Read in full: Mike Quigley launches devastating critique of MTM policy

214


news Founding NBN chief executive Mike Quigley this evening launched a devastating attack on the Coalition’s controversial Multi-Technology Mix model, using detailed analysis to show that the policy has set the NBN back years and resulted in cost blowouts to the tune of tens of billions of dollars.

Quigley — who led the NBN company from its foundation in 2009 through mid-2013 — spoke at an event at the University of Melbourne held jointly by the Telecommunications Society of Australia and the Melbourne Networked Society Institute. His detailed speech notes and associated slides can be downloaded here in PDF format.

Delimiter very much recommends readers take in the full speech; as it contains a vast amount more detail than was possible to provide in this article.

The executive’s central message for his audience was that the Fibre to the Premises technology which formed the core of Labor’s original NBN policy “was, and still is, the right answer for Australia’s fixed broadband needs”.

The Coalition substantially modified the NBN project away from that FTTP vision, integrating the legacy HFC cable and copper networks owned by Telstra and Optus.

Quigley firstly used a series of charts to show the NBN company’s progress in deploying its various technologies (FTTP, FTTN, HFC cable).

The company’s publicly disclosed progress, the executive said, showed squarely that when early rollout problems associated with contractors and asbestos in Telstra’s pits were resolved, the NBN FTTP rollout would have gone through the ‘ramp up’ required to be completed by its due date of 2022.

Quigley used the NBN company’s own progress in deploying FTTP under the Coalition to demonstrate this ramp up occurring, as the Coalition continued the FTTP rollout from 2013 while trying to get the FTTN and HFC cable technologies working.

“It is not hard to see what would have been possible if NBN Co’s attention had remained exclusively on FTTP for the Brownfields rollout,” he said.

“If after the asbestos problem had been resolved the focus had been on FTTP the quarterly volume could have recovered by the end of 2013. And it could have continued to increase from there – as it did later.”

“Just doubling the quarterly rate achieved in the June 2015 quarter would have meant the completion of all the Brownfields premises with FTTP and FTTB by the first half of 2022.”

In comparison, Quigley said, the Coalition had made almost no progress on the HFC aspect of the MTM policy. FTTN had also taken longer than expected, but Quigley acknowledged it was now ramping up rapidly.

The executive’s message in terms of the NBN project’s costs was similar.

Quigley charted the various cost projections that the Coalition had made with respect to Labor’s version of the NBN and its own policy, concluding that they bore no resemblance to reality.

“It is not surprising that people would have been convinced that a change to an MTM based NBN would save a lot of time and a lot of money,” he said.

“But as we now know, those original MTM estimates were a fiction. Within only a few months the estimated MTM costs had increased dramatically and the 25Mbps to every premise in Australia by the end of 2016 was abandoned. ”

“There were subsequently further large increases in costs so that by August 2015 the total funding for the MTM had risen to as high as $56 billion, with a target of $49 Billion. The build completion date is now end 2020.”

“And even that date is dependent on a very large increase in the build rate which is projected to start from July this year.”

In comparison, Quigley said, all of the available data showed that the cost of the original FTTP version of the NBN had stayed relatively stable, varying only between $43 billion and $45 billion, showing that most of the original assumptions for the FTTP version of the project had been bourne out.

Quigley said it was a “pity” that so much time and effort had been spent on trying to discredit and destroy the original FTTP based NBN plan.

“And equally a pity that the Coalition has put their faith in what has turned out to be a short-sighted, expensive and backward looking MTM plan based on copper,” he said.

“The nation is going to be bearing the consequences of those decisions for years to come in higher costs and poorer performance in an area that is critical to its long term future.”

“Betting tens of billions of taxpayers dollars at this time on copper access technologies, as the Coalition has done, is a huge miscalculation.”

Quigley pointed out that there was now no easy way back to the original NBN FTTP model, but that it was possible to modify the project in a positive way.

“While it is impossible to turn back the clock on the MTM it is still possible to make changes to the current direction, without introducing another major disruption,” he said. “Changes that will get us closer to building the right network for the long term.”

“It is becoming increasingly obvious, especially to end customers, that an NBN based on FTTP is a much better network than an MTM based NBN – from every angle – speed and capacity delivery, maintenance costs, reliability, longevity and upgrade costs.”

“An FTTP network would be a much more valuable public asset and could generate greater cash flows for the Government due to the lower maintenance, higher revenues and almost no upgrade costs. And it would be vastly superior in driving growth through the wider economy.”

“So it is a great pity that before making the shift to the MTM the Coalition did not heed the words of Tony Windsor – “do it right, do it once, do it with fibre”.”

opinion/analysis
I’ll publish a full analysis of Quigley’s comments tomorrow morning, but I want to say two things right up front about his speech, and the devastating associated presentation notes he has distributed.

Firstly, I just had my brain blown out of my ears by the former NBN CEO. I have been following the NBN debate for years now, but Quigley’s analysis today was the most damning critique of the MTM policy I have ever heard. Quigley has brought together a huge amount of information here and translated it so that, suddenly, so much about the NBN debate becomes so much clearer.

Secondly, it was amazing just listening to the man speak. His grasp of the economics and engineering of the NBN is clearly unsurpassed; but it’s also Quigley’s humility and humour that makes him the man he is.

Quigley has given so much to the Australian public, and continues to contribute. He is the very icon of what an engineer and an executive should be: Capable, knowledgable, but above all: Wise.

One can only hope that our politicians start listening to what such wise heads are telling them.

214 COMMENTS

  1. Turnbull, Fifield or Cormann and Switowski’s responses (over the next month) to the Quigley presentation, critique and NBN History lesson, will be most interesting to watch.

    I would not be surprised if they just ignore it and try not to comment on it, with anything other than showing respect to Quigley for his public services, even when pressed by the media. Anything to deflect attention away from the substance of what Quigley said and published today and Turnbull’s despicable treatment of Quigley in days gone by.

    • The libs have already come out insulting others as usual:

      Communications Minister Mitch Fifield attacked Mr Quigley’s credibility given the rollout delays, missed targets and other problems experienced during his tenure.

      “Under Mr Quigley and Senator Conroy the NBN was a failed project,” he said.
      “The Conroy-Quigley team fell one million premises short of their 2013 target. So badly managed was the project that contractors had downed tools in four states.

      “We’ve now got the NBN available to 2.6 million premises or a quarter of the nation. It will be half the nation this time next year and the project completed by 2020.”

      http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/shortsighted-expensive-and-backward-looking-exnbn-boss-blasts-turnbulls-plan-20160622-gpozid.html

      • Knows what’s funny. The lnp only repeat the same thing over and over again. Even when data and information compiled shows otherwise. They only say the same things,never looking at it from another angle. Also they’re highly negative.

