Optus: Google, eBay just as dangerous as network monopolies

While Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN) is still top-of-mind for Optus CEO Paul O’Sullivan, he is also concerned how, in a more-connected world, content monopolies can be just as restrictive as network monopolies. Speaking to the Media Connect “Kickstart” conference in Queensland’s Sanctuary Cove resort, O’Sullivan …

[Roger Jenkins]

Bleeding Obvious

Yes indeed it may be bleeding obvious that mobile networks need fibre and it may be bleeding obvious that fibre can and will complement the NBN, but, those opposed to the NBN eg. the political opposition, don't deal in the bleeding obvious, only in FUD.

[david 12]

Bleeding Obvious FUD

Yes, it is bleeding obvious that mobile networks complement fibre networks, but those supporting the NBN don't deal in the bleeding obvious, only FUD.

Since I'm not an NBN syncophant, I expect fibre to be used as the backbone, to wireless nodes, and to large buildings like office blocks, appartment blocks, and hospitals, and even to RIMs

Unlike NBN syncophants, I don't expect that to mean that the goverment should be funding a new TV network to every home, based on 1970's science, and using the excuse that it's "for education" and "tele-medicine"

When this white elephent comes to my home, I'm going to be signing up: I love retro-technology. I prefer my Bakelite land-line phone to the mobile, and I've been waiting 20 years to get fibre (the economics were close in 1995). The Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt is coming from the other corner: those who are telling us that we need to spend the money on Fibre, or we are going to be left behind by modern societies like HK and Singapore.

[Muscleguy]

A look over the ditch

To New Zealand will show he is wrong. Ebay doesn't exist in NZ, a local startup called TradeMe does instead. I have no doubt that Ebay has the financial muscle to take them on, but they haven't. Why not? because they are not interested in any market they cannot dominate.

Besides which Amazon has stolen much of Ebay's thunder by operating an easy to use portal to sell pretty much anything second hand. I have a shop on there where I sell my wife's finished video games from various platforms. She uses the income to help fund the purchase of more. Sometimes I even make a profit on a game if it was bought used. It isn't an auction but that doesn't mean you can charge what you want either, get the price wrong and your item will just sit there unsold. It also has the advantage of the customer knowing they have bought the item there and then instead of having to bid and not being sure of getting it.

[Glen Turner 666]

Not economic for Optus customers to self-host, so of cause they use a content monopoly

Optus has itself to blame to an extent. By pricing the ability for customers to host their own servers out of their household ADSL offerings Optus pretty much force their customers into the hands of other people to handle their content.

[Gareth]

lol wut?

Still not sure what this article is about after a couple of reads... Who is Optus and what is the NBN for us non-aussies? What is a seeker mechanism? A little background would be nice.

Is O'Sullivan suggesting that access to websites should be artificially restricted to territories (that are presumably allocated by a regulator or bought), so that local companies have a fair go?

If so, how is that *less* restrictive than the current system where anyone can build a new website (from home, or their Harvard dorm), open it up and potentially attract a worldwide audience?