news The NBN company is secretly overbuilding portions of the Fibre to the Premises network which the nation’s biggest telco Telstra built in the several years up to 2013, in a move that calls into question whether the Telstra FTTP infrastructure will ever become part of the National Broadband Network.
Telstra replaced the existing copper network in the South Brisbane Exchange area over several years leading up to January 2013. The telco chose to install Fibre to the Premises to replace the copper to the 18,000-odd affected premises because its telephone exchange in the region was closed in order to make way for the new Queensland Children’s Hospital in the area.
The area is highly contentious because although Telstra does offer open access to other telcos to use its fibre, it does so on terms which Telstra’s competitors have labelled as being highly uncompetitive. Issues include the company’s wholesale prices — which are claimed to be markedly higher than equivalent broadband prices on the previous copper network — to the lack of equivalent services such as the ability to stream IPTV services via multi-cast.
Telstra and the NBN company have for several years been negotiating over a sale of the infrastructure to the NBN company, with Communications Minister Mitch Fifield saying in February this year that the pair planned to recommence negotiations regarding the infrastructure.
However, today Delimiter can reveal that the NBN company is instead secretly overbuilding portions of Telstra’s Fibre to the Premises network in South Brisbane with its own infrastructure.
The photograph above was taken by a resident of Highgate Hill — an area squarely covered by Telstra’s FTTP network. The same source that provided that information has relayed information about NBN construction work in areas such as Gladstone Road and Vulture St. The source has spoken to the NBN construction workers personally.
None of these locations are marked on the NBN company’s public map as being under construction, and they are not detailed on the NBN company’s recently released three year plan. However, NBN contractors are currently rolling fibre cable.
Delimiter has invited the NBN company to comment on the situation, but has not yet received a response from the company.
It is possible that the NBN company is deploying HFC cable extensions in the region, as it is believed that this area is also covered by Telstra and/or Optus HFC able. However, the information Delimiter has received signals that this is unlikely.
The extraordinary news comes as the NBN company has been explicitly overbuilding other metropolitan areas throughout Australia already extremely well-served with high-speed broadband.
Last week Delimiter released analysis showing that the NBN company’s three-year plan includes a plan to overbuild the long-established Fibre to the Node network operated by TPG subsidiary TransACT in Canberra.
The Canberra FTTN network has been in place for more than a decade and is already open access so that other telcos can use it. However, the NBN company is planning to comprehensively overbuild the network with additional FTTN open access infrastructure.
NBN chief executive Bill Morrow said in a Senate Estimates hearing on Tuesday night that TPG was not interested in selling the NBN company the TransACT FTTN network.
However, it is not clear why the NBN company would choose to prioritise areas such as South Brisbane and Canberra with new networks when other areas of Australia do not have high-speed broadband at all. The TransACT FTTN network in Canberra already supports the VDSL2 broadband standard, which offers speeds up to 80Mbps down and 20Mbps up. And Telstra’s FTTP network already offers up to 100Mbps speeds. Both are open access to other telcos.
The NBN company is also substantially overbuilding existing high-speed broadband infrastructure in other areas. For example, the company is deploying its Fibre to the Node solution throughout about a dozen suburbs in Geelong, the majority of which are already covered by TransACT’s cable network, which offers customers speeds of up to 100Mbps. The company is also deploying Fibre to the Node infrastructure in Mildura, which also has access to TransACT’s 100Mbps HFC cable infrastructure.
In Ballarat, the NBN company has already overbuilt TransACT’s 100Mbps HFC cable infrastructure.
The massive overbuilding effort is mirrored in a number of metropolitan areas, where private sector telcos such as OPENetworks have complained that the NBN company is deploying its own fibre solutions in direct competition with their existing, fibre-based networks, which are already open to wholesale access for retail telcos.
opinion/analysis
I don’t yet have enough information about what is happening in South Brisbane to conclusively form an opinion about the situation. And I will await further clarity from the NBN company, Telstra or residents and businesses in South Brisbane before I weigh in too heavily.
However, I will note that there are several things which are intensely strange about this situation.
