Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Brisbane to forge ahead with sewer-based fibre plan

No cost-benefit analysis carried out on new Fibrecity plan either, communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, says

Brisbane is to receive a new open access fibre to the home network, pitched as complementing the National Broadband Network (NBN), aimed at delivering 100 megabits per second (Mbps) broadband to every home and business within four years.

The network build, first flagged in July, is set to begin in early 2011 and connect 15,000 homes per month and will utilise Brisbane’s sewer system and employ ‘microtrenching’ to help reduce costs — by as much as 60 per cent — and disruption associated wit the laying of fibre optic cables.

According to i3 Asia Pacific, the firm responsible for the rollout, these approaches are also faster than traditional methods of building communications infrastructure.

“The key to successful rollout of fibre to the home is cost," i3 Group chief executive, Elfed Thomas, said in a statement. “Our suite of technologies allows the cost per home to be up to 60% less than traditional build. We have completed a survey of the assets in Brisbane and conclude that these savings are realistic."

According to Thomas the new network would not compete with the NBN.

“Our work with Brisbane City Council complements the NBN’s work by ensuring millions of Australian citizens have access to next generation Internet services through a cost effective and commercially viable fibre optic network,” he said.

An NBN Co spokesperson said the announcement of the new network would not alter in any way its plans to continue rolling out the NBN.

“NBN Co has been given an objective to provide high-speed broadband access to all Australians,” the spokesperson said. “We have already announced a second release site in inner north Brisbane, and we are continuing with our plans.”

At least 3000 homes in inner north Brisbane suburbs are already slated to receive fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) access as part of the NBN second mainland release sites, with construction due to begin early next year.

Communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, was quick to highlight the positives of the new network, noting that the network proposal had not been subject to a cost benefit analysis or a detailed implementation study.

“The Mayor’s proposal clearly disputes Malcolm Turnbull’s claims that people living in cities already have adequate broadband,” Conroy said in a statement.

Brisbane Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman, claimed there would be no extra cost to the city’s ratepayers associated with the fibre rollout, “regardless of how or when it is delivered".

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: Brisbane City Council, etwork, Newman
References show all

Comments

1

greg

Thu 14/10/2010 - 22:11

Senator Conroy is self-servingly disingeneous, once again. The private company proposing cabling Brisbane sewers would have definitely done its cost-benefit analysis, on the basis of its experience on the ground overseas and a detailed pilot study in Brisbane. It merely does not advertise it, for obvious reasons.

This is in sharp contrast with the NBN: a totally new, one-off mega proposition to spend lots of taxpayers' money, without a proper audit of expected uses/benefits, without much to go on about actual costs, and totally without a cost-benefit analysis to demonstrate to us mug taxpayers that our money is put to best use.

2

J plecher

Sat 16/10/2010 - 08:46

MONOPOLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! State and commonwealth dictatorship
We are turning into a Stalin come Hitler Country time to wake up no longer free we are getting sold out .

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: Brisbane, Fibrecity, fibre to the home, NBN, nbn co, Stephen Conroy
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • Disciplined Agile Delivery: An Introduction
    This evaluation guide is designed to help you choose the best tool to support your current Agile projects, while protecting your investment as your team, needs and agile maturity grow.
    Learn more »
  • Seven Tips for Securing Mobile Workers
    Seven Tips for Securing Mobile Workers is intended to offer practical guidance on dealing with one of the fastest growing threats to the security of sensitive and confidential information.
    Learn more »
  • Protecting Generation Web
    From data privacy to personal safety issues, cyber-bullying, inappropriate content and malware, schools are facing an increasingly difficult task when it comes to allowing young people to spread their online wings without compromising their safety and personal development. The reality that most schools are catering to the needs of mixed age groups and abilities, and it’s easy to understand why a simple stop and block approach won’t work. Learning environments are, by nature, flexible. It stands to reason that the IT resources used in them should be flexible too. Read on.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.
Recent comments