More to NBN argument
Dear Mr Tyson, thank you for the extremely oversimplified and politically charged argument you provided in Saturday's editorial (“Bendigo on the wrong side of NBN divide”, June 17).
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Just like issues in politics, telecommunications is no different. As a new NBN subscriber, I've experienced issues first-hand, but you've failed to understand a key point.
You've already mentioned our current mayor's background in the sector, and I would only assume she already understands the issue is not just with the NBN but also the internet providers that connect to the NBN and the connectivity virtual circuit (CVC).
Despite the debate about the technology used, the cost of NBN’s CVC remains the single biggest threat to the NBN’s success.
The tests on my own connection in Strathfieldsaye have confirmed I have the capacity for a 100mb connection. On average, I can achieve a blistering 93mbs download, just short of the 100mbs speeds I would hit on fibre to the home connection. But during peak times the actual speeds drops to less than 5 per cent of the peak speed.
CVC stands for connectivity virtual circuit and is the virtual charge imposed by NBN to service providers to offload our Bendigo internet traffic from the NBN network into the service provider’s network.
Think of it like this, if NBN was similar Coliban Water, the internet is the water in the pipes. You have to understand the NBN owns the pipes, but not the water.
CVC is the point at which a Telstra or Optus etc puts water into the pipe network, and CVC is the connection point between the two. The water and the pressure and capacity NBN can push through are up to the service provider.
While the NBN provides a 'big' pipe, the speed during peak and off-peak times depend on how much capacity telcos decided to connect and pour into the NBN pipe.
For most of Greater Bendigo, this is more or less like servicing a suburb with a small garden hose. This is not just limited to Bendigo. Even to those on fibre in Shepparton and Ballarat still suffer the same drops in speed. The challenge is that behind the scenes the way the NBN sells its CVC capacity means service providers don't buy enough capacity to cover peak demands on the network, as this leaves them with too much network capacity during off-peak periods.
They have to manage their costs against demand and the cost of providing enough capacity. This is why NBN has recently announced it's looking at how it handles CVC with service providers. So while I appreciate your key sources on the NBN have been the political arguments and press releases, the copper phone network has serviced Australia for over 100 years.
It has still managed to perform all those years by just changing the boxes at either end with each technological advance.
I'm not partisan, political debate is good, but again you have risked over simplifying the issue when other technologies are already being tested in other international markets that prove a mix of telecommunications technologies can surpass the current fixation the nation has on fibre-to-the-home.
Troy Robbins, Strathfieldsaye
Vehemence still exists
The council hopes the construction of the first mosque will be met with less vehemence than the planning process. Why would they expect that? The same issues that surrounded the planning process still exist.
I have said it before, if the proper planning procedures were used and the concerns and issues raised at the time were addressed before the planning approval was made, there would not be that front page article in The Addy (“City study, June16).
The problems past, present and future are of the council's making. They could have done it right from day one. None of these ongoing worries would exist.