Friday, November 29, 2013

Coalition’s NBN already in trouble, says leaked report

Coalition’s NBN already in trouble, says leaked report: "An internal NBN Co document says the Coalition’s fibre to the node (FTTN) policy is inadequate and unlikely to be completed on time.
NBN Co executive chairman Ziggy Switkowski is unlikely to have an easy time of it when he fronts the Labor-dominated Senate Committee today (story follows).

Fairfax Media has published details of an internal NBN Co analysis which says the Coalition’s FTTN strategy, which Switkowski strongly supports, is poorly planned and is unlikely to be completed on time or on budget. The report also says that its revenue will be much less than predicted, mainly for those reasons.

The paper was prepared as part of the so-called ‘blue book’, which departments typically prepare as a briefing document for incoming governments.

“There are a number of conditions that will impact on NBN Co’s ability to undertake a volume network rollout,” Fairfax quotes the report as saying. “Given the complexity of these conditions, it is unlikely that NBN Co will meet the 2016 deadline to upgrade the fixed network to enable Australians to have minimum download speeds of 25 Mbps.”"

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Govt unlikely to hit NBN deadline: Report | ZDNet

Govt unlikely to hit NBN deadline: Report | ZDNet: "The government's 2016 delivery deadline for the National Broadband Network (NBN) looks likely to be blown out, according to a leaked internal NBN Co document.

The Coalition has promised to deliver 25 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband services to all homes by 2016, but a brief to the incoming government, obtained by Fairfax Media, says construction and technical issues mean that may not happen.

"There are a number of conditions that will impact on NBN Co's ability to undertake a volume (fibre-to-the-node) network rollout," the report states.

"Given the complexity of these conditions, it is unlikely that NBN Co will meet the 2016 deadline to upgrade the fixed network to enable Australians to have minimum download speeds of 25Mbps."

In addition to raising issues about timing, the document also cuts revenue projections by up to 30 percent by 2021."

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Confidential briefing: NBN unlikely to meet Coalition's deadline

Confidential briefing: NBN unlikely to meet Coalition's deadline: "The Coalition’s national broadband network model will prove inadequate for many businesses, is poorly planned and is unlikely to be completed on time, according to NBN Co’s internal analysis for the incoming Abbott government.

Obtained by Fairfax Media, the analysis casts doubts over the timing and cost-effectiveness of the government’s proposed fibre-to-the-node model, highlighting numerous legislative, construction and technical challenges likely to blow out the Coalition’s 2016 and 2019 delivery deadlines.

Dr Ziggy Switkowski, executive chairman of NBN Co, during Budget Estimates at Parliament House. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen
The draft document also slashes revenue projections important for the project’s commercial viability by up to 30 per cent by 2021.

Under the Coalition policy, fibre optic cables would be installed to nodes, or street cabinets. From there, existing copper wires would complete the connection to homes and businesses."

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Copper pits for NBN a "disgrace": Union

Copper pits for NBN a "disgrace": Union: "The union representing Telstra field staff estimates up to 80 per cent of the telco's "disgraceful" copper-wire network pits have been patched together by plastic bags or ring-barked cables.

It's the very same copper network NBN Co plans to buy or lease off Telstra for the fibre-to-the-node national broadband network (NBN) being championed by the Abbott government.

"This would be a fraud on the Australian taxpayer," CEPU NSW assistant secretary Shane Murphy told a Senate hearing on the NBN in Canberra on Thursday.

Mr Murphy said 75 to 80 per cent of Telstra's copper pits were as rotten as the pictures he brought to the Senate committee, which showed the ageing network being crudely held together by ring-barked cables and covered by plastic bags in a vain attempt to keep water out.

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"This is the exact network that will be sitting outside there, tying into the NBN that is built to the node," he said."

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NBN revenue to be hit by triple-whammy | The Australian

NBN revenue to be hit by triple-whammy | The Australian: "OFFICIALS from the Department of Communications have admitted that the National Broadband Network will take a triple-whammy revenue hit because of changes to the project's technology and rollout plans.

Speaking before the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network, first assistant secretary Mark Heazlett acknowledged the need for revisions to the NBN Co corporate plan to account for revenue declines brought on by increased competition from other networks and an inability to sell higher-speed broadband plans.

The Coalition is changing the rollout of the NBN from a plan that under Labor promised to connect a fibre optic network to 93 per cent of the nation's homes and businesses."

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Monday, November 25, 2013

Mixed messages on Telstra copper complicate FttN NBN case | ZDNet

Mixed messages on Telstra copper complicate FttN NBN case | ZDNet: "Despite strong declarations over the years that it is both an absolute disgrace and a shining example of legacy infrastructure, Telstra's copper remains the subject of great confusion – with mixed messages from Malcolm Turnbull, NBN Co, Telstra and others confirming that nobody really knows whether Telstra's pivotal copper access network (CAN) is up to the task of delivering next-generation broadband or not.

