, but we will get a faster and more reliable service.

There may be some low cost add-ons provided on top of the NBN. It would be feasible to provide a wireless services using the NBN as the back-haul channel. Low power wireless bas stations would be plugged into the NBN and used to carry the signal the last few tens of meters. This could be used for wireless Internet access at speeds faster than current ADSL and also be used for telephony. With this arrangement, only a few houses in the street would need an NBN connection to provide coverage for the whole street.

Product Stewardship Bill in Austrlaian Parliment

The "Product Stewardship Bill 2011" was introduced to the Australian Senate 23 March 2011. This allows for so called "co-regulatory" approach, where industry bodies run recycling schemes for e-waste (those companies which do not participate may be required to pay a fee). This timely as the switch-over to digital TV is resulting in many old analogue CRT TVs being replaced with flat screen LCD models. The NBN will also likely result in consumers upgrading their computer equipment with new networking equipment.

While there are many companies wo will do the right thing with e-waste, unfortunately as detailed in "International Waste Trafficking: Preliminary Explorations" (Klenovšek and Meško, 2011), there are those who will attempt to flout the law.

The Product Stewardship Bill 2011 (the Bill) establishes a national framework to enable Australia to more effectively manage the environmental, health and safety impacts of products, and in particular those impacts associated with the disposal of products.

The Bill implements a commitment in the National Waste Policy: Less Waste, More Resources (November 2009) that:

the Australian Government, with the support of state and territory governments, will establish a national framework underpinned by legislation to support voluntary, co-regulatory and regulatory product stewardship and extended producer responsibility schemes to provide for the impacts of a product being responsibly managed during and at end of life.

The National Waste Policy has been endorsed by all Australian governments, through both the Environment Protection and Heritage Council (November 2009) and the Council of Australian Governments (August 2010).

... The Bill is a ‘framework’ bill in the sense that regulations will determine the products and persons that obligations apply to. This framework approach, which enables assessment of whether product stewardship requirements should be established for particular classes of products, has been endorsed by all Australian governments through the National Waste Policy. It avoids the need for product-specific legislation and promotes a consistent approach to matters such as reporting, compliance and enforcement.

Key provisions

Scope of obligations

The Bill will provide the basis for obligations to be imposed on manufacturers, importers, distributors and others to take action that relates to one or more of the following:

· avoiding generating waste from products;

· reducing or eliminating the amount of waste from products to be disposed of;

· reducing or eliminating hazardous substances in products and waste from products;

· managing waste from products as a resource;

· ensuring that products and waste from products is treated, disposed of, recovered, recycled and reused in a safe, scientific and environmentally sound way.

Circumstances in which obligations may be imposed

Obligations will only apply to classes of products identified in regulations under the co-regulatory or mandatory provisions of the Bill. Before a decision to make regulations is made, the Australian Government’s requirements for regulatory impact analysis will be met in accordance with the Best Practice Regulation Handbook. This will have regard to the following:

· the problem or issues that give rise to the need for action;

· the objectives of government action;

· the feasible alternative options to achieve these objectives;

· the costs and benefits of the alternative options; and

· the net benefit of each option for the community as a whole.

In addition to regulatory impact analysis requirements, the Minister will have to be satisfied that the regulations meet criteria identified in the Bill and further the objects of the Bill.

Voluntary provisions

The Bill provides the basis for accreditation of voluntary product stewardship arrangements. The purpose of voluntary accreditation is to provide an avenue for encouraging and recognising product stewardship without the need to regulate, and to provide assurance to the community that a voluntary product stewardship arrangement is operating to achieve the outcomes it has committed to achieve. Details of the accreditation process would be set out in a Ministerial determination.

