The purpose of the following section is to outline a number of discussion points around the technical implementation of the NBN and to dispel any unsubstantiated claims made against the NBN.
The Wireless Debate (Fibre vs Wireless)Throughout the last few years a number of commentators have asked the question “why not just create the NBN using only next-gen wireless technology?” More… |
The Copper Debate (DSL vs Fibre)In April 2010 Alcatel Lucent announced it had recorded speeds of up to 100mbps over 1km of copper. In the same month Bell Labs announced that they had delivered 300mbps over 400m. The problem is of course there are two main gotchas with these new technologies. More… |
The FTTN First DebateIn early 2009, a seven member panel of experts – including University of Adelaide Professor Emeritus of Communications, Reg Coutts – knocked back all bids in a tender process for the original NBN plan of FTTN because none were viable. Coutts explained some of the reasoning. More… |
The Backhaul DebateA number of commentators have claimed that Australia doesn’t have the backhaul to handle everyone having 100Mbps. Some even going so far to say that “if you give several million households 100Mbps bandwidth, then you have exceeded the entire bandwidth of the whole internet” More… |
The Lifespan of FibreSome commentators have claimed that the lifespan of fibre optic cable will be less than 15 years, especially when installed overhead. More.. |
The Direct Fibre Debate (GPON vs PtP vs WDM-PON)Another debate that has been going on is whether the NBN should use a PON or a PtP style deployment. In a recent consultation paper NBNCo outlined their position and rationale for choosing PON over PtP for the majority of customers. More… |
The HFC DebateIf you’ve been following the NBN debate you’ll be aware that the top speed that providers are currently offering is 100mbits per second, a speed that HFC products from Telstra and Optus already claims to do… More |