NBN build contracts rejigged, without Telstra

The company building Australia's mixed-tech national broadband network has announced another rework to how it allocates contracting work, and to some surprise, the new round of build contracts don't include Telstra. nbnTM says its new contracts are performance-based, offering flexible volume commitments, competition between …

[-tim]

Who does the real work?

It cost about $85,000 to set up a van with the tools need to install and cerify fibre but the only people allowed to operate that equipment have to pass a long certifed test that mixes in a few industries for good measure. The current data cabling requirements include sections so installers don't drill into power in walls but that is just for the datacabling certificates. Electricians installing power points can't touch data cables without an extra cert and data only cablers can't touch the power at all. Working in the pits have other sets of requiements and dealing with pole mounted cable is even more. To get the good subcontract gigs requires several years of training and apprenticeship, the very expensive white van and a ROI that would worry a bank manager that holds a mortgage on a nearly paid off house.

[Winkypop]

Wow

Even though NOT in Government, Labor's NBN 1.0 has managed to save $20 billion!

"Turnbull conceded that in spite of the shift to a “multi-technology” model, there are still factors that could cause cost blowouts to the network, but maintains that rolling out fibre would have cost “$30 billion more” (pre-election that number was $50 billion but who cares? – Ed)."

I sadly await being underwhelmed by the LNP's dog of an NBN 2.0

[aberglas]

I just want my fixed wireless

Let's hope that these new contractors are efficient.

5mbs would be fine. I do not need to run 20 ultra high definition TVs at the same time. But I do need internet that works. Dial up does not cut it in the modern world.

The previous obsession with fibre was never going to address my problem. And most people that already have decent ADSL or Cable would not notice the improvement by going to Fibre, which is why most people did not sign up to the early fibre trials when available.

If the NBN could be implemented on a NEEDs basis then much joy could be had for much less money.