      • Haha.. the project will be completed by 2020. Meaning that if the Liberals get voted in again this election, over the course of the next term of government they will largely complete the project of flushing tens of billions of dollars down the toilet installing already-obsolete tech.

      • ““The Conroy-Quigley team fell one million premises short of their 2013 target.
        “We’ve now got the NBN available to 2.6 million premises or a quarter of the nation.”
        Wow. Blasting Labor for being 1 million short in one paragraph, and then touting their own horns for being (using his metrics) 7.5 million short in the next. Absolutely incredible.

      • ** Dinosaurus Nettus has spoken: only the state of Wait Awhile let the whole country down again. You should try living here and meeting these idiots at the pub- or am I only talking about the kept kids of Julie Bishops electorate otherwise known as boring white-cracker-head-ville? They actually increased their forbidden love for that idiot somehow!!

        Seriously, all they ever talk about is the overpriced seafood they got from Kailis bros the other day cos it’s Dad’s favourite… then they play their record collection and reminisce about their tales from the year 11 economics text book back in the day before everyone learnt to just run away… (..then wifey laughs again!)

    • +1 on the ignoring factor. Only a few weeks to the election and the PR strategy team won’t have time to formulate a specific response, so it will be more of the same BS ‘blame Labor’, faster sooner etc etc.

      • I imagine they will have been prepping under various assumptions of how badly Quigley’s talk would go for them given its been on the books for a while now.

        I doubt they will have forecast just how dire this sheds light on everything though!

          • PRICELESS, hypocrisy…

            Coming from someone who applied one set of strict rules re: FTTP/NBN and then burnt that same rule book when MTM was stupidly introduced… now actually accepting and talking up “all” aspects he previously complained about, daily.

            Apology accepted

          • Except it doesn’t if you take the rose tinted glasses off.

            I’d say you are expert at keeping them on seeing as you take every word the LPA tell you as gospel ;o)

          • Chad: I think the issue is that Periscope has pretty poor bandwidth.

            It doesn’t stream well at all even from my work.

            I’m downloading it using one of the web based Periscope downloaders to watch it after the fact.

        • Well, sorry Quigley, you lost all credibility when you said the CSIRO was hugely successful government project. The CSIRO is and was nothing more than a huge drain on the taxpayer and filled with a bunch of quacks.

          • It’s not a project mate, it’s a government agency. One that has been responsible for a number of world firsts over the years. Y’know the Wifi you use? You can thank the CSIRO for that.

            You really need to educate yourself about the CSIRO before mouthing off. Heck, even Google it before coming out from under your bridge.

          • “The CSIRO is and was nothing more than a huge drain on the taxpayer and filled with a bunch of quacks.”

            That is really funny – and stupid. Why would you say such a thing when the CSIRO are (well, that reputation may slip as the funding is drained out of it) the most highly recognised and esteemed independent research authority in the world.

            Did they slip your parents some calicivirus and is that is why you are upset, you rabbit.

            Explain yourself if you can.

          • Say WHAT? That’s potentially the stupidest thing I’ve read on the Internet – and I’ve used Tor.

          • Educate yourself Jams and others. The CSIRO didn’t invent wifi. Their contribution to wifi was minimal, and certainly not groundbreaking. Any number of other people would have invented exactly the same method of dealing with reflected radio waves as those in the CSIRO did many years ago if the CSIRO didn’t exist.

            As for the rest of them, good riddance to the climate change quacks!

          • “As for the rest of them, good riddance to the climate change quacks!”

            and the plot thickens!

          • Another Flat Earther…sigh, and I used to respect the education system in this country.

  2. Mike Quigley is a true Australian Legend, he deserves an “Order of Australia” medal for his service in building NBN Co.

    In contrast TurnBull and his Cronies deserve nothing less than jail time for their fraud and destruction of the NBN project!

    • (Sir) Mike Quigley deserves more than an OA.
      How about a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) or even a once off Knighthood.

    • “he deserves an “Order of Australia” medal for his service in building NBN Co.”

      I agree Quigley should be recognised in the Australia Day honours, and I have no doubt he eventually will be. I will certainly be petitioning for it.

    • Quigley struck me as a true statesman. A potential future political leader of this country if that would be of interest to him. I am still disgusted by the Libs personal attacks and smear campaigns on him when they were in opposition. The dignity with which he conducted himself in the face of completely uncalled for character assassination won’t be forgotten.

      • “I am still disgusted by the Libs personal attacks and smear campaigns on him when they were in opposition”

        True…the ignorant and impotent tend to destroy what they cannot understand or control.

      • Meanwhile we have current sitting NBNCo CEO that’s pretty much broken convention and…

        He get’s lauded by the Coalition.

        It makes sense!

      • I am still disgusted by the Libs personal attacks and smear campaigns on him when they were in opposition.

        It’s what they do…..even in government.

        It’s almost like we have two opposition parties at the moment, and for all their “Born to Rule” arrogance, they sure as hell don’t act like they can govern.

  3. Such as shame to see this man’s talents wasted. Clearly he was passionate about his role at NBN, and the rollout of FTTP for a better future for our country.

    Instead we are left with this puppet Morrow.

    Here’s hoping the promise of an election brings a change in fortunes.

  4. Quigley dropping all these truth bombs is likely to upset and enrage the copper fanboy knuckle draggers yet again.

    To spend billions of dollars to build a major piece of national infrastructure that just about meets demand today, but doesn’t allow for any significant growth in that demand over the next 10 or 20 years, without large upgrade costs, is incredibly short-sighted

    Nailed it.

    It is such a pity that so much time and effort has been spent on trying to discredit and destroy the original FTTP-based NBN

    Nailed it.

    And equally a pity that the Coalition has put their faith in what has turned out to be a short-sighted, expensive and backward-looking MTM [mixed technology model] based on copper

    Nailed it.

    The nation is going to be bearing the consequences of those decisions for years to come in higher costs and poorer performance in an area that is critical to its long-term future

    Nailed it.

    Betting tens of billions of taxpayers dollars at this time on copper access technologies, as the Coalition has done, is a huge miscalculation

    Nailed it.

    Just when the FTTN equipment will need to be upgraded is an unknown but given what is happening overseas, it is unlikely to be very long

    Nailed it.

    While it is impossible to turn back the clock on the [multi-technology mix] it is still possible to make changes to the current direction, without introducing another major disruption – changes that will get us closer to building the right network for the long term

    Nailed it.

    • Nailed it.

      Too right!

      Now we just need to wait for the Reality and Richard Show to begin their bile and character assassinations!

      • RR already gave us a spectacular jealousy rant show below Tinman. If we are lucky we might get an encore ;-)

      • And let’s not forget our most recent addition to the delimiter troll stable, David Connors.

