Showing posts with label Telstra. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Telstra. Show all posts
Telstra today announced plans to upgrade its Velocity fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) network to peak speeds of 100Mbps - five times faster than the current 20Mbps speeds.
Speaking at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) National Congress in Brisbane, Holly Kramer, Group Managing Director - Telstra Product Management, announced to a group of property developers that the Velocity fibre optic solution for new housing developments will be upgraded by Christmas.
This announcement comes a month after Internode announced in February its launch of 100Mbps Internet services in conjunction with open access network provider OptiComm. They are already deploying up to 100Mbps speeds today in an estate in Queensland and will be rolled out to another 12 estates before the end of this year, so Telstra's claim during the announcement of "providing the fastest broadband in Australia" is not correct.
Geoff Booth, Group Managing Director, Telstra Country Wide explained that Telstra had connected some 3100 homes to the Velocity network already and had some 100,000 plus lots under contract; although looking at a number of these estates some are 3-5 years away from starting.
Ms Kramer went on to publicly apologise for the poor performance many residents have experience on service delivery when connecting to the Velocity network - this is the first time Telstra have admitted any such problems. She promised Telstra would improve the customer connection experience in future.
Telstra did not announce any pricing on the proposed Velocity 100Mbps services, only that "we will align our Velocity FTTH network with HFC both in terms of speed and customer offering". This would suggest that a 100Mbps Velocity service will only offer a 2Mbps upstream speeds as is the case with HFC. Residents are likely to have to wait until December before pricing on the new products are released while Internode and Opticomm are today delivering 100Mbps for only $99 per month.
Speaking at the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA) National Congress in Brisbane, Holly Kramer, Group Managing Director - Telstra Product Management, announced to a group of property developers that the Velocity fibre optic solution for new housing developments will be upgraded by Christmas.
This announcement comes a month after Internode announced in February its launch of 100Mbps Internet services in conjunction with open access network provider OptiComm. They are already deploying up to 100Mbps speeds today in an estate in Queensland and will be rolled out to another 12 estates before the end of this year, so Telstra's claim during the announcement of "providing the fastest broadband in Australia" is not correct.
Geoff Booth, Group Managing Director, Telstra Country Wide explained that Telstra had connected some 3100 homes to the Velocity network already and had some 100,000 plus lots under contract; although looking at a number of these estates some are 3-5 years away from starting.
Ms Kramer went on to publicly apologise for the poor performance many residents have experience on service delivery when connecting to the Velocity network - this is the first time Telstra have admitted any such problems. She promised Telstra would improve the customer connection experience in future.
Telstra did not announce any pricing on the proposed Velocity 100Mbps services, only that "we will align our Velocity FTTH network with HFC both in terms of speed and customer offering". This would suggest that a 100Mbps Velocity service will only offer a 2Mbps upstream speeds as is the case with HFC. Residents are likely to have to wait until December before pricing on the new products are released while Internode and Opticomm are today delivering 100Mbps for only $99 per month.
They say a week is a long time in politics; and so too in the Australian telecommunications industry.
On Monday, Don McGauchie confirmed he has formally begun the process of finding a replacement for Sol Trujilo. With the departure last year of Phil Burgers, then recently his right hand man in Greg Wynn, the time has come for the last of the three Amgios to also call it a day. Perhaps with his departure some compromise can be achieved with a new direction for Australia's incumbent telco.
The one thing that will be Trujillo's legacy at Telstra was his almost relentless attack on the Government and ACCC over regulation of the telecommunications industry and the company he lead in particular.
Tuesday saw Optus mention it would consider an alliance with the two other national biggers to build the federal government's national broadband network. However the group may have to wait for some time because of the constraints under the RFP guidelines. A joint venture between the three parties would deliver the best outcome for Australia. Axia could build their proposed backhaul network, Optus offer the access network (which they already have a good coverage with the ULL, HFC, Mobile and Satellite and Acacia the network operator delivering truely Open Access to the market.
Wednesday saw our Communications Minister reiterate that is was the Government's "ambition" to sign a contract by the end of March, after a prolonged attack be Senator Minchin in which he repeatedly questioned Minister Conroy when the Federal Government would be ready to sign a contract with a successful tenderer.
It has previously been reported in many circles - including on this blog - that Optus, Axia and Acacia may seek regulatory guarantees before signing a contract with the Government. Considering the upper house is still controlled by the opposition parties who so far have been vehemently opposed to the National Broadband Network, I don't think anyone will be signing a $10b contract based on promises which the Government cannot guarantee will be passed.
On Thursday, Senator Nick Minchin - Shadow communications minister - introduced a motion which would require the government to immediately furnish the Expert Group's report to the Senate. After a compromise was reached with Family First Senator Stephen Fielding, the motion was passed requiring the report to instead be published the day after the NBN tender is awarded.
Minchin said Conroy had failed to deliver on claims that the NBN process would be open and transparent. In a statement Minchin said, “While I maintain this advice should be publicly released before a successful tenderer is chosen, the Senate has agreed that at the very least they should be tabled immediately after a winning bid is announced”, further adding “Public scrutiny of this crucial advice to the government will enable a proper assessment of whether Labor is acting truly in the national interest and not purely in its short-term political interest.”
On Monday, Don McGauchie confirmed he has formally begun the process of finding a replacement for Sol Trujilo. With the departure last year of Phil Burgers, then recently his right hand man in Greg Wynn, the time has come for the last of the three Amgios to also call it a day. Perhaps with his departure some compromise can be achieved with a new direction for Australia's incumbent telco.
The one thing that will be Trujillo's legacy at Telstra was his almost relentless attack on the Government and ACCC over regulation of the telecommunications industry and the company he lead in particular.
Tuesday saw Optus mention it would consider an alliance with the two other national biggers to build the federal government's national broadband network. However the group may have to wait for some time because of the constraints under the RFP guidelines. A joint venture between the three parties would deliver the best outcome for Australia. Axia could build their proposed backhaul network, Optus offer the access network (which they already have a good coverage with the ULL, HFC, Mobile and Satellite and Acacia the network operator delivering truely Open Access to the market.
Wednesday saw our Communications Minister reiterate that is was the Government's "ambition" to sign a contract by the end of March, after a prolonged attack be Senator Minchin in which he repeatedly questioned Minister Conroy when the Federal Government would be ready to sign a contract with a successful tenderer.
It has previously been reported in many circles - including on this blog - that Optus, Axia and Acacia may seek regulatory guarantees before signing a contract with the Government. Considering the upper house is still controlled by the opposition parties who so far have been vehemently opposed to the National Broadband Network, I don't think anyone will be signing a $10b contract based on promises which the Government cannot guarantee will be passed.