Firstly, why is the NBN company duplicating an existing Fibre to the Premises network in South Brisbane, even if it’s only duplicating part of it? Why isn’t it focusing on areas where people don’t have fast broadband yet at all?
And secondly, why is the company hiding that information from its public rollout maps? Those maps contain no information about a rollout in South Brisbane … yet you can see the photographic evidence above that the work is definitely going on.
I would welcome clarification from the NBN company, Telstra or anyone else as to what the hell is going on here.
Image credit: Supplied
NBN CO will prioritize areas identified as poorly served by the ‘Broadband Availability and Quality Report’ published by the Department of Communications in February 2014 (including any subsequent refinements arising from additional data) to the extent commercially and operationally feasible.
So in other words we will not be prioritizing poorly served areas as they wouldn’t be poorly served if they where commercially and operationally feasible
http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco2/documents/soe-shareholder-minister-letter.pdf
With two HFC services, and only one fibre service, the South Brisbane area is obviously poorly served, and needs another fibre service. Or perhaps we are poorly served in FTTN, since we have none?
I’m really hoping we don’t see a node pop up next to that pit.
If they are overbuilding, there are only a limited number of reasons.
a) NBNco was unsuccessful in negotiating access to the fibre
b) MTM policy prevented NBNco from gaining access to the asset
c) Telstra didn’t include the fibre in any existing deal
Either way, just another example of how MTM is far from the faster cheaper option championed so long ago. :)
Cue Richard, stage left, to explain why overbuilding is good for NBNco and a profitable thing to be doing. :)
@B exactly the opposite, as posted with previous overbuilds (providing the itnews fttb link) this is exactly the comedy very few of us have highlighted from the beginning (see fujitsu contract). Again the cost to taxpayers of this policy folly will be disastrous.
Many of us in business have already had such experience. Connecting business grade high-speed internet to commerical areas where the building owner had paid for 12 core fibre to exchanges on construction which we can’t use. Instead we’re required run new fibre or use 4+ pairs of copper for a 8mbps sym EoC comnection.
Give a GBE unlimited taxpayer money and the waste is inevitable, indeed NBNCo’s revenue model (cross subsidies) demands it.
Another laugh:
http://m.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/nbns-cheap-inferior-batteries-lasting-only-a-third-of-expected-lifespan-angering-consumers-20151021-gken1y.html
So Richard you want to go back the vertical monopoly model of Telstra. When it wanted to do FTTN wanted to be the only RSP and charge more for a service that was slower than adsl1.
@jk how to unscramble an egg?
Where to from here is difficult, $14+ billion already sunk on an asset I’d estimate worth 1/3rd or less. Add Rudd/Conroy’s announcement halting all alternate infrastructure investment, it would take years to restart the private sector.
Voters will not accept such a delay given both major parties promises (I think the Green’s still talking FTTH for every Australian;)
There little option but to finish. MTM, even more aggressively with wholesale infrastructure competition, is the correct path. Concentrate on infrastructure re-use, compulsory acquire networks as required (Fed has facility, required compensation far less than new) even if third party managed (eg force wholesale separation).
Stop the delusion we’ll see a return on equity.
Obviously the govt is stuck with the overpriced satellites (should not even think of doing a third). Fortunately their operation (as was their design, launch, etc) was outsourced from the beginning. Value for these is so negative they’ll require indefinite taxpayer subsidy. Seperate from NBNCo, bring direct subsidy on-budget.
LTE much the same. The most expensive copper in the CAN to maintain with the least revenue was kept from day one (oh the irony given subsequent posts). As a former country boy I suspect a subsidy for rural broadband is accepted. The wholesale monopoly and price cap should be removed, replaced with an on-budget subsidy. Many LTE areas would be candidates for alternatives like FTTN if non-NBNCo driven, much better product for less cost. Subsidy access should be tendered (eg rural uk prog). Ericsson has maintained solid performance, inflexibility with details and wholesale ordering remains a problem.
$3.5+b sunk into the transit network alone (unbelievable figure) again commerical value a small fraction. Mark to market its value, transfer taxpayers hit to budget. Lower AVC & CVC for essential broadband speeds (policy position), higher speeds should pay proportion of capex cost.