        • Pretty sure he posted some nonsense a few months back. He didn’t know how to copy/paste a link either and too embarrassed to ask us how. Technology today too complicated for them.

    • “Just when the FTTN equipment will need to be upgraded is an unknown but given what is happening overseas, it is unlikely to be very long”
      Incorrect. Morrow, Turnbull and the criminally fraudulent SR13 all admit to FTTP being the ‘end goal’ for Australia, needed no more than 5-10 years after the completion of MTM. The completion of MTM was scheduled for 2016, which means FTTP nation wide is needed before 2026. The original FTTP rollout was scheduled to take over 11 years to complete.

      It is now impossible for Australia to NOT fall behind the wayside.

    • If they don’t get a full column by the ceo out within days it will show, once again, how politically motivated thw last one was. Quigley with his speech could cause more ‘damage’ (read: education) to the nbn company than a few whistleblowers leaking what we already had inklings of.

  5. Secondly, it was amazing just listening to the man speak. His grasp of the economics and engineering of the NBN is clearly unsurpassed; but it’s also Quigley’s humility and humour that makes him the man he is.

    Quigley has given so much to the Australian public, and continues to contribute. He is the very icon of what an engineer and an executive should be: Capable, knowledgable, but above all: Wise.

    +1000

  6. Mike Quigley’s credentials are hard to beat.

    Spent 36 years with Alcatel, starting as cadet engineer and ending as President and Chief Operating Officer. Over ten years he worked in Germany, Belgium, the US and France.

    He is now involved as Adjunct Professor delivering Telecommunications courses at UTS.

  7. “Betting tens of billions of taxpayers dollars at this time on copper access technologies, as the Coalition has done, is a huge miscalculation.”

    IT’S FUCKN ADSL. Simple as that. They mismanaged public funds to launder it all to Telstra. The HFC buyback proves that also.

    IF the Liberals never sold the faulty copper, the public would never have spent billions buying the crap back.

  8. Let’s compare Quigley’s claims with the company’s published actuals:

    A) Qp7 “Sep-13 ~64k greenfield premises passed”

    NBNCo published actuals 8-Sep-13 greenfields (e) 54,783.

    B) Qp8 “brownfields – incremental quarterly volume”

    A metric that was never used prior to his presentation. Graph shows declining volumes, despite claims the issues resolved the graph clearly shows they weren’t.

    C) Qp11 “Fortunately, FTTP was available to fill the gap so there was an acceleration of the Brownfields FTTP from the end of 2014.”

    Quigley of course fails to mention new managements re-engagement with disfunctional contractors. Telstra’s DA renegotiation concluded Dec-14.

    D) Qp12 graph shows cumulative FTTP brownfield premises passed of >200k.

    NBNCo published actuals 8-Sep-13 brownfields (e) 142,183.

    E) Qp12 “It is not difficult to see what would have been possible if the focus had remained exclusively on FTTP.”

    Yet he doesn’t show his CP12-15p36 forecast target on that graph. Let’s add it:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/2cpmjufh576l5ch/brownfields-actuals-v-forecast.pdf?dl=0

    Also note the “ramp-up” prior to an after the election, it doesn’t exist.

    Quigley also never addressed the 30% of premises (MDU) stuck on service class zero.

    F) note his graphs x-axis starts Jun-11. NBNCo was formed in apr-09.

    G) Qp10 shows Quigley’s peak rollout 90k per qtr translates to 7.5k a week. Quigley was forecasting 6k A DAY! Current brownfields averaging ~30k a week using MTM.

    H) Qp20 “If by now you are confused and wondering what the original FTTP NBN really would have cost, I can tell you – $45Bn.”

    The belief that estimate was in anyway deliverable is extraordinary.

    H) Qp22 “When you compare apples with apples you get a cost per premise difference of closer to $500 not $2000.”

    CP forecast Fibre (B) CPP was ~$2200, best actuals $3700 (+700 lease).

    Noted skinny fibre could reduce that to ~$3250, not entertained under Quigley.

    I) Qp23 “There are many opportunities for cost reductions and speed improvements and that is what has been seen by Telcos all around the world, including Verizon in the US and Chorus in NZ.”

    Fails to disclose CPP had fallen; but $5,000+ to $3,700. Never approached budget. That NBNCo performed so poorly relative to it’s peers is worth discussing, he doesn’t.

    J) Qp24 “NBN Co’s Corporate Plan in September 2013 predicted a completion date of December 2021. That was a 12 month delay compared to the first Corporate Plan published in December 2010.”

    CP13-16p13 “The forecast FTTP Network completion date remains FY2021, in line with the 2012-15 Corporate Plan.” Note this CP was intentionally withheld from the electorate prior to the 2013 election, only the working draft later released by Fairfax.

    K) Qp24 “NBN Co would only have needed to double this peak rate [150k jun-15!], to around 300k premises per quarter, in order to complete the build by 2022.”

    Quigley’s never achieved anywhere close to the 150k rate achieved by Morrow. How does he believe they could have doubled NBNCo best qtr? Comically uses “only” to describe a pace multiples of his best qtr.

    L) Qp26 “Given the complexity of all of this information it is little wonder that it is very difficult for the average person, or even the media, to sort out fact from fiction concerning the peak funding costs for the original FTTP based NBN.”

    Shouldn’t be difficult at all. That his information is deliberately obscured creates the issue. Number of premises, CPP, ARPU, Take-up, other Capex / Opex required; Quigley avoids a straight forward figure for most.

    M) Qp32 “An FTTP network would be a much more valuable public asset and could generate greater cash flows for the Government due to the lower maintenance, higher revenues and almost no upgrade costs. And it would be vastly superior in driving growth through the wider economy.”

    True the asset would have more value, however well short of the cost to construct or the revenue required to service it.

    Quigley continues to sell the fiction that peak funding of MTM will $4-11b more even though similar ARPU / takeup rates, the same Sat / Transit / LTE / Greenfields costs, and CPP of remaining 8.5m premises that’s half (FTTN) to a third (HFC) of FTTP combined with faster rollout!

    He should pay himself another bonus for the effort.

    • Good to see your lying again Richard this is a good one

      CP forecast Fibre (B) CPP was ~$2200, best actuals $3700 (+700 lease).

      But when you don’t want to compare apples and apples but please go on. As comparing 2 different calculated figures as the same. Number man in fine form tonight lol

      • Jk same method used, lease seperated. Morrow AR best actual used, add thousands of using Quigley AR actuals (not estimates).

        Presumably he helped with ALP’s lastest policy; 2m extra FTTH premises for only $1b increase in peak funding;-)

        • Lol Richard so comparing a forecast of figures vs what they where achieving at the time.

