Rethinking the NBN: Hackett's just getting started - Delimiter

Rethinking the NBN: Hackett's just getting started - Delimiter: "Internode founder Simon Hackett has declared that the innovative ideas he has put forward over the past several years with respect to reforming the NBN are “just the tip of the iceberg” in terms of potential improvements and cost reductions to the project, as debate continues about its future under the new Coalition Government."

Up until last week, the Coalition’s NBN policy, put together in Opposition, focused on using a predominantly fibre to the node rollout style for the project, as opposed to the more ambitious and technically superior fibre to the premises approach preferred by the previous Labor Government. However, last week new Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull appeared to drastically modify the policy, declaring the Coalition was not wedded to its FTTN model and was “thoroughly open-minded” about the technology to be used in the network.

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Turnbull's tone change and the demise of the big red NBN button | ZDNet

Turnbull's tone change and the demise of the big red NBN button | ZDNet: "Under Labor, major National Broadband Network (NBN) announcements were usually at NBN Co's high-rise office in North Sydney. There was usually a slideshow presentation, and the minister and the CEO were on hand. If it wasn't there, it was out at some regional location where the minister and the local Labor member were there to push a big red button that would "launch" the NBN in that area."

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Leaked NBN Co corporate plan shows project on track

Leaked NBN Co corporate plan shows project on track: "The cost of connecting each home and business to the fibre-optic national broadband network has dropped to less than $1500 and key financial estimates of the project remain largely unchanged, according to a leaked copy of NBN Co's latest three-year plan.

However, rollout delays have reduced revenue forecasts over the next eight years as fewer consumers can use the network today than was previously expected."

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NBN reboot waits for Turnbull review | The Australian

NBN reboot waits for Turnbull review | The Australian: "FEDERAL cabinet is to sign off on a strategic review of the National Broadband Network as soon as next week after the release of a confidential report showing another hit to the project's costs.

Malcolm Turnbull will ask the incoming head of the NBN Co, former Telstra chief executive Ziggy Switkowski, to set up a team of internal and external experts to examine the network rollout amid revelations customer numbers in key states are only a fraction of earlier targets."

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NBN fibre keeps rolling until review: Turnbull | ZDNet

NBN fibre keeps rolling until review: Turnbull | ZDNet: "Construction work for fibre-to-the-premises National Broadband Network (NBN) currently being undertaken by NBN Co will continue until a 60-day review has been completed by the new NBN Co board, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has announced."

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NBN alternative: Is Australia's copper network fit for purpose? – Features – ABC Technology and Games (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

NBN alternative: Is Australia's copper network fit for purpose? – Features – ABC Technology and Games (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "In the world of political and media misinformation that is the NBN, an important issue, that hasn't been fully addressed, is "How fit for purpose is Australia's copper network?" This seemingly mundane and tedious question directly affects tens of billions of dollars in government spending. How?"

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Concerns over state of wiring for the NBN

Concerns over state of wiring for the NBN: "The condition of millions of copper wires the Coalition will rely on to deliver its broadband policy is unknown, and it will take months to uncover how many are functional and how many are beyond use.

Telstra has never revealed how much it spends maintaining the network each year and its own descriptions of the life span range from three to 100 years."

...The Coalition wants NBN Co to provide within 60 days an estimate of how much it would cost to change to a fibre-to-the-node network, and wants the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to provide within 90 days a list of broadband quality in all areas of Australia. Both tasks require detailed knowledge of the state of the copper network.

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Optus looks to fill the Coalition's NBN gap | ZDNet

Optus looks to fill the Coalition's NBN gap | ZDNet: "As the Coalition begins to scope changing the National Broadband Network (NBN) from a majority fibre-to-the-premises (FttP) design to majority fibre the node (FttN), Optus has said that it is open to alternatives to using Telstra's existing copper line to connect their customers from the node to the premises.

Coalition communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull this week reaffirmed the Coalition's plans to conduct an audit of NBN Co and complete a cost-benefit analysis to determine the best way forward, which will likely lead to following the Coalition's policy for an FttN NBN for 71 percent of Australian premises."

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Concerns over state of wiring for the NBN | Oberon Review

Concerns over state of wiring for the NBN | Oberon Review: "The condition of millions of copper wires the Coalition will rely on to deliver its broadband policy is unknown, and it will take months to uncover how many are functional and how many are beyond use.

Telstra has never revealed how much it spends maintaining the network each year and its own descriptions of the life span range from three to 100 years."

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Turnbull takes a swipe at NBN policy petitioners | News | TechRadar

Turnbull takes a swipe at NBN policy petitioners | News | TechRadar: "Liberal party communications spokesperson Malcolm Turnbull, who is expected to be appointed the incoming government's Communications Minister next week, has rejected an online petition calling on the Coalition to reconsider its national broadband network (NBN) policy.
The petition, which gathered more than 200,000 signatures in less than a week, is calling for the incoming Australian government to not scrap the fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) NBN project of the previous government."

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Turnbull brushes aside record NBN petition | Herald Sun

Turnbull brushes aside record NBN petition | Herald Sun: "INCOMING communications minister Malcolm Turnbull is facing a social media backlash after he seemingly brushed aside a snowballing online campaign to save Labor's national broadband network (NBN).

An internet petition set up by a Liberal-voting student six days ago had more than 200,000 online signatures by 4pm (AEST) on Thursday, making it the largest ever online petition in Australia."

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Significant change for Australia’s NBN revolution - CIOL

Significant change for Australia’s NBN revolution - CIOL: "MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: The fall of Australia's Labor Government in this weekend's election means significant change for its wholesale national broadband network (NBN) plan and for the NBN Co. established to build and operate it."

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NBN review: It's time to be independent

NBN review: It's time to be independent: "The Coalition has 100 days to maximise the outcome of the NBN, warns Paul Budde."

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NBN delays are normal, says ACCC’s Sims

NBN delays are normal, says ACCC’s Sims:

Competition regulator chairman Rod Sims says the construction delays facing Labor’s national broadband network are not surprising because it is a big project being built by a new company.


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