I’d review everyone of the 4k employees and cut aggressively. C’mon its an IT network wholesaler, where technology can’t perform a function outsource.
Halt advertising.
That is just a start.
Richard what infursturture investment please explain we still had Telstra rolling out ADSL1. Can’t restart something when there was nothing to restart to begin with.
Well considering Turnbull said he could had it done with in 3 years but missed that target by 7 years.
I would have thought that the interm sat service explains why we need them consider Turnbull said the private sector could handle 200,000 but it can’t even handle what it got now. Even Optus said the private sector couldn’t do it. Or the in soured sat that Turnbull suggested that has now gone belly up.
Yet you talk about early revenue contradicting your self so the NBN won’t beable to upgrade when the demand requires without another injection from the Taxpayer. Consider Turnbull taxpayer funding is only $1B less
@jk there was plenty of ADSL2 alternatives with unbundling of the local loop (tpg,internode,iinet,business providers reselling Telstra connections on their own backhaul with enhanced layer2/3 features like firenet) in higher revenue areas. Costs driving consumer prices significantly lower. Alternate HFC and FTTN operators have been discussed in these forums recently. FTTB a new tech on the scene for apartments (low cost, high revenue). Telstra HFC upgrade to 100mbps halted by Conroy’s threats.
Conroy gave $11b to retire private infrastructure that is today demonstrating its usefulness.
These are millions of premises that would be using high speed internet today at no cost to taxpayers and a fraction of the spend.
Optus said their satellites couldn’t handle the expected bandwidth, true. However had the service been tendered private satellites since launched could have covered Oz, coverage ignored because nobody was going to win against a govt provider. Hopefully the next service will and we’ll see the difference (money and time), though I suspect Turnbull would want to build his own (big govt kinda guy).
Wow Richard ADSL2 I remember you saying you get 9Mbps its not even half the upto speed of ADSL2 but that can’t be ture you said distance doesn’t affect DSL. Plus was only due to Telstra not upgrading there exchanges.
HFC so what your saying is Telstra HFC is fine and NBN doesn’t need to spend any money to upgrade it even though if reports of Telstra putting people on the 100Mbps but still doesn’t go faster than there 38Mbps plan.
What FTTN operators the only one was Transact for ACT that won the Tender in and they said most of the faults was in the last mile of copper. FTTB new tech considering FTTN been around for 15 years.
That sat statement is still false. How menu more spots could Turnbull manage. Only recently we have Virgin announcing about coverage so people would have to wait another 5 years atleast for any of those sats.
You still haven’t explain with the higher running cost no revenue how is NBN going to upgrade with demand.
Yet you hate comparing apples with apples when NBN own figures could be done with almost the same time and money. As you point out a build cost of $25B vs $45B but then don’t explain the $31B vs $19B additional cost.
Much like when you use the ofcom report saying that FTTN customers get with in 10% of the advertise speed when they only test 20 premises. But then only 1% get the speed they pay for yet Tutnbull claims he can deliver mum 50Mbps to 90%.
@richard
There’s and old saying, those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones!
@jk your memory and reading comprehension continues to let you down.
I said 13mbps 2 km from exchange, never claimed DSL no affected by distance (actually opposite).
I also stated HFC upgrades proposed in the very post.
Transact as I understand uses their own copper.
FTTB solutions of 15 years ago is much different to 7 yrs ago and 7 yrs in the future. Why not mock fibre? It’s even older;-)
Why is the sat statement false? Read Optus quote. No sats with Oz coverage launched since 2009? No more in the future?
Opex has been discussed (here and BS); figures even provided by me. Capex differences impossible to recover.
Reasons for peak funding much more than capex has been discussed often.
Ofcom survey also discussed, metrics measures total internet performance. What matters from a technology / wholesale perspective is sync speed. NBNCo has reporte these, unsurprising very good.
@derek with another fantastic contribution
Richard
“Speeds over copper at all lengths continue to improve”
Yes HFC so there is no need for NBN to spend billions on upgrading the HFC it already according to delivers.
