NBN: Taking the Internet to the PeopleHolly Raiche, Executive Director

Internet Society of Australia (www.isoc-au.org.au)

This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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• Why an NBN

• What it the NBN: the policy

• The issues: technical

• The issues: consumer

• ISOC-AU’s views

• what comes next

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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The Politics

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Why an NBN• OECD Rankings – anywhere between tenth for wireless

broadband to sixteenth for households with broadband access – and we are expensive

• ACMA – are 9.6 million Internet subscribers with xDSL services down and mobile wireless up

• ABS – Of Internet subscribers, only 7% on dial up, with DSL the technology for almost half the subscribers, and mobile wireless increasing

• RTIRC – (2008) under a third of households in rural and remote Australia connected to broadband

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Benefits• Communications, especially for people with disabilities,

people from different cultures, language groups etc• Health• Education• Research• Delivery of Gov. and other services• Access to markets/customers• Agriculture – weather information, crop information etc• Metering - utilities• Entertainment, etc. etc., etc.,• See nbnco.com.au - videos

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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The Policy• High speed broadband to all Australians

• FTTP to 93% of the population• Wireless (fixed/satellite) to 7% - at least 12 Mb/s

• Uniform national wholesale access pricing for basic service

• Built by Government owned NBN Co• Competitive Environment

• Monopoly provider of local access network• Provides wholesale only open access network

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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The Policy: Competition Reforms• NBN Cos can only sell to carriers/carriage service providers

(exceptions)• NBN Co Access Agreements with service providers must be public

and other providers must have access on same terms (in similar circumstances

• No discrimination between access seekers (almost)• The Regulator can make binding access determinations• Non NBN Companies cannot, after 1 January 2011, install

broadband networks where there is no competitive network, unless they provide services on an open access wholesale only basis

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Technical IssuesAggregation & Backhaul

Service Edge & Core

End UsersApplications & Content

Access

Residential

Non-Residential

Non-Premises

FTTP

Wireless/ Satellite

Smart Metering

Security

I nternetI nternet

IPTV/VoD

Voice

Retail NSPs

Wholesale I P NSP

(optional)

ASPs/ CSPs

Multimedia Calling

Education

Health

May 2011 The Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Points of Interconnect: The Options

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Issues for UsersAvailability• High Speed for Rural and Remote

Accessibility• Telephone Typewriters over IP Technology

Affordability• Wholesale costs for retail service providers

Price paid by Users?

Competitive Market/User Choice• Effectiveness of competition reforms

May 2011 This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society

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Issues for Users (cont’d)

Understanding• Why fibre/can I get fibre if I’m outside the area served?

• What happens if I don’t get the NBN now?

• What If I live in a flat/caravan park/nursing home

• What if I only want a telephone service?

• Can I use my handset/modem/other equipment

• Must I rewire my house

• Service migration issues

• What happens in a black out?

• Can I complain – to whom: NBN Co/my service provider?

May 2011

What comes next?

This Project was funded in part by a grant from the Internet Society