NBN – FttH – Broadband

In Australia the national broadband network attracts a great deal of attention. Many of the insights shared here are picked up by the media. This section also covers all types of broadband infrastructure: Fibre to the Premise (FttP), Fibre to the Home (FttH), Fibre to the Node (FttN), Fibre to the Curb (FttC), Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC), the various DSL services, and wireless.

NBN bombshell announcement: Finally, high-speed, affordable broadband.

NBN Co’s groundbreaking plan to boost broadband speeds across Australia is finally delivering the first-class broadband service that Australia as a modern society needs. The announcement has captured the attention of millions, promising to make its most popular plan five times faster without any additional charges. This initiative, aimed at meeting the escalating demand for […]

NBN bombshell announcement: Finally, high-speed, affordable broadband. Read More »

NBN is making progress but still paying for previous political footballing.

Following my article from last week and your reactions to it, I think it is important to say a few words before delving into another ‘glowing’ nbn story from the company itself, obviously with a bit of spinning that you can expect from large corporations. What we are witnessing now, both regarding the growth of

NBN is making progress but still paying for previous political footballing. Read More »

The economic and social Impacts of enhanced NBN connectivity

In recent years, Australia has witnessed a profound transformation in its digital landscape, propelled by the accelerated rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN). New economic research conducted by Accenture commissioned by NBN Co sheds light on the substantial benefits of a faster and more robust NBN network, with implications spanning economic growth, workforce demographics,

The economic and social Impacts of enhanced NBN connectivity Read More »

More fibre connections but users stick to lower speeds.

The government’s initiative to enhance the National Broadband Network (NBN) has expanded eligibility for full-fibre broadband upgrades to over 3 million Australians. An additional 400,000 homes and businesses are set to benefit from this plan, as the latest list of eligible suburbs and towns has been unveiled. These newly eligible premises were previously serviced by

More fibre connections but users stick to lower speeds. Read More »

Review of Australia’s Digital Evolution in 2023

Australia’s digital landscape has undergone significant transformations in 2023, as outlined in recent reports from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). They key findings concentrate on three critical perspectives: the state of Australian telecom infrastructure, internet usage patterns, and the dynamic trends in digital communication. ACMA’s series of research reports culminating in 2023 unveiled

Review of Australia’s Digital Evolution in 2023 Read More »

Analysis of NBN fixed-lines services in urban and regional Australia

The latest update of the ACCC report “Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) “ delves into the broadband performance of NBN fixed-line connections in both urban and regional Australia, with a focus on the program’s insights gathered in September 2023. While the report primarily scrutinises fixed-line connections, it acknowledges the prevalence of fixed wireless and satellite connections

Analysis of NBN fixed-lines services in urban and regional Australia Read More »

Australia’s low ranking in broadband and cloud computing

The digital landscape has undergone a profound transformation in recent years, with the global broadband and cloud computing markets emerging as key pillars of the digital economy. Their combined worth exceeds an astounding $656 billion, but the real impact extends far beyond this impressive figure. Broadband and cloud computing are instrumental in shaping the future

Australia’s low ranking in broadband and cloud computing Read More »

Predicted NBN prices increases are now a reality.

As foreshadowed in my previous articles the new National Broadband Network (NBN) wholesale agreements as have been under discussion for many years were approved by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). Under that agreement the NBN company is now able to increase it prices for its lower tier products, while at the same time

Predicted NBN prices increases are now a reality. Read More »

New NBN pricing challenges and opportunities

After nearly three years of reporting on the troubled pricing policies of NBN Co,  the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has finally given its approval to a revised Special Access Undertaking (SAU) for the National Broadband Network (NBN). This decision ushers in a new era of NBN pricing and service standards. While the changes

New NBN pricing challenges and opportunities Read More »

Ongoing obstacles to good quality, affordable broadband in remote Australia

In recent communications with two esteemed colleagues, there has been a discussion on the potential for community-owned mobile networks to bridge the connectivity gap in remote areas, particularly in Australia. The central theme of these conversations revolves around the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of establishing such networks and the legal and licensing challenges that currently hinder

Ongoing obstacles to good quality, affordable broadband in remote Australia Read More »

NBN gets finally upgraded but will services be affordable.