Yes CAPEX vs OPEX
CAPEX which show up on the balance sheet and are depreciated over the life of the asset. So what’s the life of MTM 5 years vs FTTP 30+ years.
OPEX shows up on the profit and loss account and relates to expenses incurred on an ongoing basis.
Ahh sync speed so lucky NBN only has to deliver 25Mbps.
@jk HFC upgrades required for virtual circuits to provide a wholesale product. Additional spectrum reallocation also required, as is node spiltting to avoid contention. Upgrading to latest DOCSIS standard a small increment, captures more of the available revenue. Again very sensible. However I’d argue this could have been better achieved by negotiation, in particular with Optus (smashed with their pay-tv product by Foxtel). MDUs should be using FTTB, it’ll he interesting if Telstra HFC used (Optus gave up on MDUs).
No private sector accounting standard would allow for 30yrs depreciation on total FTTH capex. Much of it has far less life.
Sync speed (and transit to PoI) is what’s important for wholesale providers as they can’t control RSP infrastructure. But I’d strongly support the publishing of the paid for RSP CVC averages through to internet back bones (RSP contrntion ratio/, c’mon ACCC). Consumer grade services such as those provided by TPG (for example, priced very aggressively) are nothing like business grade services (1:1 contention, superior layer2/3 traffic management such as QoS). Few larger business will utilise NBNCo services, better offerings available using alternate suppliers (at a price). Recently paid $3.5k to connect fibre, very little in total operating costs for a medium size business (the 60 day connection a much bigger frustration).
25mbps with low contention is actually a very good product, raising to 50 for the majority of the fixed line footprint by 2020 from memory. Last mile performance unlikely to be the issue, backhaul and overseas connections will become the issue. As posted with Gregory, 10GE is practically undeliverable.
“Telstra HFC upgrade to 100mbps ”
Yet its ok to waste billions to upgrade when they already get the at least requirement for 25mbps. Or you lovely CBA of only 15Mbps.
$85 billion = 7.1% IRR on $30.4 billion over 25 years is $54 billion, plus repayment of capital
“25mbps with low contention”
FTTN current design is for 200-400 on 2Gbps. So at best only 10Mbps or at worst 5Mbps on average during peak time but thats ok they get a sync speed of 25Mbps. Going to feel sorry for those people on 100/40 considering there last test was only downloading at 12Mbps on a sync speed of 100Mbps (which could be due to ISP but still very funny). But then as you say NBN wont even have the revenue to even upgrade. But its great we are aiming high for $56B to deliver a sync speed 1Mbps faster than the max sync speed of ADSL2.
@jk hfc upgrades in the millions, contracts awarded work progressing. Further rollout, blackspot fill and leadins the extra cost (still far less than FTTH).
None of the models will achieve their published IRR, NBNCo in their 7th year has costs in the billions revenue in the millions. Losing $2b a year. Get use to it.
As posted previously beware what you read on fanboy blogs. 12-core fibre run to nodes, 4 reserved for node’s transist (8 for future expansion). Each capable of 10GE. Nodes servicing upto 400ish users, plenty of transit capacity. Backhaul and CVC will be the issue.
Go Richard… for the win.
Oh, if of course by the win one means looking backwards to 1950’s with vigour and err, idiocy.
Richard
You forgot to add 3.1 which you said we don’t need those speeds including your CBA.
Yet they are still only supplying 2Gbps reminds me of the old Telstra days when they wouldn’t switch on ADSL until they had 50 people in the area requesting it. So if they want to aim for 90% a min 50Mbps they better start upgrading now as the 400ish only 40 at peak time gets that speed.
“NBNCo in their 7th year has costs in the billions revenue in the millions. Losing $2b a year. Get use to it. ”
Well if they go another 2 years halting progress certainly. Of course the costs associated with the inferior technologies currently being deployed won’t help any.
“Many LTE areas would be candidates for alternatives like FTTN if non-NBNCo driven, much better product for less cost.”
Sorry but I lol’d hard at this.