Detractors have certainly had their say: iiNet CTO John Lindsay recently said parts of the network were "dilapidated" and many others have followed suit – including recent NBN Co board appointee Simon Hackett, who has previously harangued Telstra's "blackmail" of the NBN; argued for government ownership of Telstra's CAN; said Telstra will ultimately control how the Coalition's policy is rolled out; turned to Clarke & Dawe to explain the Coalition's NBN policy; and in April this year delivered a speech entitled 'The Problem with FttN'."

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Telstra copper network 'robust': NBN chief

Telstra copper network 'robust': NBN chief: "Telstra's decades-old copper network continues to "perform robustly", new NBN chairman Ziggy Switkowski says.

Dr Switkowski, who was Telstra chief executive for five years from 1999, says the copper network - the oldest part of which is 50 years old - is still working well.

"Here I default back to my own history ... It's constantly being maintained, remediated, upgraded," he told a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday.

However, he said he was relying on anecdotal information as he hadn't received any official information from Telstra recently."

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NBN Co invites RSPs to take part in fibre-to-the-building pilot - retail service providers, national broadband network, nbn co, Fibre to the building, NBN Co deal - Computerworld

NBN Co invites RSPs to take part in fibre-to-the-building pilot - retail service providers, national broadband network, nbn co, Fibre to the building, NBN Co deal - Computerworld: "NBN Co has sent out expressions of interest (EOI) to all of its retail service providers (RSPs) today to take part in a three-month fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) pilot which will start in January 2014 across Australia.
The EOI was issued under the auspices of the company’s product development forum. All RSPs who have signed a wholesale broadband agreement with NBN Co are members of the forum. RSPs have until 29 November to respond to the EOI.
According to NBN Co, up to 10 large office complexes and apartment blocks comprising a total of approximately 1000 homes and offices will receive the FTTB service.."

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Monday, November 18, 2013

Internode to use NBN tower to stream music festival - internode, NBN - ARN

Internode to use NBN tower to stream music festival - internode, NBN - ARN: "Internode will be using an NBN tower to live stream the performance of The John Butler Trio in high definition at South Australia’s iconic Gorgeous Festival.

“Although the site for Gorgeous has no direct NBN access, we’re connecting to the NBN via a relay tower to a site around 500 metres away that does have NBN access,” Internode content manager, Heidi Angove, said.

The third annual two-day Gorgeous Festival is set in South Australia’s McLaren Vale wine region and will also be held at the Serafino Winery grounds.

Kicking off on Friday November 22, the festival will kick off with the John Butler Trio and Eskimo Joe will also be the top bill on Saturday November 23. Internode will stream both of the shows and full event details are available here."

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Sunday, November 17, 2013

Coalition NBN Reportedly Won't Start Rolling Out Until 2015 | Gizmodo Australia

Coalition NBN Reportedly Won't Start Rolling Out Until 2015 | Gizmodo Australia: "The Coalition’s fibre-to-the-node network is meant to be completed in 2019 — two years ahead of the proposed finish-date for the previous government’s fibre-to-the-home NBN. A source has revealed, however, that the new FTTN network may not start rolling out again until at least 2015."

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Copper network not 'ageing': Telstra | ZDNet

Copper network not 'ageing': Telstra | ZDNet: "Summary: Telstra's managing director of wholesale, Stuart Lee, has defended the company's copper network, stating that Telstra has replaced parts of the network when required."

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Thursday, November 14, 2013

NBN Satellites nearly full

NBN Satellites nearly full: "NBN Co’s interim satellites are reaching full capacity and the government-owned company has started turning away new customers in rural Victoria. These customers must rely on existing broadband infrastructure until NBN Co launches two custom-made satellites in 2015.

Satellite beams covering NSW, Tasmania and Queensland were also close to capacity, while those covering central and western Australia had some space left.

NBN Co only has enough space for 48,000 customers nationally on its interim satellite and has already connected 42,044 premises, according to figures released this week.

However, the new satellites would have capacity for 200,000 customers, and download speeds of up to 25 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds of 5 Mbps. "

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Hackett picked for NBN Co board | ZDNet

Hackett picked for NBN Co board | ZDNet: "Telecommunications industry veteran, and Internode founder Simon Hackett will join the board of NBN Co, along with ex-Telstra executive Justin Milne and NBN Co's former head of construction Patrick Flannigan, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced.

