Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Playing Nice?

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  • Stephen Judd,

    Parliament is debating swine flu at the moment...

    Ah, is that scheduled prior to question time? Swine before churls.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report

  • Peter Darlington,

    1. The budgeted $1.5 billion is nothing like enough to pay the taxpayer's half of a high-speed fibre network reaching 75% of New Zealanders. The total cost is more like between $5bn and $10bn.

    2. No 1 is especially true if you actually want "ultra-fast" broadband in the form of an active, rather than a passive fibre network.

    The word I heard on this was that the Govt got treasury to cost out the rollout. Firstly they went to Telco representatives for consultation and got a price of $6+bn back. The Govt didn't like this number so started speaking to other parties such as lines companies and others who have been involved in local fibre initiatives, and the number dropped to around $2+bn. This was obviously closer to what they wanted to hear and this is why the BII initiative is focused around the 25 local area initiatives rather than a single nationally-based (i.e. more traditional telco) model.

    Nelson • Since Nov 2006 • 949 posts Report

  • David Haywood,

    Swine before churls.

    Stephen, just wanted to take a moment to acknowledge your awesome punning prowess. Maximum respect, dude.

    Dunsandel • Since Nov 2006 • 1156 posts Report

  • Stuart Coats,

    It goes beyond the transgressions we accept and expect from student journalists, and does no good to any aspirations Oliver might have to a journalistic career of his own.

    Surely all recent evidence shows that the ability to issue superflous legal documents, overreact to someone writing a blog and to try and cover one's tracks despite evidence to the contrary will stand Mr Oliver in great stead for any future journalistic career in New Zealand.

    The Herald, for one, beckons.....

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 192 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    The budgeted $1.5 billion is nothing like enough to pay the taxpayer's half of a high-speed fibre network reaching 75% of New Zealanders. The total cost is more like between $5bn and $10bn.

    Interestingly, the study suggests that $3bn would possibly be enough to get fibre to the road. This is a model I originally preferred - with heavily subsidised connections for those who asked. This minimises unecessary rollout to premises that don't want or need it.
    Unfortunately I liked that as a low cost model, which apparently it isn't, and Treasury believes that private investors won't be interested as they'd have no return (although some may be willing if they are then locked in as the final connectors)

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    Unfortunately I liked that as a low cost model, which apparently it isn't, and Treasury believes that private investors won't be interested as they'd have no return (although some may be willing if they are then locked in as the final connectors)

    This was the problem with Maurice Williamson's costings last year. He made great play of what Verizon is spending on FTTH, without noting that Verizon's sums assumed total ownership of the network, and getting iirc about $US200 a month out of each household for phone, internet and television.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    You kinda have to think though, if a national fibre network can't get built by private players with a $1.5 BILLION subsidy to help them, then is the demand/need/benefit really there?

    That's why I like the to-the-road approach, because it provides the backbone, removes some large-scale-uncertainty for private investors and allows for connections to then only be made on a "who actually wants it" basis

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Mark Harris,

    I think the demand is there, if latent, but not at the price/quality ratio that we're currently getting. Vicious circle. Plus no-one wants to be first with the expense just in case ...

    Waikanae • Since Jul 2008 • 1343 posts Report

  • Russell Brown,

    That's why I like the to-the-road approach, because it provides the backbone, removes some large-scale-uncertainty for private investors and allows for connections to then only be made on a "who actually wants it" basis

    Which kinda what you'd have if the government got it right with regulating the cabinets. Telecom Wholesale told me when the cabinets went in Pt Chev that they'd have the flexibility to deliver dedicated fibre to premises from the cabinet, if there was a customer who wanted to pay for it.

    I do have sympathy with the idea of building on infrastructure that's already there, even if it's not so glamorous.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 22850 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    Yeah but price/quality is part of the demand factor.
    I'm all for the plan, but think we need to be very careful in committing billions of taxpayer dollars. And once you start going beyond the $1.5b figure there'll be some pretty serious questions about return/opportunity cost. On the flipside, it has to actually deliver.

    So I reckon a model something like:
    - FibreCo spends $3b getting a to-the-road network setup (50% Govt/50% private).
    - The local partner for that build becomes the sole provider for connecting to the household (at a regulated price)
    - Govt provides a subsidy to each local partner that sees that regulated price come down to a level that makes it attractive for anyone that wants it. Perhaps $99 or $10 a month on your "fibre bill" from your ISP.

    At which point the Govt is spending more than the proposed $1.5b (being the subsidies on top of that) but it looks like that's happening regardless.