How expensive do you think FttN is going to be when a node cabinet is only able to serve a couple of properties. yeah private sector with that kind of ROI is so going to roll out FttN to those areas! (FttN = 800m max …. FttP = 40km max)
You do realise that the private sector before all this started was basically saying we’ll do the 50-60% of the profitable bit and be damned with those outlying areas (unless we don’t have to share aka wholesale and are allowed a pure monopoly).
@Richard
“However had the service been tendered private satellites since launched could have covered Oz, coverage ignored because nobody was going to win against a govt provider”
I’m sorry but which satellites are magically supposed to exist that have any capacity that are in the sky over this sunburnt land?
Whole reason NBN went the build its own route is there wasn’t any commercials out there with an inkling to want to launch anything into orbit that would cover Australia.
There’s a heap of stuff labor buggered up but the 2 satellites are probably one of the few highlights of the NBN to date! If you truly lived rural then shame on you!
Usually your comments are at least half reasoned but you’re getting more and more fanciful by the post :(
Re| NBNCo’s FTTN revenue model.
We went back to a lower plan paying a whole lot less than what we wanted on our monthly internet bill as we couldn’t get the speeds & data volume we wanted over our copper.
Would have been happy to be paying $120+/month for a 100Mb/s unlimited plan but even ADSL2 could only deliver the same paltry 1.2Mb/s we had on ADSL1.
So we reverted to ADSL1 @ $39/month instead until FW NBN arrived & hopefully we might soon be able to upgrade to an UP TO 50Mb/s service.
But most sensible customers on an Turnbulls ‘UP TO’ FTTN service are very likely only going to remain on far cheaper plans to the level their copper actually is able to deliver.
Much less return than was likely on FTTH.
Even the lucky few on FTTH will still remain limited due to most of their destinations remaining on Up To copper.
But of course the LNP’s spin doctors will continue interpret this as ‘Lack of Demand & Up To 25Mb/s is All That’s Required.’
Ah yes the Richard sleight of hand and each way bet comes to the fore again.
You have (‘wrongly’) claimed for the last 5 years that FttP/Quigley et al were hopeless and then when Turnbull presented his MTM told us (don’t deny it again and force us to have to embarrass yoi with that link again) that Turnbull’s plan was as if you had been commissioned to write.
Didn’t you?
Of course if Tunbull’s plan was coming along swimmingly (as you expected and as we laughed and now have the last laugh) you would have been here posting that link of you commission for us all to see,
But as usual as soon as MTM is found to be well, the fucking hopeless, retrograde joke, exactly as we said your would be commissioned blurb was going to be and have been proven 100% correct… you then desperately attempt to simply wrap it all into one neat NBN – MTM and the previous FttP – to excuse the hopeless network and their utter incompetence.
@rizz HC published my full post. No reasonable reader could adopt your interpretation. You imagined some political connection in my posts that wasn’t true. You can reread any number of them over several years saying the same thing.
That your concocted position wasn’t correct (how many times have we been here?) is not something you should be having a go at me over.
Spin Spin Spin, oh Richard, you spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby! :-P
[Quote] – “It is almost as if they commissioned me to write it”?
The words are there from your post. So in hindsight let me now fill the blanks.
It’s almost as if they commissioned you to write this hapless and complete fuck up. You’re welcome.
Probably time to do the old Dynamo and disappear about now.
Or, feel free to post the full comment (with your name on it of course for verification) as HC did, so that you can err, criticise yourself for posting your name and again hope that such (ill)logic deflects from the actual comment ;)
Don’t worry rizz he even claimed that to did said that the new rollout of figure of $84 and y26-28 would have taken if it continued.
Indeed Jason…
Look we all have our take on this and therefore our sides. Mine is the side of FttP because it is the logical way forward. Had it been the Coalition’s plan, I’d be supporting it as feversihly. But I don’t intentionally go out of my way to spin, cherrypick figures, lie or say one thing then immediately contradict what I just said.
IMO that’s what the copper cheerleaders are doing, intentionally lying to support a position based entirely upon blind ideology, whilst Australia suffers and are laughed at by even third world countries one would assume.
Ironic though, had FttP been Coalition policy rather than Labor policy, I’m 100% certain these same people would be here agreeing with me as I would be them.