          But then Quigley should have aimed for targets so low like the current management they would miss. Then you couldn’t claim of not hitting a target.

          I wouldn’t be surprised if he did help labor but then he seems to have a better understand if the figures than the current management. Up to there third go at costing stuff hopefully that have it right by now. But then the $10B ? Would say other wise.

        • Not comparing; evaluating performance (forecasts v actuals). At the big table this is done all the time.

          Quigley failure to reassess his CP targets given his underperformance highlights his management. It would have forced him to reevaluate costs and peak funding; his $45b destroyed (as it was in all reviews).

          True I wouldn’t claim his wasn’t hitting a target if actuals showed he was. It is how this works. But he didn’t.

          Better understanding is not ignoring all evidence forecasts are no longer accurate.

          The new management should be congratulated for revising numbers where wrong (exposing massive cost increases). Compare with Quigley’s actuals v forecasted above; not even the CP13-16 working draft acknowledged the glaring underperformance (all had cost / revenue / peak funding implications).

          His CP documents became pure fiction (like last nights defence).

          • Yes Richard let’s aim for a target we won’t miss. That what you happy with that how it works.

            But that the difference between old and new management. Old trying to improve with the rollout by aiming high. Or making to current gov look good by aiming low.

          • A high target doesn’t improve performance. Unrealistic targets and the failure to acknowledge actual underperformance whilst refusing to revise forecasts is poor management.

            Setting and achieving realistic targets, revising them as new information becomes available and exposing huge cost blowouts is good management.

            The former often attracts the attention of regulators, particularly when Directors make public announcements contradicting reality.

          • And revising them so low that your target is below the rollout and can’t be missed is good management. Lol yes huge cost blowouts like the $27B one on tech that was claimed to be faster and cheaper

          • “Setting and achieving realistic targets, revising them as new information becomes available and exposing huge cost blowouts is good management”

            So, it was Malcolm Turnbull that was the bad manager then, stating he had a plan to rollout by the end of 2016?

          • Please calculate the cost and time loss that NBN Co were handed by the Telstra problem of asbestos. This was an unforeseeable event that cost many months and was not an NBN responsibility. It was Telstra’s responsibility to produce the pits and pipes ready-for-purpose, and to warn NBN Co (which they did not) if there was going to be a problem.
            Hell…even Telstra’s maps were completely out of whack…

            Your points are completely false and disingenuous.

          • @d Turnbull wasn’t a manager; he and his party failed to correctly price their policy.

            @c asbestos use in Telstra pits & ducts was well known, NBNCo negotiated access to this infrastructure for their fibre deployment (paying a fortune) yet problems arising now claimed as unforeseeable. Bad management is what it is, and worst even after the issues were exposed Quigley continued repeating his on-time and budget mantra. The delusion continues today.

            NBNCo’s performance is today known from actuals (like used above). Quigley’s fantasy has been laid bare. Still his fanboys deny their emperor is naked. Impressive;-)

          • The new management should be congratulated for revising numbers where wrong (exposing massive cost increases).

            The…er…quality of the Strategic Review they did is…questionable…and the “massive blowout” just didn’t happen as they continued with the FttP roll out, did it? The “massive cost increases” are mostly thanks to the MtM reworking.

          • asbestos use in Telstra pits & ducts was well known,

            Can you provide a link to show it “was well known” prior to the issue coming up after the Telstra deal?

            NBNCo negotiated access to this infrastructure for their fibre deployment (paying a fortune) yet problems arising now claimed as unforeseeable.

            It was foreseeable by Telstra, who choose to withhold that information during negotiations.

            Quigley’s never achieved anywhere close to the 150k rate achieved by Morrow.

            Achieved by Morrow? So Morrow now gets all the credit for coming in at the tail end of getting everything set up?

            You really are a sly and dishonest person Richard.

          • “NBNCo negotiated access to this infrastructure for their fibre deployment”
            That contract stated that the infrastructure would be ready-for-purpose, which means that Telstra had promised that the asbestos would be taken care of prior to NBN Co requiring the infrastructure…Telstra failed spectacularly. How on earth can you blame NBN Co for that…its not like they could take their business to some other telco…

          • “Turnbull wasn’t a manager; he and his party failed to correctly price their policy.”
            SR13 wasn’t produced by he and his party.

          • Setting and achieving realistic targets, revising them as new information becomes available and exposing huge cost blowouts is good management.

            Care to comment on nbn™ missing it’s targets by at least 8 months Richard?

            I look forward to you telling me how wrong I am, whats a squeeler I am, how I “don’t understand” and that everything is fine and dandy in MtM land!

            Classic :-)

            http://blog.jxeeno.com/widespread-delays-plague-multi-technology-rollout/

          • And in typical form, the copper faithful soldier(s) disappear, rather than face the facts.

            Typically predictable yet utterly disgraceful.

    • @ Richard 22/06/2016 at 9:45 pm

      A) -> M) Lols And having run out of straws to clutch …..

      Nobody heard him, the dead man,
      But still he lay moaning:
      I was much further out than you thought
      And not waving but drowning.

      Poor chap, he always loved larking
      And now he’s dead
      It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
      They said.

      Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
      (Still the dead one lay moaning)
      I was much too far out all my life
      And not waving but drowning.

      http://www.poetryfoundation.org/resources/learning/core-poems/detail/46479

      • Classic; Another post to random content they don’t comprehend, hoping one day they’ll hit something insightful (Rofl).

          • Paul Hahn,

            Nothing random about it. In fact it’s extremely appropriate.

            Beats having to counter the points made with facts eh Paul, when it’s a struggle pull out the poetry book.

            I look forward to more PH nonsensical rants, perhaps a bit of philosophy from Plato or Nietzsche, the endless supply of possible diverting stocking filler subject matter.

          • perhaps a bit of philosophy from Plato or Nietzsche

            Ohh, look guys Alain has learnt to use Wikipedia!

    • A) Qp7 (using your naming convention) approximately 64k at the end of September 2013. NBN Co actual on 8th September approximately 55k. Factor in the difference in dates and the curve acceleration, the difference is negligible and not worth mentioning

      B) Who cares if this is the first time this metric has never been used before?! Especially considering the message delivered behind it, including this paragraph – “Then, as you may recall, in mid 2013 Telstra encountered problems with asbestos in its pits. For several weeks the FTTP build essentially stopped completely, and as you can see this impacted output in the July and even more, the September quarters of 2013.” which completely contradicts your point here

      C) Your opinion, not backed with any facts (fairly common with the majority of your comments)
      ….
      You know what, a feel like I am feeding the troll here. Mate if you want to argue, albeit “argumentum ad ignorantiam”, then go ahead. If you honestly believe that a fibre based network is not better than an outdated copper based network for the future of this country (irrespective of cost), then you need to take a good hard look at yourself. It appears you take some sort of narcissistic pleasure arguing, often referring to others as “fanbois” and “squealers”, but in fact display those classic characteristics yourself.

