Coalition unveil their broadband and internet policy

[albert5268]

The Coalition has unveiled its broadband and internet policy | News.com.au

Basically instead of fibre-to-the-node or fibre-to-the-home it will be a mixture of different technologies and fund to try to encourage private companies to improve on existing technology. Minimum speeds will start at 12Mbps compared to 100Mbps for Labor's National Broadband Network.

[CSP]

The Coalition has unveiled its broadband and internet policy | News.com.au

Basically instead of fibre-to-the-node or fibre-to-the-home it will be a mixture of different technologies and fund to try to encourage private companies to improve on existing technology. Minimum speeds will start at 12Mbps compared to 100Mbps for Labor's National Broadband Network.

This is a FAR MORE PRACTICAL approach than Labor's "spend spend spend" mentality. 12Mbps is the minimum standard they're aiming for which is more than adequate for home use. What Labor fail to understand is there is little benefit in going to 100Mbps to the home because the links out of Australia can't handle that capacity for everyone to the majority of the internet (which is external to Australia).

As well as that, there is plenty of existing infrastructure than can be used more effectively or upgraded where it's needed. NEW fibre does not need to be laid to every house in the country.

[Grennan]

Yeah Id have to see more details on it before I gave my two thumbs up but it sounds a lot more practical and cost effective. While the speed doesnt seem to crash hot it is the minimum so you can easily expect higher speeds depending on location.

Cost is a big thing here, 6 billion dollars is a lot easier to swallow from a taxpayers point of view, than 43 billion, especially when your borrowing more and more everyday. A huge plus is also, Conroy wont get his mits on it.

[albert5268]

100 Mbps is overkill for the majority of people. I can't see how the government can spend $47bn and keep the cost of downloads (per mb) down to affordable prices. It will take several years for the NBN to reach most homes anyway. It seems at this stage the coalition's network will take less time to deploy than the NBN will.

[kalekale]

Australia needs the NBN, 12 Mbps isnt enough. Do you all remember when people thought dial up was fast enough?

[albert5268]

Australia needs the NBN, 12 Mbps isnt enough. Do you all remember when people thought dial up was fast enough?

No I can't remember anyone saying dial up was fast enough. 12 Mbps is the minimum speed.

[QldKev]

I thought most places in Australia could already get ADSL2 ?

QldKev

[CSP]

Australia needs the NBN, 12 Mbps isnt enough. Do you all remember when people thought dial up was fast enough?

How fast do you think you, as an individual sharing with MILLIONS of other people, are going to be able to connect to the internet even with a 100Mbps FTTH connection? Think about it ffs and don't just make stupid comments.

[minux]

Australia needs the NBN, 12 Mbps isnt enough. Do you all remember when people thought dial up was fast enough?

Why do Australians need it? Seriously? I'd love to know.

[kalekale]

Anyone watch the ICT debate?

The NBN is setting us up for the future. Whats the maximum speed for the Libs plan? even they avoided that question. Fibre optics has the ability of 10 Gbps, imagine what our country could achieve with those type of speeds? Japan has had 100 Mbps for the last 5 years

[88GreenVN]

The internet is all a hoax 100mega bits or what ever they are - packets of info will not be fast enough all too soon.

For some of you that are a little older that youngsters - the old BBS was king at a trickle. Then came faster modems - WOW we could hook up evern faster... then this .. then that.

Give it all to us NOW. The me now generation.

[albert5268]

I'd prefer to download more than download faster. Whats the point of a 100 Mbps connection if a lot of servers and most international servers won't be able to provide us with data at that speed. Whats the point of a 100 Mbps connection if you can only download a smaller amount of data? Why should every taxpayer pay for an internet service that only some people would make full use of?

[88GreenVN]

I'd prefer to download more than download faster. Whats the point of a 100 Mbps connection if a lot of servers and most international servers won't be able to provide us with data at that speed. Whats the point of a 100 Mbps connection if you can only download a smaller amount of data? Why should every taxpayer pay for an internet service that only some people would make full use of?

Cos the network will form the back bone of the whole system. 5 years down the track it will be ow wish we had......

[albert5268]

Anyone watch the ICT debate?

The NBN is setting us up for the future. Whats the maximum speed for the Libs plan? even they avoided that question. Fibre optics has the ability of 10 Gbps, imagine what our country could achieve with those type of speeds? Japan has had 100 Mbps for the last 5 years

Some fibre optic networks can operate at incredible speeds but will the government implement the technology? Just because that network can handle 10 Gbps doesn't mean the servers, workstations and infrastructre can.

[88GreenVN]

Anyone watch the ICT debate?

The NBN is setting us up for the future. Whats the maximum speed for the Libs plan? even they avoided that question. Fibre optics has the ability of 10 Gbps, imagine what our country could achieve with those type of speeds? Japan has had 100 Mbps for the last 5 years

Maybe we can scab the old Jap system when they upgrade in the comming years.

[albert5268]

I'd like to have 100Mbps+ speeds (I'm currently stuck with 1.5Mbps laggy wireless 3G because Telstra has run out of avaliable ports on our exchange) but is now the right time to upgrade the entire back bone?

[sleepa]

I would also like to know why all australians need super super fast internet speed. I'm on 1500kps which is perfectly fine most of the time, unless both me and my gf decide to watch a streaming video at the same time, then it slows down a bit. I honestly reckon 5mps would be a fast enough minimum. I am perfectly happy to wait a few extra minutes for something to download.

