[AusNOG] "i want a pony!" (was Re: Long live the NBN. The NBN is dead?! [personal])

[Mark Smith]

On Thu, 12 Aug 2010 10:27:43 +1000
David Mitchell <me at shutupdave.com> wrote:

> On 11/08/2010 19:59, Mark Smith wrote:
> > So where are the use cases with that sort of detail? My question from
> > this morning was to see if people on this list, who know what people
> > use networks for, could provide cases for or against 100Mbps, or 1Gbps.
> > Some people have come close, by pointing out applications that may use
> > up to 20Mbps - but that's a long way from 100Mbps, and, as I said
> > earlier, lets borrow another $5BN to get 1Gbps if we can if there are
> > cases for it. *Are there cases for it*? The ephemeral cases quoted for
> > 100Mbps are equally applyable to 1Gbps! If we're trying to keep up with
> > the International Joneses, at nearly any cost (which from my financial
> > perspective is what $43BN is), then I want to keep up with the Swedish
> > Joneses, pronounced "Lothberg".
> 
> Looks like we will be keeping up with the Lothbergs:

Lothbergs have 40Gbps and a CRS1.

> http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/nbn-to-announce-huge-increase-in-speed-20100812-1205s.html
> 
> "The national broadband network will enable speeds of one gigabit per
> second on its fibre optic network ... the company building the network
> will announce today."
> 
> "Increasing the speed would not add to the $43 billion construction
> price tag ... Mr Quigley said."
> 

So how are ISPs going to be able to afford to provide 1Gbps Internet
plans on top of that? Where are their billions in hand outs from the
government to buy more switches, routers and transit capacity?

I know the difference between access rate and committed or
likely information rate, but the Labor party don't, and the general
public don't, and NBNco don't seem to be making any effort to ensure the
difference is understood, and probably won't be allowed to by their
political masters. 1Gbps NBN = 1Gbps Internet - the stories in the
press yesterday are propagating that myth, and that is what the general
public will believe.

Being expected to deliver on false and unrealistic customer
expectations has been one of the most consistent problems I've had to
deal with in nearly 20 years of working. By default, I now actively try
to manage it as soon as I can - it's much easier to "disappoint"
a customer sooner rather than later so that they can get over
it and plan something else. It's bad enough when sales people do it to
you, but when a government does it to an industry for electoral
purposes ... Conroy has no hesitation in saying that you support child
pornography if you're against the Internet filter, so do you think
he'll hesitate to publically blame the ISP industry for not being able
to deliver on 1Gbps Internet over a 1Gbps NBN?