      I hope you eventually change your tune, for the sake of the future of this country. Cheers

      • A) the x-axis is end of month? ~30% isn’t important?

        B) many metrics defined in his CP that he could compared, deliberately avoided all of them (would highlight massive underperformance). My point not contradicted at all, claimed ramp-up didn’t happen.

        Asbestos was known by everyone except came as a complete surprise to NBNCo.

        C) is not opinion; both happened.

        I believe “irrespective of cost” exposes the shallowness of your position (as does your debating points above) and that of the fanboys; don’t challenge the Borg;-)

        • “Asbestos was known by everyone except came as a complete surprise to NBNCo”

          This is the kind of silly answer that keeps people rolling their eyes when you post. You are trying to say that everyone know that Telstra was not fixing the asbestos problem and leaving it as a little time bomb? Funny, I never heard that…
          Telstra alone were responsible for making the pits and pipes fit-for-purpose. They had given NBN Co assurances that this would be the case…it wasn’t.

          BTW, the Coalitions response to the problem was to absolve Telstra of all responsibility as part of their renegotiation…

          • This is the kind of silly answer that keeps people rolling their eyes when you post.

            Telstra alone were responsible for making the pits and pipes fit-for-purpose.

            Indeed Chas. Actually RR was already destroyed on Zdnet years ago on this topic when it came up by myself, Rizz and others. Yet he continues with the same irrationality. No surprise, to be expected from one who goes into a jealous rage whenever there is an article featuring Quigley.

          • @c They roll their eyes because they know little. Telstra’a use of asbestos was not a secret, not inside nor outside of the company.

            If NBNCo believed that asbestos was not going to be an issue, or that Telstra would magically be able to make the problem disappear exposes their incompetence. That NBN contracted construction teams were sent out without the appropriate knowledge, training or experience and disturbed asbestos put both them and the wider public at risk.

            Only NBN’s fiberazti would defend such actions from any company. Responsibility, as always, is with management.

          • They roll their eyes because they know little. Telstra’a use of asbestos was not a secret, not inside nor outside of the company.

            We roll our eye’s because it’s you usual trick of trying to appear as an authority when you aren’t even in that industry (much like your other one of grabbing numbers from all over the place that suit you and then claiming you’ve found great insight that only you understand).

            If the asbestos issue was “not a secret, not inside nor outside of the company.” and well known, then kindly provide a link showing such from previous to the issue coming up (public health WA only flagged it as a problem on the 01/08/2013 http://www.public.health.wa.gov.au/cproot/5386/2/Telstra%20pits%20and%20public%20risk%20from%20asbestos.pdf).

          • “Telstra’a use of asbestos was not a secret”

            But their inability to fix it as they were contracted to do was indeed a secret.

            “or that Telstra would magically be able to make the problem disappear”

            Magically? They had years to fix it, and the contract was essentially agreed to in 2010.

    • What a comedian. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

      You are so funny Richard your polar logic, is so poor and convoluted. Literally your own cognitive dissonance keeps stabbing yourself in the back.

      I fell of the chair laughing so hard.

    • Quigley’s figures are very selective as are the reasons selected for delays. For brownfields fibre, the gross figured achieved under his watch were as follows:

      436,411 = Corporate plan to Sep 2013 for brownfields

      227,483 = number prem. passed in some shape or form (all SC combined)
      177,741 = number prem. unable to order (SC0) or 5-7 month lead time (SC1)

      49,742 = number prem SC2 (being charitable as lead time is still 1-3 months) or SC3

      BOTTOM LINE:
      * He hit 11.3% of the CP target.
      * Ignoring the CP target, of what he did deploy, 21.8% of it could actually be used/have services ordered.

      The performance of NBN under his tenure was appalling and it is little wonder he was sacked. The fact he comes out with this tripe shows the man has no shame.

      • “The performance of NBN under his tenure was appalling and it is little wonder he was sacked.”

        BS…
        1. He wasn’t sacked…in fact he wasn’t even asked to resign.
        2. You are looking at the startup phase of a massive project. He was well within parameters.
        3. The entire project had to be halted because Telstra could not fulfill their commitment of delivering pits and pipes fit-for-purpose, nor could they produce accurate maps of their in-place installations.

        • http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nbn-chief-quigley-calls-it-quits-20130712-2pu5w.html

          “Mr Quigley’s position has become untenable in recent months. ” which translates as pushed/resigned so he could spent more time with the family.

          He trotted out corkers back then though … ”My job was to lay the foundations for the NBN for the next 30 years,” Mr Quigley said in a statement. ”That job is largely complete.”

          (for definitions of complete where 11% of targets is acceptable)

          • “which translates as pushed/resigned so he could spent more time with the family.”

            More like he didn’t want to work for anyone in the Coalition…
            He had been donating his salary to charity, so obviously he did it as a purely public service. Why would anyone like that stay on when the incoming “owners” have already signalled their intention to destroy it?

          • With polls leaving no doubt as to what the outcome would be…
            It was a little less than 2 months…

          • What incoming owners? He resigned months before the election.

            Yeah, he gave them 2 months and said he’d stay on till they found a successor.

            The press mentioned that Siobhan McKenna, the chairman of NBNCo (and aligned with the Murdochs) had been plotting to remove him, and that Malcolm Turnbull was on record as saying he’d remove him.

      • The performance of NBN under his tenure was appalling

        Current GimpCo management certainly redefined the meaning of the word appalling then.

    • Let’s compare Quigley’s claims with the company’s published actuals:

      A) Qp7 “Sep-13 ~64k greenfield premises passed” ………….

      Ouch, ouch and OUCH!

      • @ alain,

        So if you could manage to drag yourself kicking and screaming into 2016 (what a novel thought for the foolish retrograde MTM crowd)…
        You could tell us…

        How’s that $29.5B ready to roll out to all by 2016, you the gullible but faithfully willing, so naively swallowed, going?

        I await a ridiculous revision spiel… the exact opposite to the spiel you use to use to bag FTTP revisions…

        GO

        You’re welcome

    • “He should pay himself another bonus for the effort.”

      He came out of retirement to take the NBN position!

      He also donated his full first year’s salary to charity and declined to participate in the companies bonus/incentive scheme at all.

      • He also donated his full first year’s salary to charity and declined to participate in the companies bonus/incentive scheme at all.

        Unlike Morrow who…hmm…lets just wait to see what happens at the trial in the US…

        • No wonder Morrow is no good at rolling out communications infrastructure, copper phone lines cant burst! He should stick to gas pipes… oh wait…

    • Oh look…

      Richard is having another “jealous rage” at someone who unlike him… attained CEO status, has years of experience in the comms field, is highly respected, has credentials and credibility, has worked to acquire wealth and actually has foresight.

