Wholesale rates fixed for five years, overseas ISPs coming to Australia and Malcolm Turnbull comparing NBN Co to Scientology? It’s just another week of NBN news, conveniently wrapped for your consumption below.
• Could the NBN be the stepstool international ISPs use to get a foot up in Australia? David Braue over at ZDNet thinks it’s not just a possibility, but one that could seriously benefit Australian consumers. It would, however, destroy the minor ISPs of the country, which isn’t necessarily a good thing. All speculation at this point, but definitely worth a read. [ZDNet]
• ISPs will pay a fixed rate of $24 per wholesale connection to the NBN for the next five years, with rates to increase at half the rate of inflation after that. Who knows how much that will affect retail prices this far in advance? [Gizmodo]
• NBN Co wants your ideas on future products and network investments. No, not you Malcolm Turnbull – people without a political agenda. The catch is that participants in the “Product Development Forum” will have to waive their right to copyright their ideas, instead submitting them for the good of NBN Co. [Australian IT]
• Malcolm Turnbull has been on the soundbite warpath this week. He believes that the NBN is headed for a $6 billion blowout due to cost projections from last year no longer being accurate. We’ll find out whether he’s accurate when NBN Co releases its updated corporate plan next year. [SMH]
• Still with Turnbull, this time he’s opted for the FUD approach of comparing NBN Co with everybody’s favourite pseudo-religion, Scientology. “As it is, the NBN Co projects a defensive and non-transparent approach, which seems like a cross between the Kremlin and the Church of Scientology,” he said. Turnbull was complaining about NBN Co not delivering commercial information about the network. [ZDNet]
• As the rollout continues, more and more communities within that 7 per cent of wireless NBN coverage are voicing their disappointment at not getting fibre. Fair enough, really – wireless just isn’t as good. Someone tell the opposition. [Australian IT]