Economy
Tassie NBN fears confirmed
Launceston, TAS, 25 September 2013 – Digital Tasmania’s concerns about the future of the NBN under a Coalition government have been confirmed.
NBNCo’s online rollout maps have been stripped of plans to start Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP/fibre optic) construction within 1 & 3 years around the state. Instead only areas where construction is substantially advanced will the work go on, typically around central/northern Launceston, central Hobart, Clarence and Kingston.
Spokesperson for the consumer group Digital Tasmania, Andrew Connor said: “It appears that NBN build plans have been scrapped in areas where work had already commenced to evaluate and prepare underground assets, this means that much in-field remediation and desktop planning will go to waste.”
Mr Connor continued: “The slashing of NBN fibre optic build plans in Tasmania is contrary to the explicit promise of the Liberal party before the federal election to continue the rollout in Tasmania as planned”. In mid-August, then-shadow communications minister Malcolm Turnbull and Liberal candidates (Nikolic, Hutchinson, Whiteley) reiterated his statements from May that “we intend to honour existing contracts…”. Ref1 & Ref2
“Given that NBN work in Tasmania has already been fully contracted, any change now would only slow down the rollout and establish a clear digital divide between neighbouring streets and suburbs, which will in turn affect house prices,” said Mr Connor. Suburbs thought to miss out are listed below. Already 35,000-plus premises can connect to the NBN fibre optic service throughout Tasmania, with between 25 and 50% of residents taking up that option already. Thousands more premises were scheduled.
It is apparent that the changes (such as re-evaluating the technology used to include the inferior Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) technology) will substantially slow the rollout in Tasmania, due to national re-negotiations with Telstra being required; when the Tasmanian rollout was already scheduled to be completed by the end of 2015. FTTN also relies on the decrepit copper network where failures are an everyday reality for ADSL and telephone users, and is highly dependent on the distance from the “node”. City fringes will be especially affected; with many areas on the previous NBN plans to be completed by 2015 having current issues obtaining any reliable fixed broadband option.
Digital Tasmania hopes that the various reviews of the NBN rollout currently underway will conclude that a predominantly FTTP rollout is the most efficient and future proofed method to use, just as the NBN expert panel decided declared in early 2010 that Fibre was the future rather than Copper.
“This new generation infrastructure is desperately needed to future proof our economy and deliver the best broadband to all consumers” said Mr Connor. Digital Tasmania calls on the Federal government to honour their commitment and stop disadvantaging Tasmania.
Hobart
• New Town, North Hobart, Mount Stuart
• Mount Stuart, Lenah Valley
• Sandy Bay, Tolmans Hill, Mount Nelson
Hobart eastern shore
• Rose Bay, Lindisfarne
• Grasstree Hill, Risdon, Geilston Bay
• Risdon, Risdon Vale, Grasstree Hill
• Cremorne, Sandford, Clifton Beach, South Arm, Opossum Bay
Other Southern areas
• Electrona, Howden, Lower Snug, Margate, Snug, Coningham • Claremont • Chigwell, Berriedale • Montrose, Rosetta, Glenorchy • Claremont, Granton, Austins Ferry • Glenorchy • Moonah, West Moonah, Glenorchy • Honeywood, Pontville, Brighton
Launceston area
• Riverside
• Mowbray, Newnham, Mayfield, Rocherlea, Newnham • Prospect, South Launceston, Summerhill, Kings Meadows • Norwood, Punchbowl, Kings Meadows • Blackstone Heights, Prospect Vale, Summerhill, West Launceston, Prospect • St Leonards • Relbia, Western Junction, Youngtown, Kings Meadows
Other Northern areas
• Hadspen, Legana, Perth, Evandale
• Legana, Rosevears, Grindelwald
• Bell Bay, Low Head, Beechford,
• Swan Bay, Turners Marsh, Windermere, Dilston • Devonport, Burnie, Westbury, Latrobe
Ref 1: The Examiner – 17 August 2013
http://www.examiner.com.au/story/1711548/turnbull-confirms-nbn-will-honour-contracts/
Ref 2: Malcolm Turnbull – 16 August 2013
http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/media/statement-on-tasmanian-nbn-rollout
About Digital Tasmania:
Digital Tasmania is a consumer action group, created in 2008 to give a voice to the views and needs of Tasmanian consumers in the digital age.
For more information see http://www.digitaltasmania.org
• Paul O’Halloran: Prehistoric Liberals shred broadband promises “The Liberal Party made a promise to fulfil all contracts for the NBN rollout in Tasmania, but now that they are in government, they are rapidly backing away.” “A lot of Tasmanians have made business and investment decisions on the basis of this rollout, and they will be very angry to learn that Mr Abbott has pulled the plug.” “Our whole economy will soon rely on rapid data speeds, and if the Federal Government winds back the NBN then Tasmania will be left in the dark ages.”