On Thursday, Senator Nick Minchin - Shadow communications minister - introduced a motion which would require the government to immediately furnish the Expert Group's report to the Senate. After a compromise was reached with Family First Senator Stephen Fielding, the motion was passed requiring the report to instead be published the day after the NBN tender is awarded.
Minchin said Conroy had failed to deliver on claims that the NBN process would be open and transparent. In a statement Minchin said, “While I maintain this advice should be publicly released before a successful tenderer is chosen, the Senate has agreed that at the very least they should be tabled immediately after a winning bid is announced”, further adding “Public scrutiny of this crucial advice to the government will enable a proper assessment of whether Labor is acting truly in the national interest and not purely in its short-term political interest.”
It been a busy news day for many people involved in the ICT industry. As you may be aware, Telstra's 13 page submission to the expert panel in response to the Request for Proposals has been deemed non-compliant for failing to submit a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Participation Plan, which is one of five mandatory requirements of the RFP.
Below are a list of media articles on the subject:
Govt hits back at Telstra on NBN rejection – Australian IT
The Rudd Government has hit out at the Telstra board, calling on it to explain to shareholders why it failed to ensure its bid for the $4.7 billion broadband network complied with the tender process.
Telstra quiet on NBN legal action – Australian IT
Telstra has not ruled out seeking legal action over its exclusion from the bidding process to build a $15 billion national broadband network.
Telstra tumbles 8pc on broadband knockout – Australian IT
Telstra shares fell 8 per cent today after it was excluded from the bidding process to build a $15 billion national broadband network.
Telstra sidelined to spectator – businessspectator.com.au
Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie rejects suggestions there was a split between the board and management over whether to submit a proposal to build the National Broadband Network (NBN), but he's staying mum on possible legal action and describes his relationship with Stephen Conroy as 'workable'.
Abandon broadband tender process: Minchin – businessday.com.au
The tender process for a national broadband network has been incompetently handled and the government must abandon it, the federal opposition says.
Delay to broadband network likely – SMH
Telstra's exclusion from the bidding process to build a national broadband network (NBN) could result in further delays in its construction, an industry analyst says.
Telstra (TLS) $3.89 – The Australian
Officially, Telstra is now out of the running to build the $10 billion-plus national broadband network (NBN) after the federal Government this morning elevated brinkmanship to levels not seen since 1962.
Competitors call for ASIC/ASX investigation of Telstra's NBN RFP tactics – itwire.com
The Competitive Carriers’ Coalition has accused Telstra of failing to adequately inform the market of is activities around the national broadband network and has called on ASIC and the ASX to investigate.
Climate clouds Telstra storm: Minchin – The Australian
The Rudd Government has deliberately revealed Telstra has been excluded from the national broadband bid process on the same day as its major climate change announcement in an attempt to bury the news, the Opposition has charged.
Telstra exit throws broadband plan into chaos – SMH
The Rudd Government's plans to begin rolling out a $10 billion-plus national broadband network next year have been thrown into tatters after Telstra was dumped from the tender process.
Telstra & the NBN: it will be a long time till the fat lady sings – itwire.com
Its exclusion from the National Broadband Network appears to have taken Telstra by surprise, but it certainly won't be taken lying down, and there are many hurdles to another bidder getting a green light, and the funding to rollout the NBN.
Conroy "a manifest failure" over Telstra NBN exclusion: Minchin – itwire.com
Australia’s Shadow Communications Minister, Senator Nick Minchin, has savaged the Rudd Labor Government and the Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy, over the “total ineptitude and mishandling” of the NBN process which has now seen Telstra excluded for a “remarkable” and “trivial reason”.
'Trivial': McGauchie attacks Telstra's exclusion – The Australian
The federal Government has excluded Telstra from the bidding process to build a $10 billion-plus national broadband network.
Conroy kicks Telstra out of NBN race – itwire.com
The Government has excluded Telstra from the National Broadband Network RFP process on what appears to be a technicality - that it failed to include a plan for how to involve small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the building of the NBN.
Telstra 'excluded' from broadband deal – The Australian
Telstra says it has been excluded from the bidding process for the construction of a national broadband network (NBN) by the Federal Government for "trivial" reasons.
Below are a list of media articles on the subject:
Govt hits back at Telstra on NBN rejection – Australian IT
The Rudd Government has hit out at the Telstra board, calling on it to explain to shareholders why it failed to ensure its bid for the $4.7 billion broadband network complied with the tender process.
Telstra quiet on NBN legal action – Australian IT
Telstra has not ruled out seeking legal action over its exclusion from the bidding process to build a $15 billion national broadband network.
Telstra tumbles 8pc on broadband knockout – Australian IT
Telstra shares fell 8 per cent today after it was excluded from the bidding process to build a $15 billion national broadband network.
Telstra sidelined to spectator – businessspectator.com.au
Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie rejects suggestions there was a split between the board and management over whether to submit a proposal to build the National Broadband Network (NBN), but he's staying mum on possible legal action and describes his relationship with Stephen Conroy as 'workable'.
Abandon broadband tender process: Minchin – businessday.com.au
The tender process for a national broadband network has been incompetently handled and the government must abandon it, the federal opposition says.
Delay to broadband network likely – SMH
Telstra's exclusion from the bidding process to build a national broadband network (NBN) could result in further delays in its construction, an industry analyst says.
Telstra (TLS) $3.89 – The Australian
Officially, Telstra is now out of the running to build the $10 billion-plus national broadband network (NBN) after the federal Government this morning elevated brinkmanship to levels not seen since 1962.
Competitors call for ASIC/ASX investigation of Telstra's NBN RFP tactics – itwire.com
The Competitive Carriers’ Coalition has accused Telstra of failing to adequately inform the market of is activities around the national broadband network and has called on ASIC and the ASX to investigate.
Climate clouds Telstra storm: Minchin – The Australian
The Rudd Government has deliberately revealed Telstra has been excluded from the national broadband bid process on the same day as its major climate change announcement in an attempt to bury the news, the Opposition has charged.
Telstra exit throws broadband plan into chaos – SMH
The Rudd Government's plans to begin rolling out a $10 billion-plus national broadband network next year have been thrown into tatters after Telstra was dumped from the tender process.
Telstra & the NBN: it will be a long time till the fat lady sings – itwire.com
Its exclusion from the National Broadband Network appears to have taken Telstra by surprise, but it certainly won't be taken lying down, and there are many hurdles to another bidder getting a green light, and the funding to rollout the NBN.