[ari666]

meh, i got 94.5mbps at home. rural areas should stay rural as far as im concerned.

[albert5268]

meh, i got 94.5mbps at home. rural areas should stay rural as far as im concerned.

What type of connection do you have? Why should rural areas stay rural?

[CSP]

Fibre optics has the ability of 10 Gbps, imagine what our country could achieve with those type of speeds?

I'm actually REALLY interested to know what Australia can achieve better than it can right now if the only thing that were to change was the internet speed. Seriously, please let me know.

[kalekale]

I'm actually REALLY interested to know what Australia can achieve better than it can right now if the only thing that were to change was the internet speed. Seriously, please let me know.

Its setting Australia up for future tech, UHD streaming, Holographic video, online universities, we cant just be happy with the minimum its like the comparison with if people were happy with horses why bother with cars.. Its going to take a few years to roll out and then has the staying power for a long time, 5-10 years maybe more. We didnt need our current speeds 15 years ago.

[CSP]

Its setting Australia up for future tech, UHD streaming, Holographic video, online universities, we cant just be happy with the minimum its like the comparison with if people were happy with horses why bother with cars.. Its going to take a few years to roll out and then has the staying power for a long time, 5-10 years maybe more. We didnt need our current speeds 15 years ago.

Nothing like an argument that contradicts itself. Broadband speed has nothing to do with preparing for future technology. It's simply a catalyst that at any point in time has to keep up with the demands being placed on it. The demands on the current infrastructure are more than it can cope with but that's due to outdated technology such as slower rims and copper backhaul but that is currently being upgraded. As I mentioned, that takes time. To use your analogy, people didn't one day stop using horses and suddenly start driving around in cars that were created overnight on roads that took decades to develop. It took time and was a gradual upgrade. Not only that, when people did move to cars they didn't spend a fortune on a car in 1950, wait 8 years for it to be built and then take delivery of a car that was 8 years behind current technology when it was finally delivered. Technology and infrastructure should be progressive in the same way, fast enough to keep pace with demand but gradual enough that it can change with developing advancements.

If we didn't need our current speeds years ago, why do we NEED them now? Yeah, super fast internet is nice to have (I know, I have it) but it's far from a necessity. It's more about what makes our lives easier, more convenient and to some extent more enjoyable. But I would never call it a NEED.

The NBN is AT BEST 8 years from completion but more realistically 10 - 15 years away. NOBODY can predict what is going to happen in that time frame. One thing is for certain though and that is that technology we haven't even dreamed of will be invented. Ethernet over Power will become much more mainstream and stable and then everything will just come into your house over your existing power lines (with new, not yet developed equipment at each end).

The NBN would be good if it could 100% be implemented NOW and finished within a year. It's the best of what network infrastructure is available for us NOW and not going to be the best once it's finished being rolled out. In fact by then it will be outdated. Which is why the amount of money being spent is a ridiculous waste. Spends less, upgrade in stages and continually adjust for technological advances - that's the way it needs to be done. More regulation is needed over how Telstra manages and upgrades the infrastructure though but that's a lot easier and cheaper to mange than rolling out an entire network that will be antiquated by the time it's finished.

[sleepa]

Nothing like an argument that contradicts itself. Broadband speed has nothing to do with preparing for future technology. It's simply a catalyst that at any point in time has to keep up with the demands being placed on it. The demands on the current infrastructure are more than it can cope with but that's due to outdated technology such as slower rims and copper backhaul but that is currently being upgraded. As I mentioned, that takes time.

The NBN is AT BEST 8 years from completion but more realistically 10 - 15 years away. NOBODY can predict what is going to happen in that time frame. One thing is for certain though and that is that technology we haven't even dreamed of will be invented. Ethernet over Power will become much more mainstream and stable.

The NBN would be good if it could 100% be implemented NOW and finished within a year. It's the best of what network infrastructure is available for us NOW and not going to be the best once it's finished being rolled out. In fact by then it will be outdated. Which is why the amount of money being spent is a ridiculous waste. Spends less, upgrade in stages and continually adjust for technological advances - that's the way it needs to be done. More regulation is needed over how Telstra manages and upgrades the infrastructure though but that's a lot easier and cheaper to mange than rolling out an entire network that will be antiquated by the time it's finished.

I actually agree with that. So Japan has 100mbs now, and in 15 years time we will have 100mbs, but the japanese could have 500mbs or something, hence we will still be playing catch up.

Upgrading in stages is really the only way that a big country like Australia can keep up. Since everyone reckons we're being left behind.

BTW, Have you seen the size of japan? No wonder they can have heaps of new infrastructure built. Not to mention probably most of that is in cities.

[Full Spectrum]

Places like youtube demand high speed. now especially with HD quality videos. and we push everyday for higher technology. faster cars, the latest and biggest tv's, the latest i-phone- smart phones. and all of a sudden we say "we don't need speed". it goes against the way we have moved over the past 10 years.

If you could deliver 12mbps minimum across the board (including wireless) that's a good start.

Both ignore the inner and surrounding city people who are unable to get cable or adsl, so rely on poor deal/speeds wireless access.

[CSP]

BTW, Have you seen the size of japan? No wonder they can have heaps of new infrastructure built. Not to mention probably most of that is in cities.

Size is a massively important factor for Australia. We are the largest "western advanced" country in the world with a minuscule population when compared with the distances involved in all our infrastructure.