Last week NBN Co revealed its 2024 corporate plan, outlining its strategies to enhance its network capabilities and improve user experiences across Australia. While it provided valuable insights into NBN Co’s network upgrade initiatives and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts, they question remain as we have mentioned before, will the network be affordable. It

NBN gets finally upgraded but will services be affordable. Read More »

Will the new NBN proposal lead to better and more affordable broadband options?

In a significant development for Australia’s broadband landscape, NBN Co and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) have reengaged in negotiations, following NBN Co’s submission of an amended Special Access Undertaking (SAU) Variation. This new proposal finally reflects a paradigm shift in wholesale pricing, aiming to bolster internet speeds, accommodate surging data demands, and

Will the new NBN proposal lead to better and more affordable broadband options? Read More »

NBN Co fails to improve service conditions.

As part of the ACCC industry consultation process, Telstra and Optus have again complained about NBN Co lack of service quality improvements in the wholesale broadband agreement (WBA). NBN Co has rejected all proposed improvements by Telstra and Optus, leading retail service providers (RSPs) to call for intervention by regulators and the government to raise

NBN Co fails to improve service conditions. Read More »

LEOs are going to shake up the Australian telecoms market.

LEOs are going to shake up the Australian telecoms market. As we have foreshadowed before  Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellite Systems such as StarLink – but increasingly also others –  are going to have a serious impact on the overall telecommunications landscape in Australia, especially in the regional and remote parts of the country. So,

LEOs are going to shake up the Australian telecoms market. Read More »

The ongoing sage of NBN’s price and conditions rejections.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has been working with the government, the National Broadband Network (NBN) Co, and retail service providers (RSPs) to establish price and service standards that will govern the NBN’s operation; known as Special Access Undertaking – SAUs). The current process has been ongoing since early 2021, with the latest

The ongoing sage of NBN’s price and conditions rejections. Read More »

NBN Co faces consequences of wrong political infrastructure decisions.

The NBN company announced that it will have to lay-off 500 people in order to lower their costs as they are facing increased competitive pressure from the other players in the market. It looks to me that this means that NBN Co forced to realise that by following the political winds and going ahead with

NBN Co faces consequences of wrong political infrastructure decisions. Read More »

First half year 2022/2023 progress report from the NBN Company

In February 2023 NBN Co released its first half-yearly result to December 2022. I will be looking behind the self-congratulations that took place. However, for the statistics, it has reported total revenue of $2.6 billion — a 4% increase on H1 FY22. None of that is unexpected; as the roll-out keeps going, new premises are

First half year 2022/2023 progress report from the NBN Company Read More »

Growth in broadband demand is set to slow with fewer innovations hitting the market

There is an argument going on between the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and NBN Co in relation to the broadband requirements of Australian consumers. ACCC research indicates that by 2028, the median household speed requirement will be only 29 Mbps and 95% of households will not require speeds of 58 Mbps or more. 

Growth in broadband demand is set to slow with fewer innovations hitting the market Read More »

NBN back to where it stared a project for the good of the nation

While there is still a lot that needs fixing, going into the new year, the basis for the NBN is back on a much better foundation. Just before the end of last year, Communications Minister Michelle Rowland released an extensive Statement of Expectations for NBN Co. This basically brings the NBN policy back to its

NBN back to where it stared a project for the good of the nation Read More »

Better prices and services needed for NBN Co to stay competitive.

Recently I covered the Special Access Undertaking Variation that NBN Co presented to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The major news here was that this resulted in a $30 billion write-down of the losses that the NBN occurred during the rollout of its infrastructure. However, interestingly, its submission also included supporting documentation to

Better prices and services needed for NBN Co to stay competitive. Read More »

Better NBN deals and better mobile competition

Australia’s oldest telecommunications society, TelSoc, organised a very interesting forum discussion with Anna Brakey, a commissioner and chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC)’s communications committee and the most senior person in the ACCC in charge of telecommunications. In her presentation, Ms Brakey covered a variety of issues such as competition, the NBN,

Better NBN deals and better mobile competition Read More »

Andy Penn says sorry about not speaking out earlier against the NBN

I did feel a bit of vindication when I read in the Weekend Australian the interview with outgoing Telstra CEO Andy Penn titled: ‘After the storm, Andy Penn ponders his legacy.’ A key point of regret was that he had not been more forthcoming with his criticism of the NBN as it developed during its

Andy Penn says sorry about not speaking out earlier against the NBN Read More »

NBN Co wants the regulator to limit competition between NBN and mobile operators

It was interesting to note that NBN Co used its submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regarding the proposed mobile infrastructure sharing arrangement between Telstra and TPG Telecom to ask the regulator for more protection against mobile competition. Under the ten-year Telstra-TPG regional Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) commercial agreement, TPG customers will

NBN Co wants the regulator to limit competition between NBN and mobile operators Read More »

Free NBN or discounted with Commonwealth Bank services.

