LF

Why do we have to stand for labor stupidity?

The assumption that doing all the fiber to the premises now would be cheaper is generalization that is only true in ideal circumstances. As I showed above, assuming that labour costs are fixed, each house is a small project in itself, and both plans have teams doing this, with fewer teams on the Lib side. The difference in efficiencies is small.

However, what is clear is that already the NBN huge demand for cable installers has pushed up labour costs immensely. The consequences are that the cost per installation is far higher under the Labor plan, and the delivery time is far longer.

The FTTN plan is far smarter, more efficient, and does not saddle the taxpayer with and additional $60bn of deficit.

<<The FTTN plan is far smarter, more efficient, and does not saddle the taxpayer with and additional $60bn of deficit.>>

Not to mention the cost of bringing fibre-optic cables even to those homes who do not want it and of sending the police after those who refuse to have it installed on their premises.

Luciferase – you can’t win with Shadow Minister. SM is totally incapable of a logical discussion, makes things up, distorts things and constantly resorts to personal abuse. I suppose thats what shadow ministers do. I hope SM never goes to America because over there they go left around a roundabouts.

Yuyutsu – seem nice enough. I get the impression Yuyu believes in fairies (winged ones).

Have come across Spindoc. Spinner displays similar traits.

Pity really I enjoy a robust debate with an individuals that are open to explore another concept and is able to modify their thinking if convinced. I have over time change or modified my philosophy and will no doubt continue to do so.

Good post by the way.

Producer,

When debating installation of networks with an electrical engineer who has spent more than two decades installing electrical and communications networks, don't be surprised when you pronounce trite "factoids" that you have gleaned from talking with other non technical people, and I fail to accept them as fundamental truths.

I think I hit the nail on the head when I guessed that your background has nothing to do with networking. Your reluctance to accept anything other than the labor spin as fact is an indictment on your reasoning.

SM: "When debating installation of networks with an electrical engineer who has spent more than two decades installing electrical and communications networks......"

Why on earth then, if you are so expert, do you toe a party line that is so patently false? Please don't lower your dignity to Turnbullian depths by claiming we'll all have 80Mb/s downloads under the LNP plan. At this rate, by about July I reckon, we'll be told it will be twice as fast as full fibre and half the cost.

Crikey! A pig just flew past my window!

LF,

It is actually because I have years of experience that I know that the Labor system is a crock. Having been a project manager for large projects the costing and payback assumptions for Labor's NBN were extremely "courageous" given that many of the assumptions were unlikely given ignored other world wide trends. Such as:

a) There was an unlimited pool of installers that could be mobilized to meet installation deadlines. Obviously there aren't and existing demands for their services has not gone away, leading to the project completely missing its deadlines.

b) Labour rates for installation would remain the same in spite of demand pressure on wages (as happened with the school halls). Already they are accusing subcontractors of gouging because they can.

c) Their profit is based on a 70% take up. This assumes alternative technologies like wireless are going to remain static. Wireless already supplies 25% of households in the US (these have no fixed lines) and the number in Aus is already 16% and growing faster than any other connection.

The projection of $90bn for the existing model by Macquarie bank is far more believable than Labor's meeting the existing budget of $37bn.

As for the speeds quoted by Turnbull, they are entirely possible, for houses close to the nodes. Cat 6 twisted pair cable can get easily 1GB/s at 200m. The twisted pair telephone lines cannot do this at 12km runs, but at short runs i.e. in block of flats with one node, can get very fast speeds.

As for speeds required, I have built large industrial plants with thousands of control points that ran off a 1MB/s back bone, and then Producer says 50Mb/s is insufficient to monitor the medical condition of one war vet. What a pile of bollocks.