      You’re welcome

    • Wow. Numbers man showing a complete inability to understand basic demonstrable facts. Every single sentence marred with contradiction or obvious bewilderment.

      It’d be amusing if it weren’t so sad.

      • Figures missing from your factual counter argument Rizz, that’s not only sad you cannot do it, it is entirely predictable that your only counter is a rant.

  9. “Secondly, it was amazing just listening to the man speak. His grasp of the economics and engineering of the NBN is clearly unsurpassed; but it’s also Quigley’s humility and humour that makes him the man he is.”

    I’d suggest you run his numbers and findings against the kordamentha review of the organisation here http://www.nbnco.com.au/content/dam/nbnco/documents/NBN-Co-Strategic-Review-Report.pdf

    Of the premises rolled out that he is gold clapping himself for, 20% of them were able to have services ordered (i.e. exclude SC0 and SC1) and that is AFTER reducing the targets by 59%.

    • Please point to the number of premises served today that would be connected to the NBN if not for the work done under Quigley.

      Oh, that’s right, you can’t, because there are none.

      What you’re ranting about is like complaining that someone ‘failed’ to build a highway because no traffic used it, when you fired them just as the last bridge was being finished a month before opening.

      And now you’re trying to take credit for the million cars that have passed over that highway that was 99.9% built before you took over.

      *Any* FttP connections today are as a result of Quigley’s work.

      As are all fixed wireless, and all satellite connections. I can’t remember if FttB was being investigated before Quigley was fired or not, but it certainly connects to the backhaul network he built.

      The *only* thing Turnbull, Morrow, et al can take credit for is FttN. Which, after 3 years, is at least 2 years behind schedule and $10-15 billion over budget.

      Yep, definitely worth crowing about…

      • Bernard: His run rate, as CEO was 11% of company targets. If you ignore company targets and only look at what he actually put in the ground, only 20% of what he did was of merchantable quality.

        He did do a good job of spinning it though.

        • Right, and then when you look at the increase in premises passed with FTTP after September 2013, and if it hadn’t been hobbled by the Coalition, they’d have made up all the time they lost eventually.

          But, you all like to ignore the fact that they had to set up a company from nothing, build the backhaul network and the PoIs and then start building the network.

          • The transit network was built by Telstra under contract. *golf clap*

            I think he is overplaying them because the actual performance on his primary job was so appalling.

          • Actually it was Visionstream, though Visionstream did contract Telstra for part of it.

          • DC actually it’s much worst than presented. As anyone that’d ordered a business connection in the past decade would know, pre-NBN the vast majority of exchanges were well serviced by a competitive dark-fibre market. Comically this network was used for NBNCo greenfields prior to transit area connection and continues to be used today for many sections (paying per mbps).

            Targeted Govt subsidy was addressing non-competitively served markets via an open tender.

            As is the case with all of Conroy’s fantasies this was unacceptable, Govt ownership mandated and NBNCo contracted overbuilding with their own.

            West TAS free access to State Govt fibre shows what could have been saved with competent negotiators.

            Conroy/Quigley NBN policy mandated their own transit network, mandated their own Satellites, mandated FTTH to 93% including MDUs (all stuck at SC0). Their 3,000 staff enough to individually welcome every premises as they were passed and take the rest of the week off. If only welcoming activated premises they could’ve personally welcome one a month.

            Unimaginably poor value for borrowed taxpayer money, unparalleled in any international experience. His “critique” of MTM titled “devastating”, unbelievable:-(

            BTW enjoying your activations analysis. What about a graph with activation % and rates with x-axis being RFS date? Interesting to see trend over time for various techs.

          • The activation figures per SC come from the KM review so don’t chart over time.

            I copy and paste the weekly progress reports into a google sheet as they come out. Very instructive: http://imgur.com/a/JNraN

          • “The transit network was built by Telstra under contract. *golf clap*”
            Incorrect as you pointed out, but still you imply that Telstra/VS built the backend overnight and NBNCo could just use it straight away.

            “Actually it was Visionstream, though Visionstream did contract Telstra for part of it.”
            Incorrect. Telstra contracts businesses such as VS for all of their work.

          • “As is the case with all of Conroy’s fantasies this was unacceptable, Govt ownership mandated and NBNCo contracted overbuilding with their own.”
            Often considered difficult to use things that don’t belong to you.

        • What is so hard to understand about ramp up? It has been explained over and over, it was demonstrated in all FTTP roll outs all over the world. Still, the same people keep on referring to the setup of the NBN as being part of the rollout. It isn’t. It is the foundation, and it was solid. That’s what the present management are taking credit for.

    • Unlikely imo. He came out of retirement to do it in the first place, gave his first years salary to charity, didn’t participate in company bonus schemes and now is stripped of any respect deserved for getting such a monumentally large project off the ground (to a point where even the Liberals couldn’t just stop it from happening, instead having to focus their efforts on demolishing it, instead).

  10. the cost of the original FTTP version of the NBN had stayed relatively stable, varying only between $43 billion and $45 billion, showing that most of the original assumptions for the FTTP version of the project had been bourne out.

    So where does that leave the Labor costing estimate for their NBN policy at $57B with a finish date of 2022 then?

    A policy which will:

    1. Keep all FTTN and fulfill all FTTN build contracts beyond July.
    2. Keep the less cost Coalition version of FTTB not the original 2013 Labor fibre all the way plan to multi units.
    3. Keep the Coalition HFC plan passing the lucrative suburbs of our largest capital cities.

    All lower cost CPP than FTTP but it will still cost $57B, three small rural towns in West Tassie will soak up $29M on FTTP on their own.

    So it’s only $43B-$45B for the original FTTP plan which was to 93% of premises by 2021.

    umm ok.

    • So where does that leave the Labor costing estimate for their NBN policy at $57B with a finish date of 2022 then?

      Because they have to deal with the added MtM blowouts (like Malcolm did when it when from 2016 to whenever it is today, and from $6b to “up to” $56b).

    • “So where does that leave the Labor costing estimate for their NBN policy at $57B with a finish date of 2022 then?”

      They are now constrained by a new Telstra and Optus contract that relieves both Telcos of responsibility for making the pits and pipes ready-for-purpose. They also have to account for the $19 Billion that Turnbull has already spent…

    • Yep as we have all expected, and been stating for freaking ages. Because of the damage done by the MTM, it is pretty much impossible to not keep some elements.

      However.
      1. Keep FTTN – Until they get to a point, when they will then replace it with FTTP.
      2. Keep the FTTB. Well duh, makes sense and all suggestions point to the original plan probably going that way eventually.
      3. Keep the HFC (assuming it works) until the can replace it with FTTP.

