NBN Discussion

[NM]

I have now been without any internet or home phone service for 10 days. RSP blames NBN Co (of course). Each day when I call for an update, I have been told "it will be fixed within 24 hours". When I ask "24 hours from when?" I am told "24 hours from now, sir".

Yesterday I finally managed to speak with a supervisor at the call centre. She supposedly called NBN while I waited, and returned to say that NBN acknowledge a fault in their network and remediation is in progress - they just failed to update the trouble ticket with that information. She also said that "remediation" can sometimes take a few days, a few weeks, and in some cases can take months.

At least I have confirmed that my home phone service is covered by the CSG (Customer Service Guarantee), so for the first 5 business days they owe me $14.52 per day, and then it goes to $48.40 per business day. Currently my calculation for CSG compensation is $217.80 if they fix it today, and growing at $48.40 per day. Will be interesting to see how hard I have to push to receive the CSG compensation.

 

[RB]

There are several 5G trials operating now in various parts of the USA. AT&T's first was in Austin, and now in a few other locations.
AT&T Expanding Fixed Wireless 5G Trials to Additional Markets
AT&T Launches 5G Trial with Magnolia at the Silos

Expect real deployment (not just trials) by the end of 2018:
AT&T to Launch Mobile 5G in 2018

I think it will a while before we see it in Australia and even longer until plans make it viable as an NBN alternative in the domestic market. But it will happen for sure.

I received an email today that had this link to 4.5g in New Zealand -apparently 38 sites in 30 locations

Spark lights up 4.5G in Cambridge and Turangi

 

[Buzzard]

There are several 5G trials operating now in various parts of the USA. AT&T's first was in Austin, and now in a few other locations.
AT&T Expanding Fixed Wireless 5G Trials to Additional Markets
AT&T Launches 5G Trial with Magnolia at the Silos

Expect real deployment (not just trials) by the end of 2018:
AT&T to Launch Mobile 5G in 2018

I think it will a while before we see it in Australia and even longer until plans make it viable as an NBN alternative in the domestic market. But it will happen for sure.

And when Telstra build their 5G network could it just be the NBN killer?

 

[TheRealTMA]

And when Telstra build their 5G network could it just be the NBN killer?

Do it once, do it with fibre.

 

[Dr Ralph]

And when Telstra build their 5G network could it just be the NBN killer?

One could only hope. I'd be extremely happy to walk away from the NBN. It's been nothing but trouble for me.

 

[NM]

And when Telstra build their 5G network could it just be the NBN killer?

It will be a viable option for some people, that is for certain. But don't expect to get unlimited data plans for 5G anytime soon. Those wanting to transfer lots of data will still want a wired connection for some time just due to the limited volumes that will be affordable on cellular plans for the first few years of service availability.

But for people who want high-speed for small-ish volumes, and to have it while they are on the move, its going to be the delivery mechanism of choice.

But one of the key reasons for rolling out 5G is not so much the high bandwidth for users, but the ability to support very large numbers/density of connected devices for close-to-real-time communications - continuous small flows of data. This is what will deliver a lot of the promises of the Internet of Things (IOT). And that is an area the carriers want to operate. Benefits such as lower latency and lower battery consumption are key to the expansion of the IOT.

Also note that the highest speeds for 5G will be derived from the "millimeter wave" cells, which don't have long range (maybe 300m), so unless the telco installs a very high density of towers, don't expect millimeter wave 5G mass saturation. This is the technology we will find installed in locations where a high density of users will exist, or even in a private "cell" in your home. But guess what, that private cell needs to connect back the service provider through something like NBN so why not just use 802.11AC for your private cell? The reason again goes back to the drive for low-latency and high density of connections .... yes, the IOT.

But those who can afford the 5G data plans and can restrain their use to their data cap, its going to be very nice. The costs will come down, as they always do, over time and with volume momentum and competition. Early adopters will get the performance benefits at a $$$ cost.

 

[Cynicor]

The NBN tech in my area has been really good, and we are now up and running and syncing at 106/41.
Only issue is I'm noticing multiple line sync dropouts throughout a day, 5-6 times per 24 hour period for 1-5 minutes. Need to check the modem logs to see if there is a pattern.
Any thoughts?

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

The NBN tech in my area has been really good, and we are now up and running and syncing at 106/41.
Only issue is I'm noticing multiple line sync dropouts throughout a day, 5-6 times per 24 hour period for 1-5 minutes. Need to check the modem logs to see if there is a pattern.
Any thoughts?

Any other sockets in the house? May want to have them disconnected from the first socket.

 

[Cynicor]

Any other sockets in the house? May want to have them disconnected from the first socket.

Other sockets but no other plugs in them. It's a rental so a bit hard to do too much.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

Other sockets but no other plugs in them. It's a rental so a bit hard to do too much.

maybe see if the landlord will go halves in getting a central splitter installed

 

[moa999]

see if the landlord will go halves in getting a central splitter installed

Splitter pointless for NBN. No POTS signal anymore, voice comes via VOIP.