Therein lies the “stark” difference.
Totally agree Rizz.
We have the spin of Richard acknowledges the higher maintiance cost of MTM but then claim it has early revenue. But then say even MTM won’t make money so there won’t be early revenue be able to the upgrade on demand he claims.
So common sense would be to speed a little more up front to save in the long term becuase of the money supply no of keeping it going blows parse the cost of FTTP. Considering the SR had that down to 7 years now the $15B blow out has prob shorten it less than 4 years.
“You imagined some political connection in my posts…”
Really Richard… Imagined like err, you clearly saying in your own words that the Coalition’s broadband policy was as if the Coalition had commissioned you to write the umm, Coalition’s broadband policy?
No really, why would anyone have imagined such a political connection… LOL
And did I also imagine the same connection when you said that the Rudd/Gillard govs were the most dysfunctional since Whitlam (plus snide remark about that took some beating)…
Yet you completely ignore and/or embrace the last two years?
Wow, one of us has an imagination ;)
Probably greenfields apartments, there is a few on the nbn map in that area.
Wow gimp co sinking to a whole new level!
Clearly they can’t roll out FTTN in this area as Telstra replaced the PSTN with FTTP but now the digital divide has had another level added to it, those with access to two FTTP networks. Amazing!
Perhaps these areas were deemed highly profitable and/or easily serviced by the existing providers and NBN Co has followed suit. There’s a case for getting to areas that will generate revenue sooner. Just a thought.
Yep, chase the cream & stuff the rest. Gotta at least salvage something to flog off ASAP.
I think there are two possible scenarios here:
There are a few New Developments in 4WOB Woolloongabba Fixed-line serving area which covers South Brisbane. They could be rolling out fibre to connect those new developments to the network.
Alternatively, TPG/PIPE Networks also has fibre in this area and has at least one building at Kangaroo Point with FTTB enabled. The additional fibre being put in the ground could be part of the so-called High Value Build (HVB) program that nbn is running to target these areas — which means it’s likely NBN Fibre to the Basement.
These are definitely possibilities. It’s fascinating, though, that neither of these two scenarios are on the NBN company’s rollout map …
In Maylands, WA there was green NBNCo fibre being hauled last week. There’s a newly built MDU in the area. It is not currently shown on the NBNCo roll out map.
Perhaps the internal NBNCo process to update the roll out map has some lag?
(a variation of the Hanlon quote – never ascribe to malice that which can be explained by incompetence)
Yep, that’s the important bit about this, we have no idea what is actually going on, just that something is going on, and the people doing so claim it’s NBN.
That particular area is mostly old Queenslander style houses (80 years old at least), with no nearby greenfields that would make sense running fibre along that street to get there. I wouldn’t even call it brownfields, more like greyfields. B-)
I’m not sure how the concept of “basement” applies to Queenslanders (the house style, not the people). Assuming it does, then it could be FTTB. Though only running FTTB to that area doesn’t make much sense.
The HFC extension idea doesn’t add up to me, all the new fibre I have seen being pulled is in places where there’s two HFC cables hanging from the power poles. On the other hand, dunno if they are still active.
It gives me nightmares to think that they could be installing FTTN for some perverse reason. I don’t know if the last mile of copper was left in the ground after the South Brisbane Fibre upgrade, but I do know that there was plenty of new pits and trenches dug. I have my doubts that the old copper last mile would have survived that intact.
The existing Telstra South Brisbane Fibre is known to be congested, so perhaps they are trying to fix that by putting in more FTTP?
Perhaps it’s just someone pretending to install fibre, but that’s really grasping at straws. OK, terrible pun.
Should be plenty of these trucks around the place for a while, we might be able to figure out what they are up to eventually, if NBN isn’t forthcoming.
Its fibre to the (Telstra) MDF for MDU’s just B is more convenient in the acronym stakes. No actual basements are required :)
Hmm, if I get FTTB instead of FTTP, then it’s just 16 meters of copper instead of 1 between me and the fibre. I could probably live with that, should still be close to top speed. Assuming they put the FTTB where the old MDF used to be. Could even be shorter, the easy to work on areas under this building are closer to me than the MDF. If the cable from the MDF to my desk is something the resident is responsible for, I might even be able to reuse my old cat5/6 and conduit I had installed for ADSL long ago.
