Strangely, some people still seem surprised at just how badly we've been
screwed for short-term political gain. Of course, the whole
telecommunications network has been mismanaged since the 1980s; Internet
connectivity is just the highest-profile casualty at present.
<http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-nbn-is-already-out-of-date-but-its-not-too-late-to-change-course-20160329-gnt18u.html>
...
There's some good news. Both our average and peak internet speeds have
increased by 11 per cent and 6.4 per cent year-on-year, respectively.
However, that's a bit like kicking six unanswered goals in the last
quarter of an AFL match when you're 50 points behind. It might make a
few players feel better but it still means you lost the game.
In any case, when it comes to a realistic analysis of our internet
service it's less about download speeds and more about upstream speed,
latency, reliability, value-for-money, and future upgradability.
... It is thought that soon, if not now, the cost of building a fibre
network will turn out to be very close to the cost of continuing with
copper.
This does not take into account the long-term advantages of building a
fibre network from the beginning. ... once it is laid fibre has a
virtually unlimited upgrade potential. The maximum speed that can be
squeezed out of copper is limited, it can't be upgraded without
significant additional expenditure and wastage of sunk costs, and
maintenance costs are high compared to the fibre alternatives.
Add the fact that NBN is a long-term national infrastructure play, and
the fact that the copper-based services will be superseded and no
longer fit-for-purpose in 10 to 15 years, and you just have to wonder
why we are still heading down such an inferior pathway. The Snowy
Mountains scheme, by contrast, is still delivering 50-plus years after
it was completed because it was designed for the future, not just the
next couple of electoral cycles. Likewise the Sydney Harbour Bridge
built back in the 1930s.
... What we really need now is for the government to change its
official position and instruct NBN to adopt a fibre-based strategy
with long-term sustainability in mind.
We need to stop arguing about the relative costs of fibre verses
copper. All we are talking about now is when we spend the money
because we will eventually have to replace the copper wire.
Sadly, today's Conservatives seem terrified of the future. Asking them
for anything "with long-term sustainability in mind" is asking them to
confront that which causes them to soil their nappies.
--
David Boxall | For when the One Great Scorer comes
| To mark against your name,
http://david.boxall.id.au | He writes-not that you won or lost-
| But how you played the game.
--Grantland Rice
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