The simplest way with FTTN (And FTTB/FTTC) is have a licensed cabler (and I say this because of our protective wiring laws)
1. Make a quick snip at the first socket, disconnecting everything else, or
2. Replace the first socket with a double point (in to modem, and an isolated internal network to which you can feed the analogue VOIP)
If you want the modem elsewhere (eg in office or behind tv then can become a little more complicated.

If this is truly not possible best outcome is to have the modem on the last socket (assuming wired in a line/serial) as this will have the least reflections though the most joins.

And even though it's a rental, once NBN, you aren't going back, so it is in the landlord's interests to fix it as it's permanent for any other tenants in the future.

 

[Quickstatus]

Do it once, do it with fibre.

Yes but not under the financial structure setup by K747.

Putting the immense cost on the Budget is the only way to fund all Fibre.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Yes but not under the financial structure setup by K747.

Putting the immense cost on the Budget is the only way to fund all Fibre.

With current interest rates, go for it! It's called investment in national infrastructure. Alternatively let's all FTTN and use copper then have to rip it all out and much greater expense in 5 years.

 

[jb747]

With current interest rates, go for it! It's called investment in national infrastructure. Alternatively let's all FTTN and use copper then have to rip it all out and much greater expense in 5 years.

I thought it was called debt.

It won't be ripped out in 5 years. It may not work, but it won't be done again.

 

[Quickstatus]

With current interest rates, go for it! It's called investment in national infrastructure. Alternatively let's all FTTN and use copper then have to rip it all out and much greater expense in 5 years.

I wonder, all fibre to everyone who wants it?. Or is there a $$ limit

 

[Pushka]

NBN installers have been in our street for months. I think we are done now. But when I ask them where the node is, they don’t know. Not unreasonable of course but that will influence how quickly I move to it. Supposed to be starting here mid May.

 

[Quickstatus]

NBN installers have been in our street for months. I think we are done now. But when I ask them where the node is, they don’t know. Not unreasonable of course but that will influence how quickly I move to it. Supposed to be starting here mid May.

The closest node to you is not always the node you are connected to. The installers just see wires - they have no ideal of which wire connects to which house.

At least you are getting somewhere. My fixed wireless has been pushed back to 2020 with a "commitment" to complete the installation by then. As we all know an NBN commitment is worth as much as the paper its written on. In my case its not written on anything.

At least the RSP is supposed to tell you what your FTTN is capable of.

 

[eastwest101]

NBN starting to appear in our neighborhood - which in our neghbourhood will be a FTTN rollout. We have never really had any line problems in our 10-15yo neighborhood with all services buried underground, including power, and phone lines.

The reason I know this, is that someone from the NBN mistakenly disconnected our phone line without warning 6 days ago so we lost all landline voice service and our ADSL2. Just had the Telstra technician at our place whom traced the line fault back to the pillar and found that our phone line had been cut, apparently this is quite common with NBN contractors who aren't as dilligent as they could be when they are attempting to transition someone in that pillar to the NBN..

So if you lose all landline voice services and internet unexpectedly during business hours its probably worth the 500m walk or drive to the nearest pillar (if you know where it is) and see if there is an NBN contractor at work, if so, tell them to reconnect your service that they just cut.

Got the welcome kit from Telstra but ironically I was "holding off" on going to NBN until they iron out all the bugs in the local roll out so that when we transition - we aren't stuck without a customer service guarantee or useable phone service and internet connection. The roll out in our neighbourhood has coincided with the largest lightning storms and most amount of rain we have seen here in Townsville in years.

 

[NM]

well, after 18 days of no NBN connection, it's finally working again. NBN tech finally arrived (after 3 missed appointments) and tested and confirmed connection was now ok, but my modem was still showing no connection. Turned out that whatever caused the fault at the node that took NBN weeks to fix must have also taken out my modem. So another call to Optus to have a new modem sent out. Installed new modem 3 days later and it was connecting at 64/22Mbps but was performing poorly 22/5 the best I could achieve according to speedtest.net with WiFi turned off and only one PC connected via GE physical cable.

So another call back to Optus to get the speed sorted. It turned out they had reset me to basic 25/5 plan instead of the 100/40 plan I had requested. Never going to get close to 100/40 at 500m from the node, but that is another story. They fixed the upload speep while I was on the phone, and was promised a call back in an hour when they fixed the download speed. The download speed was fixed about 3 hours later and never received a call from Optus to confirm it.

So now waiting to see what bill relief I am going to receive from Optus. By my calculations, just the CSG compensation sould be over $500. I suspect I am going to have to continue to chase them to get the compensation sorted to my satisfactions. TOI has given Optus until Wednesday to address my complaint and as of Monday I have heard nothing from them.

 

[moa999]

At 500m you should get better than 64/22.
How many phone outlets in your house?

And if they had incorrectly put you on a 25/5 plan then sync should have been exactly 28000/6400.