The other old Queenslander houses around here would have similar distances. FTTB could work for this style building after all. SkyMesh thinks it’s FTTP though. Next time I see an NBN contractor in the area, I’ll see if they know more.
I’ve spent the last year trying to find out if I could get on the NBN as they rolled what seemed to be significant amounts of fibre down a nearby road (100m from my house). Then a cabinet appeared on the corner with tons of fibre in it. Still.. nothing on the maps, and no information from NBN Co when I inquired.
About a month ago the rollout map started to display new services “In Build” for the next block over where a large number of developments are planned. So in my own little experience they sometimes roll backbone services for new service areas well in advance of any notice of their plans.
Still nothing on the map, even after Renai’s prompting. It’s been over two months since my first sighting, which was transit fibre along Gladstone Road (not counting an earlier sighting which I didn’t confirm). I dunno what the process is before they start construction. So the question becomes, did someone just drop the ball and not lodge the paperwork, is it very slowly making it’s way through the system, or is it being kept secret due to the overbuild?
My guess is we will suddenly see the roll out map updated, and they will claim it was just slow.
Onefang maybe becuase it’s not what they classed construction commence still when they took off the map when they change becuase they didn’t want to class the design phase as for starting that area as according to them it was unreliable.
It might stay as a black hole if they are rolling out FttP which supposedly they aren’t meant to be doing anymore (because its a uselessly expensive to difficult to do type of thing). ;)
*places tin foil hat on*
It could be fttn as they left the copper in the ground after turning the fibre on. Does NBN own that copper with the new deal?
Though from what Ive heard the Telstra fibre has been a failed expensive trial, even with the millions given by the state government, which makes me wonder why Telstra hasnt flogged it off by now.
Could Telstra be planning a fttp rollout?
*removes tin foil hat*
Hey, that’s my tin foil hat. Get yer own. :-P
We can rely on a flood to wipe the lot out within 5 years, so to paraphrase alfred e neuman, what me worry?
A flood wont wipe out all of it, this is a very hilly area. The name “Highgate Hill” should be a clue. B-)
The last big Brisbane floods really only hit the edges of the Telstra South Brisbane Fibre area. I think about half (or more) of West End got flooded, and parts of South Brisbane suburb itself. No flooding of Highgate Hill, and I don’t recall seeing any flooding around Woolloongabba. Kangaroo Point is on top of tall cliffs and hardly got wet, even if it is right next to the river. Other parts I don’t frequent enough to know. If my fibre is going anywhere near West End, or any other flood prone area, it’s going the loooong way around.
Trust me, it’s uphill to my place no matter which way you go, the only flood waters I’ll see is when it falls on the street outside as rain, where it will quickly flow downhill to every one else. Think I’ll survive, and my fibre. B-)
(The source has spoken to the NBN construction workers personally.)
AND what did the workers say Renai ????????
The first one said that he was installing NBN transit fibre along Gladstone Road, this was about two months ago. He also mentioned that in a few months time I should expect to see people connecting NBN to houses in this area. He was inside a pit pulling fibre, outside a bakery on Gladstone Road, I was seated a meter away eating brekky. The pit there is similar to the one in that photo, the bakery has three tables with chairs surrounding the pit. I sometimes buy brekky there.
The second one, the guy siting behind the reel in that photo, said he was installing NBN distribution fibre. I wont mention where exactly that is, coz privacy. Both places are in Highgate Hill.
So, according to the first guy, we should see NBN contractors installing whatever goes on the end of that fibre soon. Dear Santa, can I has NBN FTTP by Christmas please?
Its Ok Renai, I talked to those NBN workers and this is what they said…..
I’m a NBN worker, and I’m okay,
I sleep all night and I work all day.
I cut down calories, I skip and jump,
I like to press wild flowers.
I put on women’s clothing
and I hang around in bars.
