THE National Broadband Network (NBN) will help Orange businesses compete with others on a global scale, says a telecommunications specialist, but, according to an engineering expert, the system being rolled out is already obsolete.
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Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology school of engineering senior lecturer Dr Mark Gregory says NBN Co’s statements about the quality of the service to be expected in Orange are misleading and businesses will not be competing on an equal footing.
“The quality of five high-definition channels over 25Mbps FTTN (Fibre To The Node) would be very poor and effectively no better than the digital equivalent of the old analogue television,” Dr Gregory said.
However, an NBN Co spokesperson stood by comments that five people could be connected simultaneously watching high-definition video and said the industry itself suggested that 5Mbps was recommended for high-definition quality.
But Dr Gregory said the FTTN system would lag at times and suffer from congestion, unlike a Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) proposal, which would last longer than FTTN, allow faster internet speeds and be more cost effective.
“On [FFTP] small businesses in Orange could broaden their reach and customer base and become a full member of the digital economy,” he said.
“[FTTN] means they won’t be able to compete with businesses on the fibre network.”
The difference is people connected to FTTP in other countries can converse using video online with up to 30 others across the globe, whereas on FFTN this is not possible, Dr Gregory says.
KNet technology business owner, telecommunications guru and Orange councillor Jeff Whitton says the NBN roll-out of FTTN will make a significant difference to Orange businesses.
“FTTN, it’s a start. Now depending on where the node is positioned ... if the last mile connection is substandard then it’s a waste of time,” he said.
Cr Whitton’s home is connected to the NBN fixed wireless system. It is not the same as the FTTN plan for within the city, but Cr Whitton says he is pleasantly surprised by the speed.
“It’s amazing, in our household, in three separate rooms using it to its full potential on Netflix ... we are extremely happy with the WiFi,” he said.
Dr Gregory said FTTN in Orange would be superior to what most people had, but would eventually have to be replaced “two or three times” before it was up to date with the latest technology.
“For some [small businesses] it will be a small improvement from ADSL.”
