Why I care about the NBN

[laptop006]

First of all, yes I'm a general Greens / Labour supporter so it's not surprising that I like the NBN. I work in a tech field (specifically datacomms) that also generally supports the NBN. I have plenty of reasons to support the NBN from those, but here's the "how it affects me" ones

Comments

[edm]

Or, you know, run fibre through the low lying area, ensuring that it has a good jacket on it, and none of the active equipment is below the high-water-in-a-flood mark. Under water fibre is easier to keep usable than under water copper. Especially underwater copper with a paper based outer -- that makes a lovely wick for drawing down water

[laptop006]

Sure, under the coalition's plan the fibre would almost certainly be well above the water line, but that doesn't stop the copper in the street from being crap, and if you're going to replace the copper you might as well just install fibre.

Sadly I'm in an inward facing apartment so any form of wireless won't work. PIPE actually have a fibre pit outside the building's MDF, but it's not worth trying to get a circuit there.

[edm]

My suggestion for wireless was to find someone who is (a) on an outward facing apartment, that (b) is on the correct side of the building. It's a bit more effort, but it doesn't have to be on the same floor. A little reconnaissance and/or social engineering may prove fruitful.

A PIPE circuit or similar would probably only work if you were to start offering network services to other tenants, due to the base cost of such circuits. At least in NZ that's a feasible idea if you own the apartment (and hence have connections with the body corporate, etc), and I know someone who seriously looked at doing it for the building they owned an apartment in. But if you're just renting it's probably an uphill battle.

Ewen

PS: "Replace ancient copper with fibre" is step one in most feasible plans :-)