I chop up copper, I wear high heels,
Suspenders and a bra.
I wish I’d been a girlie
Just like my dear papa.
lol
I’ve done a bit more research.
As mentioned, there’s two lots of HFC, one lot of FTTP, and a half built bunch of new fibre (last mile technology currently unknown). iiNet, Optus, and Telstra WiFi access points are showing up on my phone here. We can see the NBN satellite Brisbane spot beam from here. Kenneth T mentioned that there is FTTB in the area, I can see Kangaroo Point from my back window. I have figured out what NBN are up to!
HFC, FTTP, FTTB, fixed wireless, satellite, the only NBN access technology we don’t have here is FTTN. NBN is completing the set, and installing the missing FTTN on the end of that fibre. Just a little OCD from NBN, I’m sure their medication will kick in soon.
From Paul Rees of SkyMesh, in Whirlpool –
http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2461839&p=8#r146
“It’s in nbn co’s Service Portal now, it’s official, you will be getting Fibre to the Premises!
Access technology – Fibre
Service class – 0 – The address is planned to be serviced by fibre, but is not yet serviceable.
Planned serviceability date – Not available
CSA ID – Woolloongabba 2 CSA”
So there you have it, unless this info is merely left over from shortly after the federal election, when the South Brisbane Fibre area was largely removed from the NBN roll out map (which still shows nothing). “Planned serviceability date – Not available” is a bit of a worry.
I have both Telstra velocity and NBN to my house, both are active and I have services on both. Even more interesting is that the street fibres are diverse, the only common path is from the pit in my driveway to the house.
I could very well end up with both Telstra South Brisbane Fibre and NBN FTTP, at least for a short while, while I compare the two. Then I’ll pick a winner. Though NBN FTTP only has to perform at least as well to be a winner for me, coz it will be cheaper. No need to pay for this phantom phone line I complain about every now and then that Telstra insists I pay for.
Dunno where the new fibre went after the pulled it past my house, or where the new path to under my desk will go. At least NBN seem to be using the new pits and street trenches that Telstra dug when they put their fibre in. Certainly the pit I saw them working on isn’t the one my Telstra fibre comes through. That’s a much smaller pit on the other side of the building. It’s entirely possible the new fibre will go around the corner to that other pit. Makes sense to me, but at this stage, nothing NBN is doing makes sense to me.
I’m not sure what’s up with the lengthy derailment above, featuring Jason K and Richard, but I can’t reply to it for some reason.
Um, get a room guys. B-)
replies to replies I think only go 2-3 deep then you just have to keep replying to the previous layer. I suppose if it didn’t those guys would cause scrolling of the right side of pages for even the widest of monitors.
I didn’t use to mind Richard’s comments but its getting a bit out of hand these days on all sides so I kind of wish there was an ignore feature (because scrolling past is annoying ).
I’m just worried looking at the total post count, and the Trending articles bit next to it. This article is close to knocking the lowest entry off that list, and a lot of that would be due to that off topic part. This article may or may not be worthy of a listing in trending articles, but getting there on the strength of stuff that’s off topic doesn’t sound good to me.
On the other hand, I’ve not gone checking those trending articles to see if this sort of thing is padding out their comment threads as well. Could just be par for the course. Think I’ll just stop worrying about it and leave that in the hands of Renai.
What. A. Fucking. Joke.
The renegotiated agreement between Telstra and NBNco limits Telstra FTTP remediation to 22% of the total network build AIUI. NBNco are going to piss away a portion of that on an area already serviced by FTTP?
(Reposted from the other story as it is as relevant here)
sorry no conspiracy – these fibres connected will/connect FTTB nodes in new high density developments
http://www.nbnco.com.au/develop-or-plan-with-the-nbn/check-rollout-map.html
enter South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
I just did that, and the area covered by the new fibre installation work that this article as about, is entirely free of any markers. FTTB or anything else. So nope, NOT FTTB nodes in the new high density developments. I said before, the new fibre lay is GOING IN THE ENTIRELY WRONG DIRECTION to get anywhere near that new development. It’s going down tiny one block side streets that only lead to other tiny side streets.
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