Back in the late 1990s and early ’00s when I discussed my vision on how broadband would develop, I mentioned that organisations would start offering free broadband access, linked to the core services of their organisation. The reason is that it would either be more cost-effective for those organisations if customers use the digital service.

Free NBN or discounted with Commonwealth Bank services. Read More »

Competition struggling, NBN not delivering

The latest Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) ‘NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report’ shows the top three telcos (Telstra, TPG and Optus) have suffered a slight loss in customers, while smaller internet retailers have increased their customer numbers. Each one of them lost 0.3% market share and the new standings are now: Telstra 43.7%, TPG

Competition struggling, NBN not delivering Read More »

Labor Government must now intervene in the NBN to make high-speed broadband more affordable

We have covered the government and opposition plans for the NBN in the past, but there is a commitment from the new Government to extend fibre deeper into the market. However, the real problem is the high costs of the NBN. This makes the wholesale prices higher and therefore also the retail price. As I

Labor Government must now intervene in the NBN to make high-speed broadband more affordable Read More »

What will the future of Sky Muster be?

Users across the country are complaining about the Sky Muster service. They complain about ongoing dropouts and diminishing download speeds. So, let’s look a bit deeper into these issues. At the start of the ’00s, it was envisaged that the country needed at least two satellites to deliver a good quality satellite service to people

What will the future of Sky Muster be? Read More »

NBN Co’s financial worries are still not over

In the running up to the company’s six-month financial announcement, NBN Co indicated that it would start in April rolling out its latest rebate campaigns — under the themes “Step Up” and “Light Up”. They aim to attract new connections and migrate existing users from low to mid-level speeds. The offers are again only temporary

NBN Co’s financial worries are still not over Read More »

Australian farms get connected to the Starlink satellites

Last year, I reported on the possibility that LEO (Low Earth Orbit) satellite-based systems might be a gamechanger for the delivery of high-speed data services, including internet access, to people in regional and remote Australia. What has become clear with the rollout of the NBN is that the quality of data connections in metropolitan cities

Australian farms get connected to the Starlink satellites Read More »

My telecoms and digital economy predictions for 2020

Of course, let me begin by wishing you a good start to the new year. It will be an interesting year in many aspects and it remains a year of high levels of uncertainty, so it is important to stay flexible. As always, the year will provide many “wow” moments in relation to technology, but

My telecoms and digital economy predictions for 2020 Read More »

Regional telecommunications services are simply not good enough

For decades, we have been arguing about poor telecommunications for people that are living in regional Australia and in many cases, this includes the fringes of the metropolitan cities as well. Let’s first discuss the broadband network before we address the mobile networks. This issue started to become more prevalent in the mid-to-late 1990s when

Regional telecommunications services are simply not good enough Read More »

Labor’s NBN plan full fibre NBN will reach 8 million households

It seems Labor has bitten the bullet and decided that to have an overall better quality NBN, more money is needed to upgrade the Fibre-to-the-Node (FttN) to full-fibre. While the Government has indicated that the next stage of the NBN needs to be financed by NBN Co through private debt, Labor believes that this will

Labor’s NBN plan full fibre NBN will reach 8 million households Read More »

Government want NBN Co to focus on the money.

Rather conveniently, NBN Co has removed all forward financial projections beyond the next 12 months in its Corporate Plan for 2022, released last week. As I also mentioned when the Government released its financial results a few weeks ago, understanding how the company is really performing remains rather murky. The new corporate plan only adds

Government want NBN Co to focus on the money. Read More »

Global developments in broadband

High-speed fibre overtakes DSL as OECD countries add 21 million fixed broadband connections in pandemic year High-speed fibre Internet subscriptions surpassed copper-wire DSL connections across OECD countries for the first time in 2020 as the need to move work and home life activities online during the COVID-19 pandemic led to a record 21.15 million new

Global developments in broadband Read More »

NBN hits a financial target that has been revised downwards several times

In August, NBN Co announced its financial results for the financial year ending 30 June 2021. It showed that it had activated 8.2 million customers. Interestingly they mentioned that this was on target — returning $4.6 billion of revenues and an improved net loss of $3.8 billion. But as I have also mentioned in previous

NBN hits a financial target that has been revised downwards several times Read More »

Back to the future with FttH and finally mobile roaming is on the cards.

