Just this week I have had calls from two developers and a client; and participated in two meetings (on opposite sides of the country) where the information people have been provided is at least confusing and in some cases substantially misleading.
The first is an assertion that Australia's longest running FTTH operator - Broadcast Engineering Services/E-Wire - has gone bankrupt and all their estates have been turned over to Telstra. This has been reported to me by a developer in Western Australia, two senior government representatives in Queensland, and a client in New South Wales. All the same claim but from different sources. In speaking with Tim O'Dea the General Manager of BES, he said "BES is very much alive and well and continuing to expand our customer base". Granted they lost Ellenbrook to Telstra and one of their clients - Satterley Group - also signed with Telstra, but that was only for future estates. They continue to grow their business with new estates soon to come online.
The second issue relates to the NBN and advice - and I use that word lightly - given to a client by a third party whereby they were informed "Optus would win the NBN and roll out the network within a year". Now I must say this assursion was not made by Optus and I don't think they would appreciate their name being associated as it was. However this did certainly cause concern for my client and the investment they are considering in their estate. More alarming was the statement that followed which allegedly claimed FTTN was a better technology, offering faster and more services than the technology they were considering. Why would you invest your own money when the government was going to do it for you?
The reality is the NBN will only deliver a fraction of the services that a true broadband network using FTTH can offer. Furthermore, the NBN is currently focused on reticulating faster broadband services into existing brownfield areas, and it is unlikely to service new greenfield estates. The communications minister, Stephen Conroy, said back in March, "if it were within my power, I would mandate FTTH in greenfield estates". He went on to indicate this would be done outside of the NBN process.
The last issue which is very confusing for developers are misleading claims about the Universal Service Obligation. One developer who wished to remain anonymous to avoid repercussions said "Telstra told us only they have the USO and it is mandated for them to deliver services to every household in Australia". "They gave us the impression we had to deal with them [Telstra] for our telecommunications needs".
While it is true that Telstra has the Universal Service Obligation, it is only for the delivery of the "Standard Telephone Service" and does not apply to products such as Internet, TV, PayTV or any other advanced service. As the name implies the "Standard Telephone Service" is just that "a service". It is not a product or technology, and any suggestion that it must be delivered over a copper or fibre network is misleading.
The STS is currently delivered today over many forms of technology including fibre, copper, and wireless. The Act was specifically written to ensure it was technology neutral. The USO also applies were a customer requests the service from the Universal Service Provider and only if that service cannot be provided by any other carrier in Australia.
So does Telstra have to provide the USO? Yes. Does that mean they have to build an underground cable network in an estate using copper or fibre? Not necessarily. Are they mandated to build an underground network to deliver the service? Absolutely not! They are mandated to deliver a telephone service using what ever technology is appropriate and only if no other provider is willing to deliver the service.
I have recently completed a twelve page white paper which addresses eight frequently asked questions in regards to the telecommunications act and building local access networks. Anyone wishing to get a copy of this paper can contact me directly.
Adam Internet
URL: http://www.adam.net.au/
Phone: (08) 8423 4055
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm network
Country: AU
States: SA
Arise
URL: http://www.arise.com.au/
Phone: 1300 733 66
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: Small operator in Melbourne delivering services in the VicUrban Aurora Estate. Its parent company, IP systems was recently sold to Amcom Telecommunications.
Country: AU
States: VIC
BES/E-Wire
URL: http://www.e-wire.net.au/
Phone: 1300 135 231
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: The first commercial FTTH operator in Australia deploying services into greenfield estates. Still has connected more fibre services than any competitor in Australia. Only deliveres broadband and TV services. Going to find it difficult to compete with the full triple play service providers.
Country: AU
States: WA
Cirrus Communications
URL: http://www.cirruscomms.com.au/
Phone: 1300 552 698
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm network
Country: AU
States: QLD
ClubLinks
URL: http://www.clubcomutilities.com.au/
Phone: 1300 880 809
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: Private FTTH operator for Golf course Estates Sandhurst and Sanctuary Waters.
Country: AU
States: VIC
Comverge
URL: http://www.clubcomutilities.com.au/
Phone: 03 8706 0000
Type: Claims to be open access
Desc: Small operator in Victoria. Seems to have taken over the clubcomutility sites. Uses a collection of 3 devices to deliver the functionality of a triple play network. Technology based on EPON rather than the NBN compliant GPON.
Country: AU
States: VIC
Exetel
URL: http://www.exetel.com.au/
Phone:
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm and NBNT networks. Also participating in the Telstra FTTH trial in Point Cook.
Country: AU
States: NSW, VIC and TAS
FuzeConnect
URL: http://www.fuzeconnect.com.au/
Phone: 1300 881 917
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: New FTTH operator based in NSW. Has several projects around the country. Its parent company has been in operation for over 15 years. Technology based on EPON rather than the NBN compliant GPON.
