@Yuyutsu: Indeed they don't normally come physically-separated, but I added that extra switch that does it: I do have just one line, but a splitter-switch cuts that line into two cables before it reaches my house, so no internet-access is possible whatsoever from my phone sockets.

So you have an ADSL splitter, and only bring the voice side into the house. I don't know why you bother doing that - if the ADSL side isn't connected to an ISP it's pretty useless. It the same with the NBN actually. If you haven't arranged connected a service provider to one of its ports, the port is pretty useless.

But is any case you can achieve the same thing with the NBN box. When you think about it, it is really just a souped up ADSL splitter that has 6 outputs instead of 2. They even say in some areas they will be external. I don't know how that would work - they must be in a locked box. The first thing I'd try is putting some epoxy into each of the unused ports. Failing that, ripping out the RJ45 pins in the socket is bound to slow down whoever you are trying to stop.

@rehctub: Having been acustomed to life with mobiles, do you honestly think they will use a 'land line' based internet, in favour of their mobile simply because it's faster.

Have you ever seen a teenager use the internet?

Look, this just has to stop.

We have people on OLO that are well informed, technically savvy and utterly immune to marketing bull dust. Stop destroying the illusions of the vulnerable.

We also have people who have read the promo material, listened to, and believed the politicians. In addition, they are actually reflecting back their version of the “sales message”. This is called the “educated customer”. (He he he.)

Sorry, I just had to call marketing to let them know we still have thousands of “bunnies” out there. I couldn’t actually talk to them because I was in tears, cracking up with laughter as I listened to the ill informed pseudo-techie-babble permeating this thread.

God, I wish I had never retired from marketing; it always gave me such a BUZZ.

The Australian public deserves everything they get. It is fortunate that such Australians don’t live in the USA, you would all be bankrupt in a week. My god you are so freekin’naïve.

@Houellebecq: But, what if a larger percentage than expected only pays this low cost, not the $50+ type plans? Surely that would put a hole in NBN's viability.

Some back of the envelope costs using figures I pulled out of my bum:

Cost of NBN: $43,000M
Households in Australia: 10M * $24/month
Ergo, time to pay off that $43,000 = 179 months, or 15 years.

I haven't added interest, so they will be in the hole if every man + business only takes the $24 package. But I'm guessing they will find a way to move all those cable customers onto their service. A stunt like that shouldn't be too hard for a government monopoly to pull off.

If you are into right wing conspiracy theories, then what they are doing is nationalising the countries telecommunications infrastructure, removing all that duplication create by rampant competition (two cable companies + adsl in the same street - what were we thinking?) then using the combined pool of money to re-wire the country. But hey, it worked out pretty well when we did it last time.

@Houellebecq: I cant believe people would want 6 bills

Your absolutely right. I hate it those bills. But the number of bill's won't change. If I have a phone, ISP, and foxtel bill now, I will have exactly the same bills after the NBN. I'll let you in on a little secret: I ditched the foxtel bill, and combined the phone, mobile and ISP bill. So bill nirvana is possible. That won't change under the NBN either.

@Houellebecq: See, they own your modem, and you are just using it.

How old are you? I'm going to embarrass myself here, but I remember it was like that with your phone once. I don't recall it being a problem.

@Houellebecq: I don't like that idea, I set my on security and choose my own technology currently.

Then put a router between it and your computers. Can I make a suggestion? Use one of those newfangled Wireless 802.11N ones, so you don't need to run cat5 through the house.

Dear rehctub,

You said; “do you honestly think they will use a 'land line' based internet, in favour of their mobile simply because it's faster.”?

I do because land line internet serves a slightly different but significant purpose, access to large amounts of data which needs to be downloaded speedily to be of timely use.

Think of our drinking habits. When mobile we are prepared to pay exorbitantly for bottled water for the convenience but few of us would be willing to only have access to non-potable water through our mains.

Dear spindoc,

I now download more in a month than I would have possibly envisioned using in an entire year just five years ago. I don’t think either of us knows what our requirements will be in 5 years’ time. I do see the NBN as future proofing rather than just serving current needs.

As to the US if we can in any way avoid the fragmentation of their telecommunications sector and its now entrenched problems we should be making every attempt to do so.

I do wonder how our postal system might look if cost was the primary driver of its implementation. Some policies should be considered as nation building exercises and I think the NBN is one of those instances. By all means do it as cost prudently as possible but giving close to all individuals and communities throughout Australia access to the digital superhighway should have the support of us all.

It does make me pine a little for the Telecom days where the vision was on building and maintaining a world class telecommunications system for the nation. So successful were we that our technical expertise was exported to many countries. Suddenly we were importing CEOs and management teams.

My father-in-law is a staunch Liberal voter but if there is one thing that will get his blood boiling it is the selloff of Telstra.
Perhaps there is a little nostalgia in my support for the NBN, it shows we do things a little differently to the US and I for one am thankful for it.

RS>>Have you ever seen a teenager use the internet?

I'm not sure what you're getting at, but my adult kids and their mates use it all the time. They are costantly in touch with each other on the face book site, from their mobiles.

Are you suggesting they will not go clubing so they can keep in touch via the office bound computer?

CS>>I now download more in a month than I would have possibly envisioned using in an entire year just five years ago. I don’t think either of us knows what our requirements will be in 5 years’ time. I do see the NBN as future proofing rather than just serving current needs.

So what do we do in another five years.

Are you brave enough to say NBN is here for ever, or at least 50 years so we can get a return on our investment.

csteele,

You should be made an honorary member of the “bunnies club”. I offered you a whole list of reasons why you are targeted, vulnerable and categorized by communications marketing as one of their prime bunnies. In response you came back with another load of reasons to confirm your qualifications. What a sucker you are.

I particularly liked the “future proofing”, the USA’s “entrenched problems” (what?), fragmentation of the (USA’s) telecommunications sector (what?), Australia avoiding the same (what?) Your vision of “world class communications” and “exporting our technical expertise”, (really?) and finally doing things a little differently to the USA” (what?).

It is one thing to clearly demonstrate that you know sod all about this industry, it is quite another to fabricate issues so that you can then solve them with the NBN. Yep!This oversold and costly Dinosaur will do all that (not).

Sold to the “bunny” in the corner!

Next!

I repeat, “My god you are so freekin’ naïve.”