A report released by the committee on Fixed Wireless Fibre Network Planning in Australia says that the best way to build a national fibre network is through a competitive bidding process. It states that the government would grant the winning company a monopoly license and pitch in an additional $4.7 billion to subsidize the cost of construction. The report commends the energy and enthusiasm of regional communities, which are leading the way in e-commerce in Australia.
It is estimated that fixed wireless network planning in Australia will cover at least 13.2 million premises by the end of 2018. As of June 2016, around 210 000 premises are connected to the national fixed wireless network. The NBN Co will provide a modem with four UNI-D ports for the users. It is expected that a trial system will be formalised and rollout will begin in the next six months. However, consumers should be aware that the trial of this technology is still in the developmental stage and that there are certain technical problems.
The Australian Broadband Network is the “future-proof” network that would be required to build in Australia. The federal government is currently upgrading congested cells and building new ones. In five years’ time, NBN Co would be able to deliver download speeds of 25 Mb/s to half of the population. The remaining half of the country will be served by high-bandwidth geostationary satellites.
The first stage of the trial began in July 2009 in Tasmania and the second stage followed a year later. The first and second stages of FTTP were announced in December 2009 and the first customers were connected to the service in July. In October 2009, the third FTTP stage was announced, and in October, the first FTTP connections were made in April. The third FTTP stage was announced in March 2010, and the third stage in June 2010 and February 2011. The three FTTP stages were completed within a year.
The rollout of the NBN continues to attract more people. The NBN’s cost-effective rollout has been compared to the costs of traditional telecommunication networks. And the initial phase of the expansion project will begin in the areas with the highest congestion. The network will be built in phases, with the first two in central Victoria. A few regions will be covered by satellites in the next few months, while some areas may be completely outside the coverage of the fixed wireless network.
NBN has been experimenting with different types of fixed wireless plans. In August, the company announced new wholesale prices for fixed wireless service, but later retracted the plan due to a backlash. Bill Morrow, the former NBN CEO, told the Senate Estimates that there was no economic case for the move. Nonetheless, the company has flagged a 100/40Mbps fixed wireless tier.
The government has allocated grants to various local governments. In Onkaparinga, a local government in the central Queensland region, has been granted $411,950 under the Digital Enterprise Program. The funds will help it develop video-conferencing systems for web-based interactive engagement and an online emergency management system. The current government is attempting to reverse the trend of the previous government. But it will be costly for the Australian consumer and will take many more years to complete.
The NBN’s role in Fixed Wireless Fibre Network Planning in Australia is still unclear. However, the NBN’s role in the network’s construction is the largest contributor to the cost of the service. The NBN’s investments will ensure that it is delivered to customers in the most cost-effective way possible. Ultimately, the NBN’s investment in Fixed Wireless Fibre Network Planning in Australia will be a success if it is funded properly.
As the NBN builds its network, it must consider the economic impact of the project on local communities. The NBN’s plans will allow businesses and consumers to access the internet at speeds up to one gigabit per second. It is estimated that the NBN will have a 1Gbps connection by 2022. The National Broadband Network will be built by the NBN Co, which will be funded by the government. The cost of the project is determined by the amount of infrastructure Telstra has to purchase.