In a surprise move, the Commonwealth Bank took a 25% stake in two of the NBN Retail Service Providers (RSPs): More Telecom and Tangerine. As electronic banking is growing exponentially, the bank wants to become more involved in the telecoms market which is key in providing access to such services. As Australia has one of

Back to the future with FttH and finally mobile roaming is on the cards. Read More »

Enough is enough ACCC will become involved in the NBN monopoly.

NBN Co has released its plans for the 2021 pricing review consultation process. It is seeking retail service provider (RSP) and broader industry feedback on current and future matters of NBN wholesale pricing. However, in its outline of what will be reviewed, it became clear that the key issues are not on the discussion list.

Enough is enough ACCC will become involved in the NBN monopoly. Read More »

$100 billion national broadband plan for America.

The new Biden Administration in the USA laid out a $100 billion proposal for broadband investment as part of its $2 trillion+  infrastructure plan. Under the proposal, the plan is to provide national broadband coverage. The Administration will use better competition measures, such a price transparency, the use of public utility infrastructure and subsidies for

$100 billion national broadband plan for America. Read More »

Broadband users are going to pay for failed NBN policies.

For more than a decade – dating back to the original NBN plan from the Labor Government – the retail service providers (RSPs) have argued against the unpredictable variable elements in its wholesale charges (the so-called connectivity virtual charges or CVCs). We have covered this at length in previous articles going back at least to

Broadband users are going to pay for failed NBN policies. Read More »

Are the LEOs going to disrupt the telco market?

We are getting closer to using alternative broadband solutions, offered by international companies. Local telecommunication entities will in this respect be relegated to resellers. The reality of accessing low Earth orbiting satellite (LEO) services is now clearly on the horizon. Most of the telcos as well as governments are not prepared for the potential shock

Are the LEOs going to disrupt the telco market? Read More »

Australian fixed broadband in the international context.

During the past two decade, there have been considerable efforts undertaken by governments and national telecom regulators to ensure that their countries’ economic growth is underpinned by capable broadband infrastructure. The success of national policies has been variable, but the scale of investment and the way the development of fibre infrastructure has been encouraged has

Australian fixed broadband in the international context. Read More »

NBN wants us to pay more for their broadband service.

Over the last few weeks, we have seen several new announcements from NBN Co. The key announcements include: A payment of $3 billion to the Government as a repayment of their $19.5 billion investment; An extra 100,000 fibre-to-the-node (FttN) premises will be upgraded to fibre-to-the-premise (FttP) infrastructure; and A complex review of their already complex

NBN wants us to pay more for their broadband service. Read More »

What will 2021 have install for the ICT industry?

While 2021 will remain a year with lots of uncertainties, at the same we can say that the pandemic has not affected the information and communications technology (ICT) industry in any significant way. Yes, there has been a slowdown, for example, in the sale of smartphones. Shortages in both materials and expertise are slowing the

What will 2021 have install for the ICT industry? Read More »

Government backed NBN monopoly is flexing its muscles

Over the last year, we have discussed the unsustainably high wholesale charges that NBN Co is raking in. They need this just to recoup the blowout of the investments in their second-rate multi-technology mix (MtM) infrastructure. The Government, following its election win in 2013, handpicked a new NBN team. They were favourable to their policies,

Government backed NBN monopoly is flexing its muscles Read More »

NBN battle between the ACCC and the Government

It came as a surprise to many in the telecoms industry as well as in the legal profession that the Government issued a Statement of Expectation (SoE) to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). In my opinion, what this means is that the Government would like the ACCC to facilitate NBN Co to increase

NBN battle between the ACCC and the Government Read More »

Agriculture ICT and travelling in Outback Queensland

In October 2020, I went on a two-week tour into Queensland’s Outback, travelling through various landscapes from pastoral and agricultural lands to savanna and the desert. Leaving Brisbane, past Toowoomba you enter the Darling Downs. This is one of the richest agricultural areas in Australia. It was first explored by British Botanist Alan Cunningham in

Agriculture ICT and travelling in Outback Queensland Read More »

Are we building a mediocre NBN for the ‘average user’?