      Of course it will cost $57 billion. We have to pay for the 2 year delay and additional complexity that the coalition has caused. I’m astounded they have been able to keep it that low honestly.

      “So it’s only $43B-$45B for the original FTTP plan which was to 93% of premises by 2021.”
      Yep exactly right. Good to see you agree :-)

      • Personally I think they should have estimated ‘up to’ $54-64b based on the Coalitions current mess ‘estimations’ (read: grabbing of straws)

    • Ahh the spin machine tap dancing, love it.

      $43B-$45B to build FTTP to 93% by 2021, $57B to build a much diminished (from the 93%) FTTP rollout and a FTTN that tacks onto the existing copper network that Conroy and Labor were going to pay the same amount to have it shut down, and also the existing HFC infrastructure that Conroy and Labor were going to pay the same amount to have it shut down, all by 2022.

      Funding is $12B-$14B LESS to roll out the slower more expensive CPP FTTP to 93% and by one year less in time than the Labor estimate to roll out their MtM.

      AMAZING!

      • @r Amazing anyone would fall for it, yet dozens here defending the delusional proposition.

        • As you are replying to alain, who is desperately but unsuccessfully trying to pretend $B’s in additional OPEX doesn’t exist in relation to the MTM debacle…

          Yes amazing indeed that anyone would fall for it, or be so biased and obedient to even think it, let alone claim it.

          You’re welcome

      • “Conroy and Labor were going to pay the same amount to have it shut down”

        You just keep closing those eyes and ears, don’t you?
        The difference is who is responsible for being fit-to-purpose, maintaining that, and cleaning it up when it’s done. So the NBN must NOW pay $11 Billion up front, and another $10-15+ Billion in maintenance and cleanup…not to mention the delays.

        Since Turnbull has already spent a useless $19 Billion, I think it’s pretty good that it will only cost us $57 Billion…Turnbull’s mess is VERY expensive to fix. (lets see…57-19=38 Billion) So if it had gone ahead with FTTP, I think $43-45 Billion sounds about right.

        Don’t forget the 3 years wasted by Turnbull…and they have to fire senior staff and find new people first.

        • Still plucking figures out of the air Chas with no linked source, chuck a few billions around and bingo 1+1=3.

          Were you on the Labor ‘think tank’ committee that came up with their $57B by 2022 ‘magic happens’ NBN policy, it sounds like the same roll the dice analysis.

          The simple fact is brownfields FTTP CPP is still the most expensive fixed line infrastructure , so how you rollout FTTP to 93% for less than a MtM model that contains a much smaller proportion of FTTP is a total fantasy.

          Some more facts for you and the band of brothers on the current rollout.

          NBN Co’s FTTN vs FTTP take-up rates are proof that the company’s focus on getting more people actively using the network – rather than chasing premises passed – is paying dividends.

          http://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbns-fibre-to-the-node-take-up-revealed-420964

          When it comes to what is actually happening now with the NBN rollout and any criticism of the Quigley speech it helps the Labor apologists/FTTN haters to put their heads in the sand, put their fingers in their ears and shout la-la-la a lot.

          ….. or copy and paste great lumps of poetry.

          • “the company’s focus on getting more people actively using the network – rather than chasing premises passed”
            IT News been posting some weird-ass articles in recent months, considering that nbn released figures show that 76% of people connected to FTTP and only 4% to FTTN…

          • Cu tech hasn’t hit the numbers to really determine what its take up rates will be or are imho.

            I mean they have (including FttB) connected in total only less places as the fibre contractors were doing per month in the dying stages of that roll out.

            when htey get a couple of million customers on copper (if LPA win) then it’ll be more of a fair comparison.

          • “The simple fact is brownfields FTTP CPP is still the most expensive fixed line infrastructure”

            It seems that this is true only for a Coalition led NBN Co…everyone else on the planet doesn’t have that problem. As a Total Cost of Ownership calculation, FTTP is a mere fraction the cost of FTTN.

            “Some more facts for you”

            Sorry mate, but you appear to not be able to recognize what a “fact” is…

            From your link…”The documents offer a partial examination of the NBN rollout fortunes of mostly Coalition-held seats since the 2013 election”

            So a partial and cherry-picked segment of data is what you consider a fact? I guess that figures…

          • Chas,
            First of all you ignored this invite from your previous post.

            Still plucking figures out of the air Chas with no linked source,

            I assume therefore you made it all up, jeez you have never done that before.

            It seems that this is true only for a Coalition led NBN Co…everyone else on the planet doesn’t have that problem.

            Oh some more Chasfictionnomics, no linked source again, so where in on this planet is FTTP cheaper to rollout than FTTN?

            As a Total Cost of Ownership calculation, FTTP is a mere fraction the cost of FTTN.

            The calculation is missing in action again Chas, what Total Cost of Ownership calculation for FTTP is a mere faction the cost of FTTN?

            The answer requires $ figure comparisons with linked sources.

            Sorry mate, but you appear to not be able to recognize what a “fact” is…

            They are facts from the latest NBN reports, unlike your fiction which is just plucked out of the air vaporware fantasies of your own making.

          • The problem occurs with your lack of reading comprehension I think.

            You said “The simple fact is brownfields FTTP CPP is still the most expensive fixed line infrastructure”…for TCO or TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP (made it big to help you out there…), FTTN is a FAR more expensive fixed line infrastructure.

            You seem to be completely blind to any cost that doesn’t fit your narrative and then ignore it…is it a physical disability?

            FTTP has a 60-100 year lifespan. FTTN has at most a 10 year lifespan. So take $56 Billion divided by 10 and compare that to $57 Billion divided by 60…

            Then add to the FTTN cost the 12x cost of Opex over FTTP

            Then there is the reduced revenue of FTTN…

          • is it a physical disability?

            I believe you mean “cognitive disability”, which has been pointed out to him many times. That’s probably the root of his comprehension disorder as well.

            I’ve been worried about him and asked him to seek help several times, but /shrug.

      • FTTN that tacks onto the existing copper network that Conroy and Labor were going to pay the same amount to have it shut down

        Wrong.

        They paid to use the pits and pipes, if it was just to shut it down, the asbestos wouldn’t have been a problem, would it?

        Stop being a dill, you’ve been told this hundreds of times by many people here.

        • I suggest you read The Explanatory Memorandum on the NBN agreement that was sent out to all Telstra Shareholders on 18/10/2011, approved by the directors and approved by the majority of shareholders.

          Especially Point 4.2.2.1 Disconnection of Services on Page 26.

          Sorry for bringing up those awkward facts again, but please feel free to copy and paste from the Lord of the Rings if necessary as a response, the precedent has been set.

