[AusNOG] OT: Regulator rings the changes for telcos, isps - WARNING, POTENTIAL FLAMEBAIT

[Paul Brooks]

On 22/04/2010 4:00 PM, Curtis Bayne wrote:
>
> I agree entirely, and thank you for sharing your opinion publicly. My 
> personal opinion is that the OPEL project was a pragmatic way to 
> improve rural telecoms with minimal investment (comparatively) without 
> interfering with the complex and fragile telecommunications industry.
>

First, I was expressing my opinion that what you described sounded like 
Broadband Connect - not an opinion on Opel, or its desirability or 
otherwise!

But yes, I think the broad goals of bringing metro-equivalent backhaul 
pricing to regional areas was a good way to go.

>
> Had it not been scrapped by the government, the OPEL project would be 
> delivering tangible benefits to consumers TODAY. That boat has sailed 
> and what a shame. OPEL on a national scale would be the best of both 
> worlds. Layer 2/Layer 3: that's the job of the VAR. Want to build a 
> regional telehouse for DR? Easy. There's still a place for small, 
> regional ISPs (which appeals to the silo mentalities in regional areas 
> - no pun intended) as well as larger service providers with their 
> economy of scale. Everyone goes home happy.
>

I think the original plan expressed in the Broadband Connect project was 
good - except they screwed up the conditions of the tender, and would 
not allow a compliant bid to only address the backhaul component - every 
bid had to include a local access component in addition to be compliant, 
thereby destroying the main result.

I'm not so convinced that the selection of Opel, and the way Opel chose 
to deliver on the requirements,would have been the best way forward. 
What they were planning on building was a national WiMAX network with 
lots of towers on which Optus could coincidentally house 3G cellphone 
transmitters, building a national private mobile tower network and 
backhaul on the back of government funds designed for other purposes. At 
least, thats how I read the commentary from others ;-)

Anyway, thats ancient history now.

(Ob disclosure - I worked on a competing bid, that wasn't selected to 
move forward. Still think it was a good idea :-) )

P.

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