And: "Optus strikes agreement with NBN Co on HFC Network 15 Dec 2014" > Optus today > announced > it > has > reached agreement with NBN Co on > the future of its > Hybrid Fibre > Coaxial > (HFC) > network > to enable > the accelerated roll > - > out of Australia’s National Broadband > Network (NBN). > Under the terms of the agreement, Optus will > progressively transfer ownership of > its > coaxial cable > and ancillary assets to > NBN Co, while retaining ownership of > strategic aerial fibre assets used to > connect mobile base stations > and business customers. http://info.singtel.com/about-us/investor-relations/stock-exchange-announcements
On 15/12/14 15:00, Stephen Loosley wrote: > The AFR says this is a win-win .. with NBNCo and Telstra pulling together .. > > "Telstra signs new $11b NBN agreement" > > http://www.afr.com/p/technology/everyone_winner_in_nbn_deal_TPdkLLnmW9kV99D8kMm12H > > > The populist view of Telstra’s new deal with NBN Co will be that the > incumbent telco has once again outmanoeuvred the slow-moving, > government-owned monolith. > > But that is not the case. This deal looks fair to both parties, unlike the > agreement in 2011, when NBN agreed to pay Telstra amounts equal to a net > present value of $11 billion. > > While the $11 billion remains unchanged, NBN Co will this time gain legal > ownership of the country’s copper and hybrid fibre-coaxial cable. Previously, > it was going to be shut down. The transfer of the ownership of Telstra’s > copper, and the HFC cable owned by Telstra and Optus, into the hands of NBN > Co should mean a significantly faster rollout of the national broadband > network. > > That is good for Australian taxpayers because it will save billions of > dollars. It is also good for consumers and business, which will have > higher-speed connections sooner. As Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull > said at Sunday’s press conference, high-speed internet connectivity is > critical for developing a smarter and more innovative economy. > > Turnbull is the first minister in the Abbott government to say that > technology and the use of the internet will be a key part of the government’s > narrative in 2015. > > The bitter and poisoned politics of NBN are giving way to a period when the > two strongest financial players in communications, Telstra and NBN, will be > working towards the same end. > > A side benefit of the latest NBN deal is that Telstra will become NBN’s > closest commercial partner as a multi-technology network is rolled out across > Australia. > > That is a positive development because it replaces a system whereby NBN Co > hired a bunch of rats and mice and paid them peanuts to do a poor job. Now, > the company with multiple decades of experience in managing and installing > copper will be helping NBN meets its ambitious connection targets. > > There is a double incentive for Telstra to make that work. It gets paid to do > the work and the sooner the switchover occurs, the sooner it receives its > disconnection payments. > > Telstra chief executive David Thodey said on Sunday that he would consider > upgrading Telstra’s HFC cable to the fastest possible speeds before the > ownership moves to NBN Co. > > That would make sense. It would be part of the land grab that is occurring > right across Australia, as telcos try to lock in customers ahead of the shift > to a near universal wholesale situation. > > The land grab has included moves by a range of companies to offer new > video-streaming services, the wider availability of set-top boxes and the > shift of Foxtel and free-to-air TV stations into internet-based video > services. > > If Telstra upgrades its HFC cable to the latest Docsis 3 technology, it could > offer speeds of 400 Mbps. > > The HFC cable network passes about 2.7 million premises. > > An upgraded HFC cable network could give Telstra an advantage over its > competitors because it would not have to offer wholesale access. The > wholesale access would only apply after it has passed into ownership of NBN > Co. > > While infrastructure competition is allowed under the NBN, any company > offering fibre or other products in competition with NBN must offer wholesale > access and structurally separate their business. > > It was smiles all round when the NBN Co deal with Telstra was announced. But > Thodey made clear he has put in place protections for his shareholders should > NBN Co not deliver on certain promises. > > Also, there remains a dispute resolution mechanism that will escalate any > problems to the chief executives of Telstra and NBN Co. > > However, overall this deal is a winner for both parties. > > The groundwork has been laid for the NBN Co, under the leadership of Bill > Morrow, to become the best asset of the Abbott government by election day > 2016. > > The Australian Financial Review > BY Tony Boyd > > > > _______________________________________________ > Link mailing list > [email protected] > http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link > -- Marghanita da Cruz Telephone: 0414-869202 Ramin Communications Pty Ltd http://www.ramin.com.au _______________________________________________ Link mailing list [email protected] http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link