Co-regulatory provisions

A co-regulatory approach involves a combination of government regulation and industry action. Government sets the minimum outcomes and operational requirements, while industry has flexibility as to how those outcomes and requirements are achieved. In practice, it is likely that the co-regulatory provisions of the Bill would be used where a substantial part of an industry wants to take action, but is concerned about the rest of the industry ‘free riding’ on their efforts. This is the case for the national computer and television recycling scheme, which would be supported by the co-regulatory provisions and associated regulations.

Mandatory provisions

Under the mandatory provisions, regulations may establish prescriptive product stewardship requirements and establish offences or civil penalties that apply if those requirements are not met. Regulations could, amongst other things, require specified actions to be taken with respect to the reuse, recycling, treatment or disposal of products or prohibit the manufacture and import of products containing hazardous substances....

Financial Impact Statement

... potential savings from national rather than state by state regulation of product stewardship. It indicated that if states and territories were to pursue their own approach then the cost to the economy would be between $212m and $414m above business as usual, while a national approach to product stewardship would have a net saving of $147 million. The RIS relating to national television and computer product stewardship indicated there would be a net benefit to the community from regulation. ...

From: "Product Stewardship Bill 2011", Explanatory Memorandum, Australian Senate, 23 March 2011 (Bill number C2011B00048).

National Broadband Network Submissions

There are now 180 published submissions to the "Inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network" (including my submission) and one from Australian Computer Society I helped with). This is for the Austrlaian Parliament House Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications. I looked at the first 47 previously. The 133 latest submissions follow a similar patter, with many being from local government and regional development bodies. The newer submissions include many from health related organisations. Some of which caught my attention were:

• Neuroscience Research Australia (PDF 789KB)
  
• Australian Medical Association (PDF 1,141KB)
  
• Medical Technology Association of Australia (PDF251KB)
  
• Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA) (PDF 363KB)
• Rural Health Education Foundation (PDF 151KB)
• Australasian Telehealth Society (PDF 278KB)
• NSW Health (PDF 718KB)
• National Rural Health Alliance Inc (PDF 112KB)
  

Also:

• Space Industry Innovation Council (PDF 187KB)
• Space Industry Association of Australia (PDF 118KB)
  
  
• Indigenous Remote Communications Association (PDF 207KB)
  
  
• CAUDIT Inc (PDF 169KB)
• Copyright Agency Limited (PDF 178KB)
  
• APESMA (PDF 157KB)
• Siemens Ltd (PDF 339KB)
  
• Huawei Technologies (PDF 505KB)
• Music Industry Piracy Investigations Pty Ltd (PDF 236KB)
  
• Thales Australia (PDF 150KB)
  
• IT Industry Innovation Council (PDF 862KB)
  
• Australian Recording Industry Association (PDF 1,113KB)
  
• Community and Public Service Union (PDF 165KB)
• Australian Federation of Deaf Societies (PDF 938KB)
  
• Australian Information & Communication Technology in Education Committee (PDF 243KB)
  
• Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (PDF 291KB)
• Australian Publishers Association (PDF 2,885KB)
  
• Australian Computer Society (PDF 161KB)
• Music Council of Australia (PDF 153KB)
  
• Alternative Technology Association (PDF 133KB)
  
• Museums Australia (PDF 226KB)
  
• Adult Learning Australia (PDF 146KB)
  
• Physical Disability Australia Ltd (PDF 2332KB)
  
• Department of Finance and Deregulation (PDF 1,170KB)
  
• Council of Australasian Museum Directors (PDF 249KB)
  
• Department of Regional Australia (PDF 258KB)
  
• Special Broadcasting Service Corporation (SBS) (PDF 127KB)
  
• CSIRO (PDF 822KB)
  
• The Australian Society for Medical Research (PDF 124KB)
  
• The Tasmanian Electronic Commerce Centre (TECC) (PDF 103KB)
  
• Australian Telecommunications Users Group Limited (PDF 119KB)
  
• Optus (PDF 197KB)

ps: While I am currently a Visiting Scientist, I did not shave any thing to do with the CSIRO submission.