[AusNOG] Screw the NBN, says TPG: We’ll do our own FTTB

[Damian Guppy]

This will most likely have the effect of the government going "brilliant,
private enterprise is stepping up here, we dont need to deploy a competing
infrastructure" and then thoes half million premises will end up stuck with
a monopoly controlled by TPG (unless iiNet / Telstra also decide to over
build into thoes same apartments - if they can)

--Damian


On Tue, Sep 17, 2013 at 11:22 AM, Skeeve Stevens <
skeeve+ausnog at eintellegonetworks.com> wrote:

> From:  http://delimiter.com.au/2013/09/17/screw-nbn-says-tpg-well-fttb/
>
> =====
>
> Screw the NBN, says TPG: We’ll do our own FTTB
>
> National broadband company TPG has flagged plans to deploy so-called fibre
> to the basement infrastructure to some 500,000 apartments in major
> Australian capital cities, in a move which will compete directly with the
> new Coalition Government’s plans to conduct similar rollouts under the
> National Broadband Network scheme.
>
> Under the incoming Coalition Federal Government’s NBN policy, fibre will
> typically not be extended all the way to home and business premises.
> Instead, the Government is planning to deploy fibre to neighbourhood
> ‘nodes’, and then use Telstra’s existing copper cable for the remainder of
> the distance to premises.
>
> Communications Minister-elect Malcolm Turnbull has also stated that a
> Coalition Government would also examine so-called ‘fibre to the basement’
> schemes, where fibre is extended to a building’s basement or other junction
> point, and then the building’s existing copper cable is used to distribute
> broadband to individual apartments or business premises.
>
> However, in documents associated with its financial results briefing
> today, national broadband provider TPG — one of Australia’s largest ISPs
> and telcos — revealed its own plans to skip the Government’s planned
> rollout and leverage its own fibre infrastructure to deploy FTTB.
>
> Courtesy of its existing PIPE Networks business, TPG has extensive fibre
> infrastructure in built-up areas of major capital cities throughout
> Australia. In its briefing documents, the company said it would be
> “leveraging and expanding our existing fibre network” to deploy “fibre to
> the building” in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The ISP
> has “500k units currently in design”.
>
> “The Group is planning to increase the number of buildings directly
> connected to its fibre network in metro areas,” the company added. “With
> the evolution of new technologies now enabling speeds of up to 100Mbps,
> this will enable the Group to commence offering very high-speed broadband
> services to its customers at ADSL2+ prices.”
>
> TPG noted in its briefing documents that it would be offering up to
> 100Mbps packages including “unlimited” downloads and home phone line
> rental, as well as a bundled Wi-Fi modem and unlimited local calls and
> “standard” national calls to landlines, for $69.99 per month.
>
> Further opportunities may come due to the company’s purchase of a small
> amount of wireless spectrum in the 2.5GHz band, which will become available
> from October 2014. TPG noted that the acquisition of the spectrum would
> give TPG “opportunities to offer innovative, value-adding products” to
> “further enhance” the company’s product suite. In its documents, TPG
> specifically called out the service as having the potential to add value
> for TPG customers connected to FTTB or NBN offerings. It may be possible
> for the company to offer wireless services in-building from its fibre
> termination point.
>
> Under the previous Labor administration, it is unlikely that TPG would
> have been allowed to pursue its FTTB plans, given that Labor’s policy would
> have prohibited private operators from overbuilding the NBN in most cases.
> However, it is unclear what the Coalition’s view on the situation would be.
> Turnbull has stated that he believes in infrastructure-based competition to
> the Coalition’s own NBN infrastructure, meaning it may be possible TPG may
> be allowed — or even encouraged — to continue with the deployment. It’s
> also unclear whether TPG would need to open its infrastructure to
> competitive wholesale access.
>
> The news comes as Turnbull has recently highlighted another deployment
> along similar lines. The rollout, in a housing estate in Sydney, is
> already delivering 100Mbps download and 40Mbps upload speeds<http://delimiter.com.au/2013/09/03/sydney-mdu-vdsl-rollout-delivers-100mbps/>
> .
>
> *opinion/analysis*
> Very, very interesting move from TPG here, and although it obviously comes
> as part of the company’s normal financial results briefing, I strongly
> suspect it would not have been announced today unless the Coalition won
> power in the Federal Election several weeks ago. TPG obviously smells the
> chance here to get in first and deploy FTTB in valuable areas.
>
> I need to go away and do some research on this one before forming an
> opinion. But I’m sure y’all will post some opinions of your own below this
> article ;)
> Written by Renai LeMay <http://delimiter.com.au/author/renai/> on
> Tuesday, September 17, 2013 11:54
> =====
>
>
>
> ...Skeeve
>
> *Skeeve Stevens - *eintellego Networks Pty Ltd
> skeeve at eintellegonetworks.com ; www.eintellegonetworks.com
>
> Phone: 1300 239 038; Cell +61 (0)414 753 383 ; skype://skeeve
>
> facebook.com/eintellegonetworks ;  <http://twitter.com/networkceoau>
> linkedin.com/in/skeeve
>
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>
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