Turnbull said in the release that the trio were "well-established industry figures with lengthy careers in telecommunications, broadband, and the deployment of linear infrastructure".

Hackett has long put forward proposals to NBN Co for how to improve the rollout and design of the network, from better ways to connect customers to the network, to an alternative pricing model that will encourage uptake of services on the network. His appointment comes close to two years since Hackett sold his Adelaide-based ISP Internode to iiNet, and joined the iiNet board as a non-executive director in August 2012."

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Saturday, November 9, 2013

Existing premises behind surge in NBN uptake | ZDNet

Existing premises behind surge in NBN uptake | ZDNet: "A surge in the uptake of services on the National Broadband Network (NBN) in the last five months has been thanks to a large increase in activations for existing housing premises, according to the latest round of weekly rollout data provided by NBN Co.
The company yesterday released the second of its new weekly rollout information, revealing that in the last week, an additional 12,130 premises were passed by the fibre network, including 7,926 brownfields premises and 2,100 greenfields premises, to bring the total premises passed by fibre to 304,840, with 232,017 of those able to order a service on the NBN.
Retailers activated a total of 2,632 services for the week, including 2,100 on the fibre and 532 on the satellite and wireless networks. There are now a total of 109,862 premises connected to the NBN."

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Wednesday, November 6, 2013

NBN poaches Telstra's Greg Adcock to become COO | The Australian

NBN poaches Telstra's Greg Adcock to become COO | The Australian: "The NBN Co has hired another former Telstra executive to oversee the company's construction operations.

Greg Adcock, a 20-year Telstra veteran, will now be the company's chief operating officer following the immediate departure of previous COO Ralph Steffens.

At Telstra Mr Adcock was the executive charged with delivering on Telstra’s infrastructure commitments under the ‘definitive agreements’ between NBN Co and Telstra."

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Microsoft urges rethink of NBN plan | Sky News Australia

Microsoft urges rethink of NBN plan | Sky News Australia: "Software giant Microsoft says the Abbott government should reconsider its national broadband network (NBN) policy.

The former Labor government's fibre-to-the-home plan is superior to the coalition's cheaper policy of running optical fibres to street exchanges, Microsoft Australia managing director Pip Marlow says."

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Tuesday, November 5, 2013

NBN Co introduces weekly roll-out metrics; posts significant operating losses — Trenchless Australasia — The official magazine of the ASTT, covering no-dig trenchless technology

NBN Co introduces weekly roll-out metrics; posts significant operating losses — Trenchless Australasia — The official magazine of the ASTT, covering no-dig trenchless technology: "NBN Co recently began publishing detailed data and updated website maps to open up Australia’s largest infrastructure project to more transparency.

NBN Co recently began publishing a weekly report charting the progress of the roll-out. Previously the company published quarterly updates.

A table containing the information will be posted each week on the NBN Co website here. The data is correct as at the Sunday of the week preceding its release."

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Asbestos setback may hit NBN profit | Business Spectator

Asbestos setback may hit NBN profit | Business Spectator: "The NBN Co has indicated the potentially widespread impact the discovery of asbestos contamination could have on the National Broadband Network (NBN), suggesting it could hit profits, cause cost blowouts and lead to potential litigation, according to The Australian.

“The presence — or potential presence of asbestos — could significantly increase network build costs as well as lead to potential litigation and related costs,” NBN Co said, according to The Australian.

The admission came in a decision by NBN Co to reject a Freedom of Information request by the newspaper that would have detailed the impact the asbestos contamination issue has had, and could have in the future, on the NBN's rollout."

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NBN Co Wants New Telstra Deal | Gizmodo Australia

NBN Co Wants New Telstra Deal | Gizmodo Australia: "It was always going to happen following the Coalition’s election win, now it’s official. The National Broadband Network Company (NBN Co) wants consultants to steer it through a new deal with Telstra by mid-next year.

The previous deal hammered out between NBN Co and the nation’s largest copper network provider was worth a whopping $11.2 billion.

Now the NBN Co wants a new deal to be sealed by June 30, 2014.

The new deal will likely have to specify use terms for the copper network under the new fibre to the node framework the Coalition took to the election."

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Saturday, November 2, 2013

Huawei eyes opportunities beyond 'that' NBN bid - Networking - Technology - News - iTnews.com.au

Huawei eyes opportunities beyond 'that' NBN bid - Networking - Technology - News - iTnews.com.au: "Network equipment supplier Huawei is "extremely disappointed" with the new government's decision to keep it out of the National Broadband Network, but says its business success has "never" been dependent on winning any such work anyway.

Chairman John Lord urged staff to "hold their heads up high" and to "be proud to be Huawei", despite the NBN setback."

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