          • Especially Point 4.2.2.1 Disconnection of Services on Page 26.

            Which doesn’t address my point at all.

            GG Alain *yawn*

            feel free to copy and paste from the Lord of the Rings

            As usual, I’ll leave that to you Alain the Grey…

    • “So where does that leave the Labor costing estimate for their NBN policy at $57B with a finish date of 2022 then?”
      Given that all previous FTTP rollout plans are still for the most part valid, the only time difference is having to overbuild inferior sections of MTM. Personally, I would have preferred to see their finish date be 2024, I think it’s once again a bit ambitious given that NBN rollout halted for 2.5 years.

      The Liberals now estimate that a FTTP rollout would only require an extra $8b, so given the original plan coming in at $45b they’ve left themselves some room to wiggle when it comes to overbuilding inferior sections of the MTM.

      • Given that all previous FTTP rollout plans are still for the most part valid,

        No it’s not given or valid just because you say so.

        The Liberals now estimate that a FTTP rollout would only require an extra $8b,

        The ‘Liberals’ did eh, where did you get the $8B figure from , your usual trickery of overlaying Rizz selected SR13 and CP16 figures as if they are from the same report with no three year gap in between?

        Yes.

  11. Renee,
    Excellent article. I agree so much with those last paragraphs.
    A much better write-up than those from others of your journalist colleagues that I have read this morning!

    I was there last night along with a few of my colleagues from TelSoc.
    We try hard to be apolitical, but it is very hard when the Minister, a lawyer, makes technological decisions instead of relying on telecommunications engineers; then makes up figures based on unrealistic assumptions to justify the decisions taken.

    This analysis of Mike’s made it extremely clear (in half a dozen charts; with numbers) why the MTM has got into trouble and why it will take a lot to fix. When a major venture like this is jerked around (literally), it takes a long time to get back on track and wastes a lot of money. To paraphrase that Minister, “It will take longer and cost a lot more”!

    As a colleague of mine has been saying recently: “Spending billions to go sideways!”.
    Keep up the good work.

  12. Thanks for this Renai.

    “the move to the MTM has been a colossal mistake.
    One that will burden Australia with a much poorer and more expensive fixed
    broadband network than it could have had if it had continued with the FTTP based
    NBN.”

    I especially like this from Mike, we are now seeing that what he said is the 100% truth. Treasonous Mal and his cronies have lied through their teeth, unfortunately we the people are now reaping what they have sowed.

    • No, this government only releases the minimum it has to, and the blue books getting released is (like the caretaker stuff), just a convention that they feel they don’t need to stick to.

  13. 1. Shannon’s Law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shannon%E2%80%93Hartley_theorem) – Copper can’t cut it. 2. Exponential growth of data requirements – Government can’t comprehend non-linear growth.

    Getting rather sick of having fools in government who can’t understand basics like these, yet also won’t take the advice of people who DO understand – the technical experts.

    From the NBN, to the carbon tax, to destruction of CSIRO & NICTA. The LNP has been systematically destroying this nation’s future and ensuring we don’t have alternatives once coal exports dry up.

  14. He is a good man and I was proud to work under him.
    Loved his presentation on this and still agree with his vision of what the NBN should be.

  15. “A good example of that quote attributed to
    Lenin that “A lie told often enough becomes the truth”.

    Possibly best line Mr Quigley has placed on that presentation. The very many strawman and red herring arguments is a testament to how far folks will go these days to sell their snake oil

  16. In most cases the asbestos pipes and pits did not need to be disturbed, it was quite safe buried under the foot paths.
    All the NBN installers needed to do was to use the old copper cables as draw wires to pull the optic fiber cable into the asbestos ducts. the old copper cable could then be cut up and sold as salvage to scrap metal dealers. That would have gone a long way to pay for the optic fiber cable. Customer’s telephone lines could have been redirected to their mobile ‘phones until the NBN was working on the optic fiber. Those people without mobile phones could have been given a loan of one, with a special deal they could hardly refuse, to sign up for it.

    • “In most cases the asbestos pipes and pits did not need to be disturbed”

      I think you miss the point…Telstra was being paid $11 Billion to provide access to the pits and pipes, and a major requirement was that they were fit-for-purpose.

      “All the NBN installers needed to do was to use the old copper cables as draw wires to pull the optic fiber cable into the asbestos ducts”

      Can you imagine the legal cases that would fly if NBN Co cut working lines? Folks with alarms, emergency buttons, faxes, etc… would be up in arms. Not everyone has a mobile…and a mobile doesn’t work everywhere.

    • First of all, the existing copper needed to be kept operational for 12 months AFTER FTTP rollout was completed. What you’re suggesting would have been highly disruptive.

      Secondly, much of Telstras network is collapsed and in complete disrepair. Your solution assumes the pits and pipes were undisturbed.

  17. The NBN Royal Commission should include an inquiry into the circumstances that FORCED Mike Quigley’s “resignation”.

    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nbn-chief-quigley-calls-it-quits-20130712-2pu5w.html

    It should also include an inquiry into why Telstra took an unreasonable, excessive and unnecessary period of time for Telstra to sign the $11 billion NBN deal which practically stalled the project.

    http://www.afr.com/business/telecommunications/telstra-signs-new-11-billion-nbn-agreement-20141214-126u7w

  18. Now that Labor has put FTTP back on the agenda, it’s curious that the talk about FTTdp has stopped (and why isn’t Turnbull promoting FTTdp over FTTN?)

    I’d like to hear what Quigley thinks of FTTdp.

    • It’ll no doubt start up again if Labor gets elected. It’s a relatively new technology and proper analysis has to be conducted on costs and timeframes etc – if the Liberal NBNCo revision is anything to go by, I wouldn’t expect to hear much about it until 2.5 years after the election.

      Liberals have expressly denied NBN will have anything to do with FTTdp under their watch. FTTN all the way, baby. Got to admire their desire to sink with the ship.

    • So would I. The perception is that FTTdp is not ready for large-scale deployment. Whether to adopt it comes down to cost, which I don’t think is an issue in government spending and when it comes to lasting value for money.

      There is a dominant and overwhelming trend in new access network projects around the world. Almost all are not using anything but full fibre to the premises.

      • Almost all are not using anything but full fibre to the premises.

        Seems to be going the other way actually Martin, even BT is rolling out more fibre now (or was the “not” a typo?).

    • Mike Quigley said FTTdp still had issues and isn’t a mature technology yet, he didn’t go into details tho.

      • Interesting, thanks. The media might have glossed over his mention of FTTdp, I didn’t see any comments on it.

        • Yeah, Until someone really tries it commercially, no one really knows, though the NBN is going to do a roll out of 300K in Sydney and Melbourne to trial it, so wait and see after that I guess.

Comments are closed.