Conroy "a manifest failure" over Telstra NBN exclusion: Minchin – itwire.com
Australia’s Shadow Communications Minister, Senator Nick Minchin, has savaged the Rudd Labor Government and the Minister for Communications, Senator Stephen Conroy, over the “total ineptitude and mishandling” of the NBN process which has now seen Telstra excluded for a “remarkable” and “trivial reason”.
'Trivial': McGauchie attacks Telstra's exclusion – The Australian
The federal Government has excluded Telstra from the bidding process to build a $10 billion-plus national broadband network.
Conroy kicks Telstra out of NBN race – itwire.com
The Government has excluded Telstra from the National Broadband Network RFP process on what appears to be a technicality - that it failed to include a plan for how to involve small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the building of the NBN.
Telstra 'excluded' from broadband deal – The Australian
Telstra says it has been excluded from the bidding process for the construction of a national broadband network (NBN) by the Federal Government for "trivial" reasons.
In famous american baseball style, Sol Trujillo's team has just gone down in a shutout! For those not familiar with the term, it means they did not score a single run in the game - something rather embarrassing for the "Dream Team" of American executives currently running Australia's national carrier.
Coach Trujillo believes there is still the chance Team Telstra would get a look-in to the World Series of baseball (aka the next stage of the bid). "The RFP process leads only to the Minister getting a recommendation. It is open for the government to re-engage with Telstra if and when it wishes," he said. "The Minister can talk to whoever he wants to talk to after the panel reports to the Minister. He can decide to take to cabinet whatever proposal he chooses. The cabinet will then make a decision."
However the company has not decided on whether to take legal action with this coming again from Trujillo, "we reserve our rights on future action. It is too early to rule anything in or out and we remain hopeful that sense will prevail outside the RFP process at a later date".
Even if the decision by the Government does spell curtains, the telco has other options it can consider. Trujillo pointed to the possibility of extending the company's HFC network or increasing speeds of its NextG mobile network. What he left out was upgrading their own fixed line network to compete with the NBN. Sure they don't get the $4.7b from the government, but Telstra had already committed $5b in upgrades (which has not been spent) two years ago.
In a hint as to their response on losing the deal, Trujillo added "Even after decisions and legislation, there is a lot of time left to run before anyone else starts building. In which case any real impact on Telstra, even assuming we don't respond, and of course we will respond competitively, is years away," and his last words "Nothing stops Telstra!"
Coach Trujillo believes there is still the chance Team Telstra would get a look-in to the World Series of baseball (aka the next stage of the bid). "The RFP process leads only to the Minister getting a recommendation. It is open for the government to re-engage with Telstra if and when it wishes," he said. "The Minister can talk to whoever he wants to talk to after the panel reports to the Minister. He can decide to take to cabinet whatever proposal he chooses. The cabinet will then make a decision."
However the company has not decided on whether to take legal action with this coming again from Trujillo, "we reserve our rights on future action. It is too early to rule anything in or out and we remain hopeful that sense will prevail outside the RFP process at a later date".
Even if the decision by the Government does spell curtains, the telco has other options it can consider. Trujillo pointed to the possibility of extending the company's HFC network or increasing speeds of its NextG mobile network. What he left out was upgrading their own fixed line network to compete with the NBN. Sure they don't get the $4.7b from the government, but Telstra had already committed $5b in upgrades (which has not been spent) two years ago.
In a hint as to their response on losing the deal, Trujillo added "Even after decisions and legislation, there is a lot of time left to run before anyone else starts building. In which case any real impact on Telstra, even assuming we don't respond, and of course we will respond competitively, is years away," and his last words "Nothing stops Telstra!"
Malcolm Maiden of The Age, has written and interesting article about Telstra's approach and the legal arguements which have ultimately resulted in the Government rejecting the Telco's bid on the grounds it failed to comply with the requirements of the bid.
Extracting the commentary from his article: There were only five non-negotiable legal requirements in the Government's Request for Tenders to build the National Broadband Network.
* The first was that the proposal be written in English.
* The second was that measurements used in the proposal conform with Australian standards - be metric, in essence.
* The third was that the proposal be signed by the proposer; and
* A fourth was that any offer to build the network in more than one state should be an offer to build the network nationally.
* The fifth was that it include a plan about how to involve small and medium enterprises in the building of the new network when Telstra lodged its proposal.
Extracting the commentary from his article: There were only five non-negotiable legal requirements in the Government's Request for Tenders to build the National Broadband Network.
* The first was that the proposal be written in English.
* The second was that measurements used in the proposal conform with Australian standards - be metric, in essence.
* The third was that the proposal be signed by the proposer; and
* A fourth was that any offer to build the network in more than one state should be an offer to build the network nationally.
* The fifth was that it include a plan about how to involve small and medium enterprises in the building of the new network when Telstra lodged its proposal.
In a statement to the ASX this morning, Telstra has been informed by the Commonwealth government it has excluded them from the National Broadband Network request for proposals evalaution process.
Telstra's Chairman, Donald McGauchie said "The decision to exclude us from the RFP is the Commonwealth's decision to make. But Telstra is the only company to have submitted a proposal with a real financial commitment - of $5 billion. And Telstra is the only company with the existing network, technical know-how, world-leading vendor, skilled workforce, establish wholesale systems and proven track record of building world-class networks."
While Telstra certainly has the existing network and a proven track record of building world class networks such as NextG, they are not the only ones with the technical know-how to deliver a National Broadband Network. I would suggest the other bidders have people just as experienced and capable of building this network as anyone within Telstra. As for the comment regarding "the world leading vendor" this is a slight on companies like NEC, NokiaSiemens and Ericsson (among others) who are just as capable - if not more - in delivering this network as Alcatel (Telstra's preferred vendor).
The skilled workforce McGauchie claims to have is not even their own. Much of the field work for the NBN roll out would have been outsourced to companies like Silcar, Visionstream, ServiceStream and Transfield who in turn use sub-contractors. These companies currently provide Telstra's hands and feet on the ground, it not an internalised workforce and has not been so for many years. As there is no exclusivity or control, if Telstra doesn't have the build these companies or even the sub-contractors will go and work for the company that does.
The telco's submission was rejected from the evaluation process after its 13-page non-compliant bid did not meet requirements to include small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the construction of the NBN. The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy confirmed the telco was out of the running from the bidding process and said the minister will hold a press briefing at 2.30 this afternoon to discuss the issue.