Country: AU
States: ALL
HaleNet
URL: http://www.halenet.com.au/
Phone: (07) 4681 4999
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: Small operator in regional Queensland. Services a small community called Stanthorpe, west of Toowoomba.
Country: AU
States: QLD
NBN Co
URL: http://www.nbnco.net.au/
Phone: 02 9926 1900
Type: Open Access, wholesale only network operator
Desc: The government owned, National Broadband Network company rolling FTTP services in brownfield communities across Australia
Country: AU
States: All
iiNet
URL: http://www.iinet.com.au/
Phone: 13 19 17
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm, NBNT and TransACT networks
Country: AU
States: All
Internode
URL: http://www.internode.com.au/
Phone: 13 66 33
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm and NBNT networks. Also participating in the Telstra FTTH trial in Point Cook.
Country: AU
States: All
Opticomm
URL: http://www.opticomm.net.au/
Phone: (03) 9646 5236
Type: Open Access, wholesale only network operator
Desc: The largest FTTH operator in Australia. Currently has 50% of the FTTH market in Australia with some 180,000 homes under contract and over 40 projects across all states. Also won the contract to design and build (active components) and operate (end to end) the initial stages of the NBN Tasmanian rollout. Part of the $1.3billion Hills group of companies. Unlike other operators who subcontract a lot of work, has its own field service team within the Hills group of companies.
Country: AU
States: ALL
Primus
URL: http://www.primus.com.au/
Phone: 13 17 89
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail provider delivering services over the Opticomm and NBNT networks
Country: AU
States: All
Pivit
URL: http://www.pivit.com.au/
Phone: 1300 66 33 20
Type: Vertically Integrated, Wholesale
Desc: Privately owned company that has been around 10 years. Its parent Delfcam started operations in 1998 as a PABX service provider. Pivit delivered its first FTTH customer connection in 2004 and has 3 residential estates under contract.
Country: AU
States: QLD, NSW
Inspired i-Land (formally TasTel)
URL: http://www.tastel.com.au/
Phone: 1300 550 580
Type: Retailer
Desc: The former retailer of a JV between AAPT and Aurora Energy, Inspired i-Land delivers services over the Tasmanian Government TasCOLT project.
Country: AU
States: Tas
Pacific.Net
URL: http://http//www.tpnet.co.nz/
Phone: +64 3 543 9094
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: Small boutique operatator in Nelson, at the tip of the South Island of New Zealand.
Country: NZ
States: -
TelecomNZ
URL: http://www.telecom.co.nz/
Phone:
Type: Retailer
Desc: The former Telecom New Zealand retail division which has now been structurally seperated from the wholesale organisation. Previously had three estates in the North Island. Not sure if these have been taken over by TelecomWholesale.
Country: NZ
States: -
TelecomWholesale
URL: http://www.telecomwholesale.co.nz/
Phone:
Type: Wholesale
Desc: The former Telecom New Zealand wholesale division which has now been structurally seperated from the retail organisation
Country: NZ
States: -
Telstra
URL: http://www.telstrasmartcommunity.com/
Phone: 1800 204 128.
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: Australia's incumbant Carrier with revenues of $20billion per year. A slow starter with FTTH, but has recently signed contracts with 68 developers across the country.
Country: AU
States: ALL
TelstraClear
URL: http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/
Phone:
Type: Vertically Integrated
Desc: New Zealand arm of Telstra Australia. Currently only has 1 estates near Christchurh.
Country: NZ
States: -
TransACT
URL: http://www.transact.com.au/
Phone: 13 30 61
Type: ISP wholesale access, voice and video vertically integrated.
Desc: Since 2001 TransACT has been rolling out a hybrid FTTC network to provide Canberra and Queanbeyan with broadband and telephony communication services. Orginally using VDSL equipment, they migrated to traditional DSLAM deployments in Telstra exchanges. TransACT is now retrofitting VDSL2 into their FTTC network that passes some 60,000 premises, and supplying FTTP in mainly greenfields areas. TransACT now services over 50,000 customers and provides FTTP services to five new suburbs and is the preferred provider for an additional five suburbs/towns in the ACT and NSW. 50% owner of ISP grapevine who operates over the TransACT network.
Country: AU
States: ACT, NSW
WorldxChange
URL: http://www.xnet.co.nz/
Phone: 0800 123 456 (NZ)
Type: Retailer
Desc: A retail service provider working in conjunction with TelecomWholesale to deliver FTTH into greenfield estates in New Zealand.
Country: NZ
States: -
To see the list of communities that there operators deliver services go to the Australian and New Zealand Communities Map
