The list of new places that will gain access to the National Broadband Network (NBN) over the next 18 months that was released today makes interesting reading. One of the most interesting aspects? All the reasons why the revised deadlines might not be met.
Picture: Stephan Ridgway
One of the arguments in favour of the multi-technology mix (MTM) approach now being used by the NBN is that it should make deployment quicker. However, that doesn’t mean that there aren’t lots of potential reasons why the project might be delayed, both with the June 2016 target for the new rollout and for the broader goal of connecting eight million premises to the NBN by 2020.
These are the reasons highlighted in the announcement that could lead to a delay for NBNCo:
- The schedule doesn’t yet include HFC (the existing pay TV cable network) or the long-term satellite plans.
- One reason that is on everyone’s mind: NBNCo hasn’t yet reworked its agreement with Telstra to reflect to shift to the MTM approach. Until that happens, no-one really knows how long the project will take — or how much it will cost. As the announcement puts it: “NBN Co is planning a wide-scale commercial rollout of multiple technologies using existing networks in 2015. This is subject to reaching agreement with Telstra and Optus on changes to the Definitive Agreements.”
- “The technology deployed in these communities may also change depending on a number of factors once the construction planning stage has been finalised.” In other words: this stuff is very unpredictable, especially in terms of attempting to using vectoring on copper networks.
- “The exact number of premises as well as the regions covered in the rollout plan may vary once NBN Co has finalised its construction planning.” So don’t count your Ethernet ports before they hatch.
It’s not unusual for a project of the NBN’s magnitude to experience delays. That list reminds us that switching from FTTP to FTTN doesn’t eliminate that possibility.
Comments
13 responses to “All The Reasons The NBN Might Be Late (Again)”
Insert appropriate Patrick Stewart faceplam or WTF meme here
while libs are in there will be no nbn. simple.
Insert rightwingtard claim that stating the facts are akin to propaganda.
Must be having the day off toasting the abolition of free media (abc).
No cookies for you, filthy grubs.
Still not on the map.
At this point, I’ll take FTTN over nothing. But I’m not even getting FTTN anytime within the next 18 months so I’m stuck on ADSL2+ that isn’t running on optimal speed in the first place due to bad copper lines for the foreseeable future. And because my copper lines are already bad, FTTN is going to suck even more than it normally would.
And the kicker is that the suburb directly to the south of me…literally just a few streets away, is finishing up the FTTP construction. And there’s a new housing estate in my suburb that’s already connected. I’m almost tempted to dig a hole and run a cable from there myself.
FML.
at least your not stuck on ADSL1 that is marketed as ADSL2 Turbo!!
Brand new estate.. we were getting NBN FTTP when i started to build. i even paid to have the builder run fibre from house to street so the connection would be easier in the future and not need to dig up my future lawn
18 months later we are now off the map still stuck on adsl1 tech ….
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Even my ADSL2+ peaks at not quite 12 Mb/s. Definitely not ideal.
12 Mb/s??? damn your lucky, I’m on ADSL2+ and I get 2.5Mb/s at best…….
That’s peak speed. It’s usually nowhere near that.
I have had fibre within 10 foot of my house for 8 months now, absolutely no sign of it being switched on. The NBN is now a political football, I’m sure that funds are being stripped from FTTH rollouts in favour of the MTM that the government is pushing.
My take is that if you are in a FTTH area that is under construction you (like me) will be pushed to the back of the queue because the government wants some MTM runs on the board.
It’s all about the money.
Saw today in my local paper that my area is meant to have the NBN by 2016, yeah and pigs will fly. Saying that there’s Optus branded fibre that was put in 3 or 4 years ago one street over from me that no one is allowed to connect to, seems like a waste.
Everyone calm down. Remember…
“This new NBN will be delivered faster, cheaper and more affordably.”
Delaying projects to go back to the drawing board and start again is rarely faster or cheaper. That’s before taking negotiating with Telstra into account. It will sooner be the next election than an agreement is reached with Telstra. We have been down the FTTN road before and Telstra wouldn’t play by the government’s rules then, so why would they now?
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/terry-mccrann/telstra-tries-a-fast-one/story-e6frfig6-1111113702673?nk=17a0f8dd2c36f062a3fb37a3b04e7e71