Local telecommunications analyst Paul Budde said the government was forced to ban Telstra to maintain the integrity of the NBN process. "Conroy just had to say 'enough is enough'. He couldn't take Telstra's bullying and so they were banned from the bid".
I'll finish by giving a big wrap to Stephen Conroy and the expert panel for having the strength to stand up to Telstra's arrogance and bullying. Perhaps now we can get on with delivering a world class network that Australia needs without the shackles of incumbency.
Telstra's Chairman, Donald McGauchie said "The decision to exclude us from the RFP is the Commonwealth's decision to make. But Telstra is the only company to have submitted a proposal with a real financial commitment - of $5 billion. And Telstra is the only company with the existing network, technical know-how, world-leading vendor, skilled workforce, establish wholesale systems and proven track record of building world-class networks."
While Telstra certainly has the existing network and a proven track record of building world class networks such as NextG, they are not the only ones with the technical know-how to deliver a National Broadband Network. I would suggest the other bidders have people just as experienced and capable of building this network as anyone within Telstra. As for the comment regarding "the world leading vendor" this is a slight on companies like NEC, NokiaSiemens and Ericsson (among others) who are just as capable - if not more - in delivering this network as Alcatel (Telstra's preferred vendor).
The skilled workforce McGauchie claims to have is not even their own. Much of the field work for the NBN roll out would have been outsourced to companies like Silcar, Visionstream, ServiceStream and Transfield who in turn use sub-contractors. These companies currently provide Telstra's hands and feet on the ground, it not an internalised workforce and has not been so for many years. As there is no exclusivity or control, if Telstra doesn't have the build these companies or even the sub-contractors will go and work for the company that does.
The telco's submission was rejected from the evaluation process after its 13-page non-compliant bid did not meet requirements to include small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the construction of the NBN. The office of Communications Minister Stephen Conroy confirmed the telco was out of the running from the bidding process and said the minister will hold a press briefing at 2.30 this afternoon to discuss the issue.
Local telecommunications analyst Paul Budde said the government was forced to ban Telstra to maintain the integrity of the NBN process. "Conroy just had to say 'enough is enough'. He couldn't take Telstra's bullying and so they were banned from the bid".
I'll finish by giving a big wrap to Stephen Conroy and the expert panel for having the strength to stand up to Telstra's arrogance and bullying. Perhaps now we can get on with delivering a world class network that Australia needs without the shackles of incumbency.
Canadian telecommunications company Axia NetMedia has spoken publicly on the Rudd Government's National Broadband Network, saying that unless it is built using fibre all the way to homes and businesses in metropolitan areas, then it shouldn't be built at all.
While the Government has called for the broadband network to be rolled out to 98 per cent of households, most bidders have proposed using fibre to the node (FTTN) technology rather then the better and faster Fibre to the Premises technology, which has been dismissed by some local telcos as too expensive to consider.
Axia is touting a broadband wholesale access charge of only A$15 a month, compared with the $85 a month being talked about by Telstra earlier this year. This access would also be at least five times faster at 100Mbps, but providing a very simple upgrade path to 1Gbps to each home.
The group's cost modelling is based on what it expects to offer in Singapore, where Axia is in a consortium with Optus's parent, Singapore Telecommunications, to build a $2 billion national fibre network on the island.
While the Government has called for the broadband network to be rolled out to 98 per cent of households, most bidders have proposed using fibre to the node (FTTN) technology rather then the better and faster Fibre to the Premises technology, which has been dismissed by some local telcos as too expensive to consider.
Axia is touting a broadband wholesale access charge of only A$15 a month, compared with the $85 a month being talked about by Telstra earlier this year. This access would also be at least five times faster at 100Mbps, but providing a very simple upgrade path to 1Gbps to each home.
The group's cost modelling is based on what it expects to offer in Singapore, where Axia is in a consortium with Optus's parent, Singapore Telecommunications, to build a $2 billion national fibre network on the island.
Donald McGauchie, Chairman of Telstra, talks bluntly to Mark Jones and why the government's $4.7billion NBN handout should go to Telstra and not to Singtel Optus or anybody else.
http://tv.afr.com/video/Editors+Picks/1/4915
Few people really believe Telstra wasn't going to bid and when its proposal arrived at the last minute no one was surprised even though they tried to pretend it wasn't really a bid. But as Stephen Conroy said it's been treated as a bid and being taken seriously - although legally that is yet to be tested.
The stakes are high and the playing field seems to be levelling quickly. Telstra's insouciant disguises the fact this is a turning point for the company. Alan Kolher from Inside Business spoke to Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie. On this occasion McGauchie was a little more circumspect than his interview on Wednesday night with Lateline.
Video of interview
Transcript of interview
The stakes are high and the playing field seems to be levelling quickly. Telstra's insouciant disguises the fact this is a turning point for the company. Alan Kolher from Inside Business spoke to Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie. On this occasion McGauchie was a little more circumspect than his interview on Wednesday night with Lateline.
Video of interview
Transcript of interview
In an interview on ABCs lateline Business program, Telstra Chairman Donald McGauchie is still pushing out the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt in the ability of other bidders to deliver the National Broadband Network. In my opinion some of the statements he makes are misleading or a misrepresentation. You be the judge for youself.
If it is true that Telstra has simply proposed the same solution they presented in 2006 to the former Howard Government, then I hope they dont win this tender; because it will put the breaks on this nation's ability to remain international competitive in the long run.
If it is true that Telstra has simply proposed the same solution they presented in 2006 to the former Howard Government, then I hope they dont win this tender; because it will put the breaks on this nation's ability to remain international competitive in the long run.
In a three part interview Business Spectator's KGB team of Alan Kohler, Robert Gottliebsen and Stephen Bartholomeusz discuss with the the three leading bidders about their proposals.
The first interview with Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie has him explaining:
The second interview with Terria chairman Michael Egan, former New South Wales treasurer:
The third interview with Acacia chairman, and former Telstra Countrywide boss, Doug Campbell:
It is interesting that Acacia is now very much in the picture with the NBN. Two weeks ago the media and some telcos such as AAPT CEO Paul Broad, was suggesting it was a two horse race between Telstra and Terria and few gave any credence to the other players. I was the only one suggesting Acacia would be a strong contender.