Are we building a mediocre NBN for the average user? Interesting new research conducted by the Bureau of Communications and Arts Research predicts that average Australian data consumption is set to quadruple by 2028, based on figures from 2018. But they also predict that peak bandwidth will grow less rapidly. In their words: ‘Bandwidth requirements

Are we building a mediocre NBN for the ‘average user’? Read More »

Digital economy essential for regional Australia

Back in the early 1990s, I was a founding board member of Service Providers Action Network (SPAN), which later became part of Communications Alliance. The key aim of this organisation was the promotion of new value-added services that could be provided over the telecommunications network. At this time there was no public internet and we

Digital economy essential for regional Australia Read More »

Building independent Gig Cities: this happens when you have a 2nd rate NBN

Adelaide was one of the first cities to build a gigabit fibre optic network but soon others followed. Newcastle, Wollongong, Launceston and the NSW Central Coast Council are now all developing their own gigabit infrastructure. Now, the NSW Government is putting $100 million dollars aside for the provision of “innovative systems” to improve the price,

Building independent Gig Cities: this happens when you have a 2nd rate NBN Read More »

Encouraging online lessons from the corona crisis

The players in the telecommunications industry have decisively reacted to the COVID-19 crisis. The NBN is holding up and the company is effectively implementing a range of measures for those who rely on it. Equally, the support from the major telcos and the digital players has been first-class and, where needed, the industry is working

Encouraging online lessons from the corona crisis Read More »

NBN Co is giving in to pressure to stop competing with its own retail customers.

The original plans for the NBN were to build a high-speed residential broadband network that would be made available to the other telcos on a wholesale basis.  Corporate infrastructure was basically left out of the plan as these organisations were in general well serviced by competing networks. But wait there was a loophole. What exactly

NBN Co is giving in to pressure to stop competing with its own retail customers. Read More »

The role of FttH in the development of 5G

As the rollout of fibre to the home project (FttH) remains a slow process it is no wonder that more and more people are looking towards mobile as a potential alternative. Obviously, mobile communication has improved over recent years in providing excellent access to broadband. It has also become more affordable. At the same time,

The role of FttH in the development of 5G Read More »

Broadband driven Smart Energy Developments

There is no doubt that we are in the midst of an energy revolution. Not only is the nature of energy changing from fossil-generated energy to renewable – there is a total change in the distribution structure occurring with less focus on centralisation and more on distributed energy. Concerns about issues such as energy security,

Broadband driven Smart Energy Developments Read More »

Full fibre NBN back on the agenda

Britain’s Labour Opposition Leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised a national fibre-to-home network for nine million homes in the UK to be completed by 2030 at a cost of £20 billion (AU$38 billion). In the same week, Australia’s Labor Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese made a similar promise regarding updating the current multi-mix technology national broadband network

Full fibre NBN back on the agenda Read More »

Australia’s NBN makes slow progress

While fixed-line telephony traffic and revenue are declining, the mobile broadband market is growing steadily. Fixed-line broadband on the copper network is also declining as fibre and fixed-wireless broadband services become more widely available, through the NBN’s multi-technology architecture, with its emphasis on VDSL with Fibre-to-the Node (FttN). In time, much of the voice traffic

Australia’s NBN makes slow progress Read More »

Fibre to the farm provides opportunities for rural Australia

Over the last decade, Australia has spent $5.5 billion on satellite and fixed wireless broadband services and another $650 million on mobile blackspots. After last year’s Regional Telecommunications Review, the Government earlier this year indicated another $220 million for mobile blackspots, money for digital inclusions projects and $60 million for a regional connectivity program. It

Fibre to the farm provides opportunities for rural Australia Read More »

Changing the goalposts and voila here is the new NBN corporate plan

Since the Coalition Government has taken over the NBN back in 2013, we have seen the goalposts being changed nearly on an annual basis. It started soon after Malcolm Turnbull’s infamous announcement: “we will bring you the NBN for around $25 billion and deliver it in 2016”. The reality, of course, is that now in

Changing the goalposts and voila here is the new NBN corporate plan Read More »

Minister Fletcher’s first in-depth comments on the NBN.

