What is the NBN?

The NBN is not a single network but a policy and framework to introduce superfast broadband to Australia.

However our government policy makers have defined anything above 25Mbps as superfast which with todays technology is not superfast.

The Government has established its own company, which is funded by tax payers, nbnco pty ltd, to roll out superfast network infrastructure to existing (or what is called brownfield) dwellings and communities.

For new developments the developer can choose to use nbnco to deliver the telecommunications infrastructure and services or they can choose a private superfast network operator, all part of the NBN strategy.

These private operators do it faster, cheaper and without spending tax payers money. These networks are run just like nbnco as a wholesale network service to which all ISPs, like Valve Networks can access to deliver our end to end retail services.

nbnco, under this current government, changed from a network which was supposed to be fibre all the way to your home or premises (known as FTTH or FTTP), to a mixed technology using copper in the last few hundred meters to deliver VDSL up to 100Mbps (FTTNode) and a n advance VDSL for FTTCurb. They also acquired the HFC or Hybrid Coax Fibre networks from Telstra and Optus to use this to deliver services up to 100Mbps.

Unfortunately, our regional towns and rural and remote communities (sometimes not so remote) nbnco has chosen to use fixed wireless technology and satellite technology. The fixed wireless has proven to be under provisioned and the technology is limited and so generally it will offer services not much better than a 25/5Mbps. Satellite ensures that we have coverage all over Australia, however the throughput, speed and amount of data downloads are limited.