The first interview with Telstra chairman Donald McGauchie has him explaining:
- The reason the telco put in a proposal, rather than a bid, saying unless it knows what the rules are, it cannot produce a bid that makes sense
- He rejects the Terria bid, saying it cannot be described as such without concrete sources of funding and compares their situation to the 'glory days of Babcock & Brown
- He launches a savage attack on the credentials of the Optus consortium's chairman Michael Egan
- He rejects any suggestion of a single desk for telecommunications
- Under Telstra's proposal, the lowest point at which people can get access is $29.95 retail price, with a one megabit capacity
The second interview with Terria chairman Michael Egan, former New South Wales treasurer:
- The national broadband network (NBN) must be for the good of the country and not Telstra's bottom line, describing Telstra's targeted rate of return as 'exorbitant'.
- Terria will not divulge the commercial arrangements of the bid, but it is confident that the funding is 'robust' and will be very attractive to the government
- The consortium is basing its rates of return on infrastructure, in a similar model to utilities
The third interview with Acacia chairman, and former Telstra Countrywide boss, Doug Campbell:
- There are about a dozen or so former Telstra employees involved in Acacia
- On the involvement of Solomon Lew and Doug Shears, Campbell says they paid more than the bid bond, adding that they put money up to allow the team to come together to put this bid on the table
- There's a risk, should Optus win the bidding process, that there will be a conflict between its retail and wholesale activities
- While fibre-to-the-node forms the bulk of Acacia's bid, some of its services would be fibre-to-the-premise, right to the homes or businesses where the fibre does exist
- Acacia is proposing to cover 100 per cent of the population
It is interesting that Acacia is now very much in the picture with the NBN. Two weeks ago the media and some telcos such as AAPT CEO Paul Broad, was suggesting it was a two horse race between Telstra and Terria and few gave any credence to the other players. I was the only one suggesting Acacia would be a strong contender.
I am sure many of you have already seen the news that the NBN bids are all in.
As I predicted in my last post there were four national bidders in Telstra, Optus Axia, and Acacia. On top of this there is also the state bids from the Aurora Energy/Tasmanian Government (TAS) and TransACT (ACT). The only bit I got wrong was TERRiA did not bid - perhaps not a surprise considering the loss of support from AAPT, Soul/TPG, TransACT and Powertel.
Two weeks ago I posted an article were I said my money was on Acacia to win the NBN. Someone posted a comment that I was likely to lose my money (or my job) over this, but I think given the situation many factors have changed.
Firstly Telstra have failed to submit a conforming bid and despite Senator Conroy's protests, tender guidelines require conforming bids are assessed first and if one bid meets the requirements, that must be taken over any non conforming bid. Telstra's bid may very well never be considering unless the government wants to break its own rules - and potentially end up in court.
TERRiA failed to submit a bid instead, falling in being Optus Network Infrastructure (a Singtel/Optus company formed just for the NBN) and supporting their proposal and business model. Terria revealed details of its proposal last week. It costed the network at about $15 billion and said this would buy 75,224 nodes, two satellites, 1360 new wireless base stations and 100,000km of fibre.
Acacia however has finally shown its hand and has bid a truely open access network with a mix of technology including FTTH, FTTN and Wireless - exactly the approach I have been espousing for the past 8 months. They have a clear separation between the operator of the infrastructure and the many retailers of services that run over that infrastructure - the key to open access which Telstra is refusing to consider with their objection to structural seperation. They have also pledged a fair return for owners of existing assets for use of their facilities, so they are happy to co-exist with existing networks.
So we now sit tight over Christmas for the "expert panel" to evaluate the bids within 6 weeks, which makes it the 7th of January for a decision date. Looks like the expert panel and their team of technical, commerical and legal advisors are not having Christmas this year.
As I predicted in my last post there were four national bidders in Telstra, Optus Axia, and Acacia. On top of this there is also the state bids from the Aurora Energy/Tasmanian Government (TAS) and TransACT (ACT). The only bit I got wrong was TERRiA did not bid - perhaps not a surprise considering the loss of support from AAPT, Soul/TPG, TransACT and Powertel.
Two weeks ago I posted an article were I said my money was on Acacia to win the NBN. Someone posted a comment that I was likely to lose my money (or my job) over this, but I think given the situation many factors have changed.
Firstly Telstra have failed to submit a conforming bid and despite Senator Conroy's protests, tender guidelines require conforming bids are assessed first and if one bid meets the requirements, that must be taken over any non conforming bid. Telstra's bid may very well never be considering unless the government wants to break its own rules - and potentially end up in court.
TERRiA failed to submit a bid instead, falling in being Optus Network Infrastructure (a Singtel/Optus company formed just for the NBN) and supporting their proposal and business model. Terria revealed details of its proposal last week. It costed the network at about $15 billion and said this would buy 75,224 nodes, two satellites, 1360 new wireless base stations and 100,000km of fibre.
Acacia however has finally shown its hand and has bid a truely open access network with a mix of technology including FTTH, FTTN and Wireless - exactly the approach I have been espousing for the past 8 months. They have a clear separation between the operator of the infrastructure and the many retailers of services that run over that infrastructure - the key to open access which Telstra is refusing to consider with their objection to structural seperation. They have also pledged a fair return for owners of existing assets for use of their facilities, so they are happy to co-exist with existing networks.
So we now sit tight over Christmas for the "expert panel" to evaluate the bids within 6 weeks, which makes it the 7th of January for a decision date. Looks like the expert panel and their team of technical, commerical and legal advisors are not having Christmas this year.
My best friend recently moved into a Telstra Smart Community estate and I have been helping him get his telephone, Internet and TV services online. I have already posted an article on smart wiring his home, but I recently did a little more analysis on the $1,500 rebate that most Smart Community residents receive.
At first look the $1,500 - plus a $100 voucher for a Digital STB - sounds like a great deal, giving you 12 months to spend it on any Telstra service including PayTV and mobile phone. But after reviewing the first and second month bills which included all connection fees I have reconsidered the value of this package.
For my friend to move into his new home it has cost him so far:
$299 to connect his home telephone
$260 in Digital STBs for his analog TVs (Telstra only does Digital)
$349 for a Telstra WiFi Router
Now you may say $349 for a router is expensive (and that it is), but Telstra don't like BYO routers. I quizzed him over this, and he told me at no time did the Bigpond rep. offer him an option on the router; it just came with the Bigpond Velocity pack.
So before even getting started with downloading a single web page or making a call it has cost him $808 ($908 but he used the $100 voucher for a STB). He then got his $1500 rebate in the second month as per the Smart community rebate agreement.
This left him in credit for $692, which will pay for less than five months of telephone line rental and a typical 20Mbps Liberty account – provided he does not make any calls.
When you break it down, the $1,500 rebate is not that attractive, particularly when compared to the packages offered by the other FTTH providers. Most of those include a $0 connection fee and no obligation 6 months free Internet and Telephony. You also get digital and analogue Free to Air TV, so no need to buy those Set Top Boxes.