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Gareth Ward,

    Also, believe I've made this disclaimer before, but the company I work for is owned by a company that is owned by Telecom. In a business totally unrelated to anything we're discussing =)

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report

  • Conor Roberts,

    If you're like to join us for tomorrow's recording, after 5pm at the Classic Comedy Club in Queen St, hit Reply and let me know.

    I hope you'll all come down to the London Bar after Media7 to hear Mayor Len Brown speak on regional governance at the monthly Drinking Liberally meeting. It kicks off at 7pm but it won’t matter if the Media7 people are a bit late.

    See you there.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 57 posts Report

  • Rich of Observationz,

    Looking at the different options for fibre (and this would be better in a table) I'd see:

    Empty ducts: Lowest rollout cost / Highest user connection cost / Highest upgradability

    Passive splitters: Lower rollout cost / Medium user connection cost / Medium upgradability

    Direct fibre: Higher rollout cost / Medium user connection cost / Medium upgradability

    Active ethernet over fibre: Highest rollout cost / Lowest user connection cost / Lowest upgradability

    I have this funny feeling that the empty duct option might win, you know.

    Back in Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 5550 posts Report

  • Robyn Gallagher,

    You know, despite my moanings earlier, I am actually looking forward to this week's Media 7. I like tales of the olden days of the intarwebs; the beardy days.

    Since Nov 2006 • 1946 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    How slow is the internet in New Zealand? who is this for apart from gamers?

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Eddie Clark,

    Umm... for a start, anyone that wants to stream video properly, Mark?

    For example, NHL coverage in NZ is almost impossible to get. I'd quite like to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs on the NHL.com website, but their streaming service requires 750 kbps to get a smooth viewing experience. The puck's hard enough to see on good quality video, let alone choppy. I get just over 200 on avg on my (vodafone packaged resale of telecom's infrastructure) 'broadband' ADSL connection.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 273 posts Report

  • Kumara Republic,

    How slow is the internet in New Zealand? who is this for apart from gamers?

    Rod Drury's Securing Our Digital Trade Routes is a good starting point.

    Speed isn't the most critical factor, but rather it's the monthly data caps and global connectivity that are the issue, which the Kordia-PipeNet project could address if it goes ahead. A very big 'if'.

    The southernmost capital … • Since Nov 2006 • 5446 posts Report

  • mark taslov,

    ok, thanks Eddie and Deep Red.

    Te Ika-a-Māui • Since Mar 2008 • 2281 posts Report

  • Tom Beard,

    Which is why I expect "cromulent" to appear soon if it doesn't already.

    Ahem

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1040 posts Report

  • Matthew Poole,

    Mark, look at it this way: while we have such crap connectivity, the next YouTube or other bandwidth-hungry application ain't going to be invented here. If we're meant to be trying to be innovative, internet-delivered services are an easy way to get there. They're not, however, encouraged by low-cap, high-cost connections.

    Of course, given National's demonstrated (as opposed to stated) attitude to advanced research and general technological innovation I can't see anything really changing.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report

  • Peter Ashby,

    Well back at Otago Uni 89-91 my wife was the only woman in her CompSci courses, and many of her maths ones to boot. That at least would tend to imply that the supply of women for internet startups was not likely to be large. I'm not saying there weren't any, but compared to those of us over in Biology that side of the University was VERY male, just not as macho as the MinTechers (RIP).

    I also did a doubletake on the 20year thing being sure we had internet access through JANET before '89. Home access though, that was a different thing.

    Dundee, Scotland • Since May 2007 • 425 posts Report

  • giovanni tiso,

    I'd quite like to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs on the NHL.com website, but their streaming service requires 750 kbps to get a smooth viewing experience.

    One of us... one of us...

    Wellington • Since Jun 2007 • 7473 posts Report

  • Kyle Matthews,

    For example, NHL coverage in NZ is almost impossible to get.

    CIF : HD downloads of all playoff games and most regular season via torrent. Open regs at the moment.

    (Currently waiting for todays Sharks/Ducks game six to be posted)

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report

  • Hayden Wilson,

    CIF : HD downloads of all playoff games and most regular season via torrent. Open regs at the moment.

    Please find me that for the NFL. Please.

    Since Nov 2006 • 27 posts Report

  • JohnS,

    There is no apostrophe in the possessive pronoun "its". Nor is there an apostrophe in the possessive pronouns "his" and "hers".

    However, when "it is" is abbreviated to "it's" then, of course, an apostrophe signals the loss of an original letter.

    As a retired teacher I am dismayed at our incompetence in helping our students to master this simple understanding.

    Unfortunately the misuse of "it's" is a world-wide phenomenon. The Americans are particularly culpable.

    The misuse of "it's" seems to have nothing to do with intelligence or general knowledge, so please do not take offence at my comment.

    Greenlane, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 26 posts Report

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