Recently the Minister made his first more in-depth public comments on various aspects of the NBN. The fact that the telecommunications industry had a sigh of relief when the new comms minister Paul Fletcher mentioned that the government would not sell the NBN to Telstra is an indication how low trust in politics has sunk

Minister Fletcher’s first in-depth comments on the NBN. Read More »

Not Netflix but Government killed the NBN

In a recent ABC interview, Sam Dimarco, Head of Stakeholder Relations at NBN Co, asserted that Netflix has been a catalyst for change. It has been blamed as the principal reason why the NBN is unable to deliver the quality that was promised by the Government. The article also mentioned Bill Morrow’s comment on this, admitting that

Not Netflix but Government killed the NBN Read More »

Broadcasting – Submission to Productivity Commission from 1999 (20 years ago)

The wonders of electronics. I suddenly received a notification about this submission I made in 1999. It is interesting to look back on predictions I made 20 years ago 🙂 From: Paul Budde Sent: Monday, May 03, 1999 4:34 PM To: ’broadcasting@pc.gov.au’ Subject: Broadcasting – Submission to Productivity Commission   Broadcasting – Submission to Productivity

Broadcasting – Submission to Productivity Commission from 1999 (20 years ago) Read More »

Happy New Year – The NBN and the Australian Telecoms Year ahead.

I hope that those of you who celebrated Christmas enjoyed being together with families and friends, and that everyone took the opportunity for a break from the everyday world. Happily the holiday season continues so most of us will have a bit more relaxing time ahead. And of course the new year is upon us.

Happy New Year – The NBN and the Australian Telecoms Year ahead. Read More »

NBN and the common good – write offs and Telstra’s interest in buying it.

Looking back over the last 30 years less emphasis is now placed on the ‘common good’ than was the case before the 1980s. I will link this to the NBN a bit further in this analysis. Over the last few decades, often for very good reasons, we began to privatise what had been government businesses

NBN and the common good – write offs and Telstra’s interest in buying it. Read More »

Is there a business case for the National Broadband Network?

It will come as no surprise to those who have followed my analyses of the NBN over the last decade that in my submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network Inquiry into the business case for the National Broadband Network I stated that  the business model and investment model for the

Is there a business case for the National Broadband Network? Read More »

Optus makes sure there will be competition in 5G

After lots of talk about 5G being a potential competitor to the NBN, Optus is throwing the cat among the pigeons. Its announcement of a fixed wireless product is challenging the NBN head-on. It will be interesting to see what the reaction from the national broadband company will be, as it has already hinted at

Optus makes sure there will be competition in 5G Read More »

What is the future for our mobile network operators?

‘Wireless is just one wire less’ or ‘Wireless is just spectrum wrapped around a  fibre core” The Australian mobile telecommunication industry is continuing to resist structural changes, but the reality is that if they don’t transform, technology will do it for them. We have seen the fixed telecom operators slowly being pushed back into the

What is the future for our mobile network operators? Read More »

The NBN in the broader context of global telecom developments

Just back from my trip to Europe where I followed some of the key international telecoms developments. Because of the highly politicised situation around the NBN in Australia it is important to look beyond the sometimes parochially-focussed NBN discussion in our country. At the joint forum of the Long-Term Infrastructure Investments Association (LTIIA) and the

The NBN in the broader context of global telecom developments Read More »

The future NBN might look rather different

In all reality it looks like the multi-technology mix (MTM) as it is currently being rolled out by the nbn company is as good as it will get. Some Australians will have an excellent service, especially those on fibre-to-the-home (FttH) and fibre-to-the-curb (FttC) technologies. Others won’t see any difference from the current ADSL services they

The future NBN might look rather different Read More »

The importance of high-speed broadband in regional Australia

It is still a battle to extend the perception of the importance of high-speed broadband beyond fast access to the internet or to Netflix. But the social and economic benefits are equally important, especially looking towards medium- and long-term future development of the region. The healthcare, government services and education sectors are undergoing massive transformations,

The importance of high-speed broadband in regional Australia Read More »

Upgrading the NBN with G.fast has its limitations

Quite coincidentally, at the same time that G.fast is being discussed in Australia a similar discussion is taking place in the USA; and there is doubt there too about the contribution that G.fast can make to improve the performance of the faltering broadband systems in both countries. G.fast is a band-aid solution that can be

Upgrading the NBN with G.fast has its limitations Read More »