At first look the $1,500 - plus a $100 voucher for a Digital STB - sounds like a great deal, giving you 12 months to spend it on any Telstra service including PayTV and mobile phone. But after reviewing the first and second month bills which included all connection fees I have reconsidered the value of this package.
For my friend to move into his new home it has cost him so far:
$299 to connect his home telephone
$260 in Digital STBs for his analog TVs (Telstra only does Digital)
$349 for a Telstra WiFi Router
Now you may say $349 for a router is expensive (and that it is), but Telstra don't like BYO routers. I quizzed him over this, and he told me at no time did the Bigpond rep. offer him an option on the router; it just came with the Bigpond Velocity pack.
So before even getting started with downloading a single web page or making a call it has cost him $808 ($908 but he used the $100 voucher for a STB). He then got his $1500 rebate in the second month as per the Smart community rebate agreement.
This left him in credit for $692, which will pay for less than five months of telephone line rental and a typical 20Mbps Liberty account – provided he does not make any calls.
When you break it down, the $1,500 rebate is not that attractive, particularly when compared to the packages offered by the other FTTH providers. Most of those include a $0 connection fee and no obligation 6 months free Internet and Telephony. You also get digital and analogue Free to Air TV, so no need to buy those Set Top Boxes.
As the deadline for bids to build Australia's national broadband network draws closer, the two leading contenders Telstra and the Terria continue to hurl insults as they try to convince the public and the Government why they should be responsible for the project.
Andrew Robinson from ABC's Lateline Business reports on the latest developments in this drawn out process to decide who will build Australia's next generation telecommunications backbone.
One of the commentators, David Kennedy from Ovum, has fallen for the myth that Fibre to the Home on a national scale is uneconomic in this country. He further says this is the case for many other countries; however this is contrary to what is happening with many governments and incumbent carriers now committed to large scale fibre rollouts - see FTTH: what is happening around the world. Kennedy also suggests (as does Telstra and Terria) a Fibre to the Node network will be a stepping stone towards a Fibre to the Home and it will be possible to upgrade it in the future. When will these "experts" learn the practicality and then the economics behind a migration from FTTN to FTTH is far more complex than some of the bidders are letting on.
Andrew Robinson from ABC's Lateline Business reports on the latest developments in this drawn out process to decide who will build Australia's next generation telecommunications backbone.
One of the commentators, David Kennedy from Ovum, has fallen for the myth that Fibre to the Home on a national scale is uneconomic in this country. He further says this is the case for many other countries; however this is contrary to what is happening with many governments and incumbent carriers now committed to large scale fibre rollouts - see FTTH: what is happening around the world. Kennedy also suggests (as does Telstra and Terria) a Fibre to the Node network will be a stepping stone towards a Fibre to the Home and it will be possible to upgrade it in the future. When will these "experts" learn the practicality and then the economics behind a migration from FTTN to FTTH is far more complex than some of the bidders are letting on.
A number of events that have occurred over the past month has me very annoyed when it comes to the behaviour of some telecommunication carriers in Australia. Our Fibre to the Home market is rapidly growing (abet more slowly than our neighbors), but the behaviour of some organisations is causing confusion for the market and in particular the developers. Our complex regulatory regime has created an opportunity for some to create Fear Uncertainly and Doubt (FUD) - a situation we don't need in this time of slowing economic growth and tightening monetary policy. If backers are confused and unclear about an investment decision they go back to the basics and lower their risk. In the FTTH market, this means housing estates lose out on having fibre reticulated.
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.
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.
According to some media reports recently Telstra is working on deploying a “secret” fibre to the home (FttH) network, regardless of whether it wins the government NBN project. The claims by the media where based on a report by telecommunications analyst Paul Budde, in which he suggests Telstra has "FTTH as an end game" and deploying it "totally independent of any National Broadband Network (NBN)".
While Telstra is currently deploying FttH into some greenfield estates, they dont have any strategic plans to replace their existing copper infrastructure with an all fibre one. In fact back in February this year, Telstra Ceo Sol trujillo quashed speculation they were pursuing a Fibre to the Home proposal with the government, saying the company was taking a "pragmatic" approach to deliver Fibre to the Node economically.
At Telstra's half year presentation of their financial results Trujllo was asked if they were looking at FTTH, to which he responded, "the answer simple is no, in a broad sense" and further added, "while FTTH is economically viable in greenfield deployments, overbuilding legacy networks would cause costs to skyrocket."
While Telstra is currently deploying FttH into some greenfield estates, they dont have any strategic plans to replace their existing copper infrastructure with an all fibre one. In fact back in February this year, Telstra Ceo Sol trujillo quashed speculation they were pursuing a Fibre to the Home proposal with the government, saying the company was taking a "pragmatic" approach to deliver Fibre to the Node economically.
At Telstra's half year presentation of their financial results Trujllo was asked if they were looking at FTTH, to which he responded, "the answer simple is no, in a broad sense" and further added, "while FTTH is economically viable in greenfield deployments, overbuilding legacy networks would cause costs to skyrocket."
I have just spent the day smart wiring my best mate's new home which is located in a Telstra Velocity Estate - saving him the $3,000 it would have cost if he followed the advice given to him by the Velocity help line.
John [not his real name] is a typical home owner, quite intelligent, but not really a technology kind of guy. He understands the TV and can actually set the timer on his VCR and schedule a recording, but I just thought I would ask him to tune in the TVs and watch what happens. Ghee I can be a b@*S@** sometimes. I did this because I wanted to understand what the average user would do when they find out that Telstra only reticulates the digital television signals.
With his Velocity welcome pack - which was quite impressive I might add - John had received a little booklet titled "Free to Air TV trouble shooting Guide for Telstra Velocity customers". While it contains some helpful tips, it lacked a little detail particularly in regards to the analogue TV signal; that Telstra does not reticulate them over the Velocity network. It talks about Set Top Boxes and retuning, but John could not understand why his VCR would no longer work.
John is not a complete technophobe, as he did have a High Definition Set Top Box working in his previous home. But he had to ask (when he plugged it in) "why are all the channels were missing?" His first thought was I had stuff up on the smart wiring. I informed him "you have to retune the STB" because the channels have been shifted to another band. He could not understand this, and was annoyed by having to go through the retuning and setting his favourites list again - an arduous task on some STBs.
