In Pictures: NBN rolls into Armidale

So the NBN is here. This means that the old copper Telstra lines (don't you just love them) are no more.

Apart from providing phone conversations, ADSL1 & 2 and power to the good old telephone they are no more !!!

So now all telephone conversations will now happen over the internet.

So what happens when there is no power, either from a blackout, tree fallen over the power lines, electricity workers strike etc, etc

No power = no internet = no phone contact = disaster.

The old POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) gave us all at least an odds on chance (apart from the old copper cables being cut) of contacting the outside world, because apart from providing the means of talking, the copper wires also provide power to our telephone.

You can use a telephone over a barbed wire fence ( I have done it) but you cannot run an internet connection over a barbed wire fence (I have tried !!!)

If the power fails and you have an NBN connection you are stuffed.

I am getting organised to buy in a heap of UPS units that will keep the power going to the NBN phone if the power fails because I recon that the Government will be financing this like the insulation scheme when the proverbial hits the fan