Australian National Broadband Network rollout finally gains momentum

Within the market there is a dynamic shift among customers to fibre networks, as this infrastructure is being built out by nbn (NBN Co), the company responsible for the national broadband deployment. Australia’s broadband sector is making improved progress in its migration to a multi-technology the NBN. Growth in the overall number of broadband subscribers

Australian National Broadband Network rollout finally gains momentum Read More »

Australia’s NBN preps for G.fast and DOCSIS3.1 services in 2017

Growth in the Australian fixed broadband market has slowed in line with higher penetration rates. Within the market there is a dynamic shift among customers to fibre networks, as this infrastructure is being built out by nbn (NBN Co), the company responsible for the national broadband deployment. While fibre has become by far the fastest

Australia’s NBN preps for G.fast and DOCSIS3.1 services in 2017 Read More »

Telecoms infrastructure and digital technologies lead the way

  There are a number of industries leading the current changes brought about by the digital evolution – but none more so than the ICT industry. This sector alone has been transformational in developing the appropriate infrastructure, services and equipment required to underpin our societies of the future. The enormous shift towards digital technologies continues

Telecoms infrastructure and digital technologies lead the way Read More »

The role of the NBN in the development of 5G

With an NBN that is failing many customers it is no wonder that more and more people are looking towards mobile as a potential alternative. Obviously mobile communication has improved over recent years in providing excellent access to broadband; and it has also become more affordable. At the same time there is the fabulous hype

The role of the NBN in the development of 5G Read More »

Mobile infrastructure will ultimately rely on fibre broadband

In 2017 mobile broadband subscriptions are growing rapidly and LTE infrastructure now carries over 65% of all global mobile traffic. While mobile and fixed will always exist in parallel, there is no doubt that with a faltering fixed network and an excellent mobile network, mobile will give fixed a run for its money. With competitively

Mobile infrastructure will ultimately rely on fibre broadband Read More »

Will Telstra be able to create a more affordable alternative to the NBN

If we go back to the early days of the NBN, now more than a decade ago, some of you might recall that from the very first day we have maintained that affordability was more important than the latest technology. I actually said that affordability was THE most important element of an NBN. Subsequent governments

Will Telstra be able to create a more affordable alternative to the NBN Read More »

From DSL to FttN, G.FAST, Fttdp, XG-FAST – building the NBN the tortuous way

In September 2016, NBN Co indicated its interest in a technology known as XG.Fast, it is a next level up from the G.Fast technology they started to trial in 2015 and it also needs to be seen in the yet still bigger picture of Fttdp (fibre to the distribution point). The development and deployment of

From DSL to FttN, G.FAST, Fttdp, XG-FAST – building the NBN the tortuous way Read More »

Flawed NBN structure undermines competition

Bevan Slattery’s scathing attack on ACCC boss Rod Sims in CommsDay might be a reflection of the attacker’s towering personality but he most certainly has a point. When the government changed the NBN policy from full fibre to mixed technology they fundamentally changed the nature of the project, including the underlying fundamentals. That being the case,

Flawed NBN structure undermines competition Read More »

High-speed infrastructure takes hold – paving the way for revenue streams

Recently there was an important development for the broadband sector when the market share of fibre infrastructure lines finally overtook DSL technologies as the largest on a global level. The fixed broadband network is the infrastructure needed to meet the needs, both economic and societal, of the developed markets. In fact in many of these

High-speed infrastructure takes hold – paving the way for revenue streams Read More »

The next development in wireless broadband

In the USA the FCC has started the discussion on the next level of telecoms in the wireless market, aimed at making spectrum in bands above 24GHz available for flexible-use of wireless services,  including next-generation, or 5G networks and technologies. New technologies such as massive-MIMO are going to make it possible to deliver ‘fibre-like’ speeds

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China Continues to Evolve as a World Leader in the Digital Media Sector

The Chinese telecom market is the largest in the world in terms of subscribers and is undergoing transition. Mobile subscriptions outnumber fixed voice connections and voice is giving way to data as the primary revenue generator. China’s telecom market is served by three operators; China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile. All three are integrated

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Is building FttH cheaper than upgrading the HFC networks?

Within the debate of the Multi Technology Mix of the Australian NBN, where the HFC also gets included in this mix for approx 20-25% of the connections, it interesting to follow the debate on the upgrade of this infrastructure in America. Cable networks around the world are now faced with a major technology upgrade known

Is building FttH cheaper than upgrading the HFC networks? Read More »

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