What became very frustrating for John was getting his old TV for his 5 year old daughter working. She watches ABC like most kids in the morning, but also has a great catelogue of DVDs and VHS cassettes. The only way we could get this to work was to have the STB plugged into the VCR, which in turn was plugged into the TV. To watch TV, his 5 year old has to turn on the TV and select AV; turn on the VCR and select AV; and then turn on the STB. This is not a simple task for a 5 year old - and not something Dad wants to be doing at 6am on a Saturday morning.
John also became very annoyed that he had to purchase a STB for every TV in the house. While Velocity customers are provided with a $100 vochure to purchase a new STB, the average houshold in Australia has three television sets. Without the analogue signal you need an STB on each set.
Now some will argue that Analogue is dead and gone and I should move on, but the reality is that analogue will be here for another five years; why should people have to upgrade their TV or purchase an STB before that time. Sure have at least one Digital STB or TV in the house, but why toss out that old TV when it works perfectly ok for the kids. In the networks we design for our clients we always include the reticulation of the analogue TV signal (sourced from the digital channel). It costs less than $3000 to support the 5 analogue channels.
The one thing I cannot understand is why Telstra has shifted the Digital signals away from their ACMA specified channels.
For those who need help on the tuning of their STB or Digital TV to the VelocityTV network, the information below may be of assistance - because you wont find it anywhere on the Telstra web site or in a Velocity welcome pack.
John [not his real name] is a typical home owner, quite intelligent, but not really a technology kind of guy. He understands the TV and can actually set the timer on his VCR and schedule a recording, but I just thought I would ask him to tune in the TVs and watch what happens. Ghee I can be a b@*S@** sometimes. I did this because I wanted to understand what the average user would do when they find out that Telstra only reticulates the digital television signals.
With his Velocity welcome pack - which was quite impressive I might add - John had received a little booklet titled "Free to Air TV trouble shooting Guide for Telstra Velocity customers". While it contains some helpful tips, it lacked a little detail particularly in regards to the analogue TV signal; that Telstra does not reticulate them over the Velocity network. It talks about Set Top Boxes and retuning, but John could not understand why his VCR would no longer work.
John is not a complete technophobe, as he did have a High Definition Set Top Box working in his previous home. But he had to ask (when he plugged it in) "why are all the channels were missing?" His first thought was I had stuff up on the smart wiring. I informed him "you have to retune the STB" because the channels have been shifted to another band. He could not understand this, and was annoyed by having to go through the retuning and setting his favourites list again - an arduous task on some STBs.
What became very frustrating for John was getting his old TV for his 5 year old daughter working. She watches ABC like most kids in the morning, but also has a great catelogue of DVDs and VHS cassettes. The only way we could get this to work was to have the STB plugged into the VCR, which in turn was plugged into the TV. To watch TV, his 5 year old has to turn on the TV and select AV; turn on the VCR and select AV; and then turn on the STB. This is not a simple task for a 5 year old - and not something Dad wants to be doing at 6am on a Saturday morning.
John also became very annoyed that he had to purchase a STB for every TV in the house. While Velocity customers are provided with a $100 vochure to purchase a new STB, the average houshold in Australia has three television sets. Without the analogue signal you need an STB on each set.
Now some will argue that Analogue is dead and gone and I should move on, but the reality is that analogue will be here for another five years; why should people have to upgrade their TV or purchase an STB before that time. Sure have at least one Digital STB or TV in the house, but why toss out that old TV when it works perfectly ok for the kids. In the networks we design for our clients we always include the reticulation of the analogue TV signal (sourced from the digital channel). It costs less than $3000 to support the 5 analogue channels.
The one thing I cannot understand is why Telstra has shifted the Digital signals away from their ACMA specified channels.
For those who need help on the tuning of their STB or Digital TV to the VelocityTV network, the information below may be of assistance - because you wont find it anywhere on the Telstra web site or in a Velocity welcome pack.
| Channel Name | Tuning Position | Frequency |
| Seven | C28 | 529.5Mhz |
| Nine | C29 | 536.5Mhz |
| Ten | C33 | 564.5Mhz |
| ABC | C34 | 571.5Mhz |
| SBS | C35 | 578.5Mhz |
Alan Kohler of Business Spectator recently interviewed Kate McKenzie, Telstra's wholesale boss, where she said the telco is not at war with its (wholesale) customers. Speaking predominately on the National Broadband Network, McKenzie hints at a contingency plan if it doesn't secure the right to the federal government's $4.7b investment.
The full article can be viewed at www.businessspectator.com.au
The full article can be viewed at www.businessspectator.com.au
A group of about 50 angry residents from "The Green" in Brighton, Western Australia recently demanded a meeting with their developer and Telstra over extensive delays in getting connected to Velocity - Telstra's Fibre to the Home product.
According to one of the attendees, the meeting - which was held on the 30th of June - turned out to be "more of a lynch mob with lots of angry people yelling abuse." He said, "one resident has been waiting since December last year for their connection."
The outcome from the meeting is that existing residents were promised their connection within the next 2 weeks (by 14th of July) and those without a TV service would be given a temporary antenna at Telstra's cost. Anyone who had already paid for their own antenna would be reimbursed by Telstra provided they showed proof of purchase and only after Telstra had investigated the installation.
Telstra had previously provided residents a temporary telephone service in lieu of their permanent fibre based telephone, but they "had not been offered an alternative broadband service up until now". At the meeting Telstra relented to the residents demands and offered to provide - to those who wanted it - a temporary internet service delivered over NextG wireless.
With the two weeks expired as of tomorrow a number of ONTs have been installed, but according to the residents they don't appear to have active services. After two telephone calls to the Velocity helpline, on Thursday my contact was still waiting for his temporary antenna, but it had been "promised to be installed today [Thursday]". He said "no ONT had yet turn up yet [on his house]; looks like this week might be a busy week for Telstra".
Moving on from Brighton another Telstra Velocity estate in the southern Perth suburb of Harrisdale - Herron Park - is also having issues with installations. My contact at this estate (who also happens to be my best friend) has been given the run around. He ordered his service four weeks ago and was promised an installation time on the morning of the 8th of July. In accordance with the ACMA Customer Service Guarantee, all Telecommunication companies must give a 4 hour appointment window and met that appointment or pay [a nominal] compensation to the home owner.
On Wednesday [9th July] he called the specialised Telstra Velocity help line to find out what was going on; he is moving in this weekend and needs to ensure he at least has a telephone service. Telstra told him they "don't know why the appointment was not kept" and blamed their contractor [name supplied] as the responsible party. "We [Telstra] will have [the contractor] contact you to arrange another appointment time".
