[AusNOG] NBN Battery backups

[Bevan Slattery]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ausnog-bounces at lists.ausnog.net [mailto:ausnog-
> bounces at lists.ausnog.net] On Behalf Of Narelle
> Sent: Wednesday, 12 October 2011 4:16 PM
> To: Tom Wright
> Cc: ausnog at ausnog.net
> Subject: Re: [AusNOG] NBN Battery backups
> 
> On Tue, Oct 11, 2011 at 6:49 PM, Tom Wright <tom.c.wright at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Err more interesting is how on earth is passing the responsibility
> > onto the RSPs supposed to work?
> 
> Presumably the logic behind this is that RSPs are the ones who will have the
> relationship with the customer, hence it is they who would liaise with said customer
> in the replacement of said battery.

I sure hope not :)

1. NBN Co. are the only ones with true visibility to the ONT infrastructure via network management.  RSP's don't have access (nor should have access to this)
2. Which RSP would be responsible?  I had two (2) "RSP's" servicing my house Telstra for voice and iiNet for DSL.  Which one has the responsibility?  In a house serviced by Foxtel (PayTV), iiNet (Internet) and Optus (voice) over an NBN service which of those three RSP's are responsible (particularly considering point 1)
3. RSP's would (most likely) have no idea or certainty when the battery was installed
4. RSP's will not enjoy the low-impact/land access powers provided to NBN Co. and cannot enter the property without consent

RSP's are retail service providers and their responsibility is everything beyond the NTU. NBN Co's responsibility is up to and including the NTU.  If they decide to put batteries in or not that's their commercial decision.  But if they do it must be their (or the customers) responsibility not the RSP..

I don't read much about NBN matters these days (life's sooooo much less frustrating outside telco :)), nor Whirlpool for that matter and am not sure if this is what they're thinking or not.  All I'm doing is highlighting why the whole concept of trying to shift the responsibility of the maintaining network infrastructure to Retail Service Providers is inefficient, impractical, confusing and ultimately may put more lives at risk than it saves.  I mean if you know you don't have battery backup then you can plan for that.  If you think you have battery backup and don't, well that's where problems happen and the finger pointing starts.

I don't care which way they go with this in terms of with or without battery for the punter, but for remote or high risk persons (health) then a battery should be standard (and probably is).  For $20-$50 extra get the battery and NTU that allows monitoring and provide the certainty any reasonable person would be expecting from a "battery backed up"/critical first line service.

Like I said NBN Co. may already be doing this.  I'm just hoping this doesn't somehow fall into the realm of the RSP.

Cheers

[b]