Smartnet: Fibre-centric NBN “delegitimising wireless”
- 18 April, 2011 16:25
- Comments 3
The Government’s preference for a predominantly fibre National Broadband Network (NBN) is incorrectly making wireless Internet look like an inferior technology in the eyes of those that sit outside of the fibre footprint, according to Smartnet director, James Kelaher.
He was speaking at a Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications hearing on the NBN in Brisbane.
Smartnet is a technology advisory company that identifies itself as a NBN supporter.
The current NBN model aims to connect 93 per cent of premises with fibre while the remainder 7 per cent will be serviced by wireless or satellite.
But the Government’s fervent push for a fibre NBN, exacerbated by the Opposition’s commitment to discredit the network, damages the reputation of alternative NBN technologies, Kelaher said.
“At the moment, too much of the narrative I see is delegitimising the wireless because the technology challenges the economic model of fibre,” he said.
“It would be a much better position for the nation would be to see what we can do to make sure as many people are connected as quickly as possible at the lowest possible cost.”
While Kelaher supported high-speed broadband backhaul through fibre, he warned the Government should be wary of not making wireless and satellite Internet look “second-rate” next to fibre.
He is particularly concerned that this is the stream of thought for residents of premises earmarked for alternative broadband technologies.
“Currently the message out there is they are the unlucky ones and I don’t think it is a good message nor do I think it is an accurate message,” Kelaher said. “… The reason this whole project started was because people were unhappy with the level of ADSL access they have.
“If they’re forced to wait through a complicated process of laying fibre to their home, to find out they are in the 7 per cent category, it will disenfranchise a lot of people we set out to help.”
He also claimed the Government may have underestimated the demand for mobile broadband and the increasing desire for consumers to connect to the Internet through wireless means.
At the same parliamentary hearing, Smartnet, said the NBN lacked a unified governance structure.
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Comments
Des
1
If the current wireless and satellite offerings are anything to go by wireless is expensive eg our service has recently been reduced in cost to $70 for 12GB of combined upload and download at less than ADSL1 speeds versus ADSL2 in the city where for similar outlay you can get over 100GB with only the download being metered and at significantly higher speeds.
Satellite offerings are similar in pricing and speed to wireless with the addition of the lag problem
If we could get ADSL1 even I would use it in a flash let a lone ADSL2+ or fibre which does not have the lightning problem
Neither of these will be available thanks to the NBN as we are too small a community for fibre and now Telstra has no plans to roll out ADSL anymore
SO yes wireless and satellite are second rate
Kelaher has obviously never really used these services
Anyway off the soapbox
Tom Brown
2
Dear Spandas Lui, thanks for your article but it shows the interest in the media for anything negative for the government.
How Kelaher can claim that “At the moment, too much of the narrative I see is delegitimizing the wireless because the technology challenges the economic model of fibre,” is the fault of the government, NBN or Conroy when it is simply the reason the government chose fibre. You explain why you chose fibre and you are tarred with committing the crimes described in this article. The extent of the narrative is simply the interest by the media and others to trip up Conroy and their attempt to discredit him. The narrative is coming from the media not the government.
This article reflects very much the attitude of media and corporate interests, I am sorry Abbott lost the election because we do deserve him. Wireless networks will save australia!
Jodi
3
Des I’m in the same boat as you. Our satellite dish just died shortly after the warranty ended so I had no choice but to go wireless. I’m an I.T. manager by trade and I’m very happy with the speeds and not noticing any lag like I did with sat. I have one bar of reception in my room with a phone so bought the $30 antenna for my wireless modem and it works a treat. The downside is I’m paying $80 for 8GB which is ludicrous! The upside is there is a wireless component to the NBN which should give me more for less, and the wireless technology used in the NBN should be much faster. The CSIRO have developed wireless technology that outshines anything currently on the market and it may be selected by the NBN.