On Thursday he made another call to the Velocity help line for an update and this time was given a name of a different contractor. He was then promised the sub-contractor actually doing the install (for which he was given the name) would call him. Telstra did inform him that there were "three homes in the estate with active services".
As of today, he is still waiting for these calls and still waiting for his service. Hopefully these delays are just minor glitches as Telstra ramps up its installation teams.
According to one of the attendees, the meeting - which was held on the 30th of June - turned out to be "more of a lynch mob with lots of angry people yelling abuse." He said, "one resident has been waiting since December last year for their connection."
The outcome from the meeting is that existing residents were promised their connection within the next 2 weeks (by 14th of July) and those without a TV service would be given a temporary antenna at Telstra's cost. Anyone who had already paid for their own antenna would be reimbursed by Telstra provided they showed proof of purchase and only after Telstra had investigated the installation.
Telstra had previously provided residents a temporary telephone service in lieu of their permanent fibre based telephone, but they "had not been offered an alternative broadband service up until now". At the meeting Telstra relented to the residents demands and offered to provide - to those who wanted it - a temporary internet service delivered over NextG wireless.
With the two weeks expired as of tomorrow a number of ONTs have been installed, but according to the residents they don't appear to have active services. After two telephone calls to the Velocity helpline, on Thursday my contact was still waiting for his temporary antenna, but it had been "promised to be installed today [Thursday]". He said "no ONT had yet turn up yet [on his house]; looks like this week might be a busy week for Telstra".
Moving on from Brighton another Telstra Velocity estate in the southern Perth suburb of Harrisdale - Herron Park - is also having issues with installations. My contact at this estate (who also happens to be my best friend) has been given the run around. He ordered his service four weeks ago and was promised an installation time on the morning of the 8th of July. In accordance with the ACMA Customer Service Guarantee, all Telecommunication companies must give a 4 hour appointment window and met that appointment or pay [a nominal] compensation to the home owner.
On Wednesday [9th July] he called the specialised Telstra Velocity help line to find out what was going on; he is moving in this weekend and needs to ensure he at least has a telephone service. Telstra told him they "don't know why the appointment was not kept" and blamed their contractor [name supplied] as the responsible party. "We [Telstra] will have [the contractor] contact you to arrange another appointment time".
On Thursday he made another call to the Velocity help line for an update and this time was given a name of a different contractor. He was then promised the sub-contractor actually doing the install (for which he was given the name) would call him. Telstra did inform him that there were "three homes in the estate with active services".
As of today, he is still waiting for these calls and still waiting for his service. Hopefully these delays are just minor glitches as Telstra ramps up its installation teams.
Recently Telstra has been make a number of changes to the Ellenbrook HFC network they took over from E-wire earlier this year. These changes have affected a number of services, but of particular concern has been the impact on Television reception.
Everyone should have received a letter from Telstra informing them of the changes occurring to the network and the requirement to retune your analogue television, digital Set Top Box, or LCD/Plasma TV with inbuilt digital tuner.
Despite this, I have received numerous calls and emails from residents wanting to know what is going on, so I have posted this article to provide assistance to the residents of Ellenbrook.
Before retuning any television or STB make sure you read the user guide and have a full understanding of what is required. This is particular so for us men. If possible get your 5 year old to help, they can probably do the tuning without reading the manual. :-)
Each manufacturer may use different terms to describe channels or frequencies, so I have tried to publish as much information as possible. Firstly, you need to understand the channels have all been shifted to what is termed Band V or UHF frequencies. This ensures you are not getting interference with local channels (which could cause ghosting) or causing problems with Foxtel services that are now reticulated via the HFC network.
The following table is what is called a channel or frequency plan. This lists the channel description, if it is a Digital or Analog signal, its band name, channel name, and frequency. Some TV sets will be tuned by the use of band name, others channel name and some you need to program the frequency. You can click on the table to zoom in.
Please note the channel name; as there are both C and S designators. The Telstra channels are C60 - C75. Do not use the S band settings which may be available on some television sets. Also some European TV sets may use a slightly different band name. The UHFxxE entries are the European channel names and their corresponding Australian names afterwards.
If after tuning your television or set top box you have problems in obtaining a good quality signal it is highly recommended to check or replace your coaxial fly leads. Cheap leads can severely impact the quality of the TV signal - particularly with the high frequency UHF channels being used. You should be using RG6 quad shield cable to get the best quality signal. Definitely do not use RG58 or RG11 cable.
If you are still having problems after this I suggest calling Telstra on the specialised Ellenbrook TV help line - 1800 305 723. Be patient, it took 19m 47s for me to get through this morning.
Although I have not yet confirmed this as fact, the Velocity channel plan should be the same, abet without the analog channels.
I hope this helps.
Everyone should have received a letter from Telstra informing them of the changes occurring to the network and the requirement to retune your analogue television, digital Set Top Box, or LCD/Plasma TV with inbuilt digital tuner.
Despite this, I have received numerous calls and emails from residents wanting to know what is going on, so I have posted this article to provide assistance to the residents of Ellenbrook.
Before retuning any television or STB make sure you read the user guide and have a full understanding of what is required. This is particular so for us men. If possible get your 5 year old to help, they can probably do the tuning without reading the manual. :-)
Each manufacturer may use different terms to describe channels or frequencies, so I have tried to publish as much information as possible. Firstly, you need to understand the channels have all been shifted to what is termed Band V or UHF frequencies. This ensures you are not getting interference with local channels (which could cause ghosting) or causing problems with Foxtel services that are now reticulated via the HFC network.
The following table is what is called a channel or frequency plan. This lists the channel description, if it is a Digital or Analog signal, its band name, channel name, and frequency. Some TV sets will be tuned by the use of band name, others channel name and some you need to program the frequency. You can click on the table to zoom in.
Please note the channel name; as there are both C and S designators. The Telstra channels are C60 - C75. Do not use the S band settings which may be available on some television sets. Also some European TV sets may use a slightly different band name. The UHFxxE entries are the European channel names and their corresponding Australian names afterwards.
If after tuning your television or set top box you have problems in obtaining a good quality signal it is highly recommended to check or replace your coaxial fly leads. Cheap leads can severely impact the quality of the TV signal - particularly with the high frequency UHF channels being used. You should be using RG6 quad shield cable to get the best quality signal. Definitely do not use RG58 or RG11 cable.
If you are still having problems after this I suggest calling Telstra on the specialised Ellenbrook TV help line - 1800 305 723. Be patient, it took 19m 47s for me to get through this morning.
Although I have not yet confirmed this as fact, the Velocity channel plan should be the same, abet without the analog channels.
I hope this helps.
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