The NBN has been designed to offer uniform wholesale pricing, which means the cost for companies accessing the network should be the same whether the consumer lives in inner-city Sydney or in Cobar.
However, the NBN business plan, released just before the Christmas break, suggests uniform pricing only relates to the service from a customer’s home to one of the network’s 120 exchange points.
According to Associate Professor Frank Zumbo, a competition policy expert at the University of
NSW, this meant there was no uniform wholesale pricing for backhaul networks across regional Australia, potentially pushing prices higher.
“The price disparities that are likely to occur in backhaul will adversely effect regional consumers and regional Internet service providers,” he said.
The Gillard Government put more flesh on the NBN bones just before Christmas, stating wholesale prices for access would start from $24 a month and all Australians would be connected to the network by 2021.
No retail prices were quoted – although they would include phone line rental – but regional Australia would be connected to the network by 6000 kilometres of fibre servicing 93 per cent of properties.
The other seven per cent – mostly in rural and remote areas – would gain access through high speed wireless and satellite services.
And it was this portion of residents which meant expectations for the NBN far outweighed the reality, according to the head of mobile carrier, Indigo Telecom, David Ruddiman.
“The reality is up to seven per cent of the population, more than 1.5 million people, won’t see any fibre and will remain dependent upon satellite and wireless technologies to access the Internet,” Mr Ruddiman said.
“The government would be wise to consult regional Australians about exactly what’s needed to improve their quality of life.”
However, Federal Independent Member for New England, Tony Windsor, said the uniform pricing system in the NBN business plan meant regional and rural residents would see the benefits of the NBN more than most.
“The rollout of the NBN will lay the foundations for many opportunities for country communities to grow,” he said.
“For the (Federal) Government to commit to rolling it out in country areas first and to cross-subsidise it so that people will pay the same price for equivalent service whether they live in the country or the city is a major concession.”
Regional and rural NSW was expected to be a major winner in the NBN construction, with test sites in Armidale and Kiama Downs already being built and pinpointed for e-health trials by NSW Health.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Richard Fox
Quelle/Source: The Land, 05.02.2011
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