[AusNOG] Simon Hackett's presentation from Comms Day yesterday - NBN fibre on copper prices

[Mark Delany]

On 18Jul13, Scott Howard allegedly wrote:
> --047d7b6244e4078cfa04e1d604d7
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
> 
> These are starting to become more common here in the US -
> http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/att/wireless-home-phone-silver.html<http://www.att.com/shop/wireless/devices/att/wireless-home-phone-silver.html#fbid=9QKmNcxYwrl>

Hmm. I could do with one of those... probably locked to AT&T sigh.

I image Verizon are doing much the same in all the Sandy-hit areas
where they're refusing to reconstruct their damaged PSTN.

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NY-AG-Slams-Verizon-For-Killing-DSL-POTS-124888

It is an interesting technical proposition to ask whether the
must-have-PSTN requirement could be special-cased out of the main
rollout.

Unfortunately wireless isn't a realistic option for all the coverage
issues that others have mentioned. And then there are the perception
issues as well.

The other complication is if you offer a (likely subsidized) mobile
service with landline rates, then lots of people might opt for the
service based on cost alone. Then you have to regulate and audit and
get centrelink involved, bleah.


The only other non-fibre solution that readily comes to mind is to
retain the copper for those folk. Not withstanding the installation
logistics and the exchange retention issues, it then heads down the
slippery slope of offering people the ability to keep their PSTN and
thus maybe they're sortof ok with their DSL as well... Slippery
indeed.

Much as we might not like the implications, I think PSTN emulation is
a wise and political necessity during the rollout phase.


Mark.