NBN Starter Guide
Posted February 21st, 2012
and last modified April 10th, 2012- What is the National Broadband Network?
- Why is the NBN being implemented in Australia?
- When is it going to be at my house?
- What are the benefits of the National Broadband Network for the average user?
- What do I have to do to get connected?
If you’ve grown up with the technology to instantly download songs and speedily email large files then broadband internet will seem more like a right than a privilege. However, for those of us who remember the pain of dial up internet, or even a time before internet, when you actually had to wait for your statement to check your bank account balance, broadband is still on par with most modern miracles.
However, even the best things can be improved upon, and this is what the National Broadband Network being rolled out across Australia aims to do. So before you start to wonder how your internet connection is going to be effected and what you have to do to get connected, find out more about the NBN below.
Top Broadband Plans
What is the National Broadband Network?
As part of an Australian Government initiative, the National Broadband Network will involve connecting 93% of Australian homes, schools and businesses to a network of high speed optical fibre which will deliver wholesale-only, open access, high speed broadband internet access. A connection through the new NBN will be able to provide broadband speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second, where those homes and properties not able to be connected to the network will be able to access peak speeds of 12 Megabits per second via a combination of new fixed wireless satellite technology.
To implement the NBN across Australia, the government has established the NBN Co, and organisation who will design, build and operate the NBN. In April 2009 the government committed to an investment of up to $43 billion to the NBN and in December 2010, the Corporate Plan developed by NBN Co showed that their capital expenditure for the project would be less than the government’s allowance, and would be just $35.9 billion.
The NBN will run through an optical fibre cable system, which is a thin strand of glass or plastic, which can carry light. To transmit information, the light of a laser is shone down the fibre and is detected y the receiver at the other end, allowing the fibre optic cable to transmit over an almost unlimited distance. The type of fibre optic which will initially be used in the NBN will be able to transmit information at a speed of up to 1 gigabit per second, with increases in speed possible for the future.
Using optical fibre for the NBN allows the network to easily grow and move with the times in the future as not only is the fibre faster at transmitting information compared to the current copper wire system, it is also better able to cope with increasing demand for bandwidth. This makes the fibre optic ideal as the demand increases for bandwidth hungry broadband applications such as video streaming and online gaming.
The NBN will involve an upgrade to all Australian broadband users, as those outside of the optic fibre network will be connected to the next generation fixed wireless networks, to regional and remote communities for example. The new wireless service is expected to offer speeds which are as good as, if not better than, current ADSL speeds. The fixed wireless broadband system will transmit information over the air via a transmitter attached to the outside of a home or office, which receives a signal from a radio network base station. The wireless NBN has been specifically designed to cater for a predictable number of services in each area so that it can provide a faster and more consistent speed and a higher quality service compared to current wireless internet.
You will be encouraged to take advantage of the free connection service when the NBN is first rolled out, as the decision is yet to be made on whether you will have to pay out of your own pocket if you choose to connect at a later date.
Why is the NBN being implemented in Australia?
This all sounds like a very generous initiative of the Australian Government, to make sure we can all connect to quality, reliable high speed internet, but it’s not all about making sure you can download a dancing chicken or a cat playing the piano faster than ever before. The NBN is being implemented in Australia to:
- Inclusion. High speed internet is for more than just fun and games and can be a useful tool for those who are housebound or isolated, for example those with a disability, those in remote communities or stay at home parents. Reliable and fast internet is a necessity for participation in society, as well as for education as those with school aged children will know.
- Business growth. Small or home based businesses need a reliable and constant fast connection to their clients and to their business resources.
- Increased government services. When all Australians have fast and reliable connection to the internet through the NBN, the network can be used as a platform from which the government can deliver a range of health, education and increased services.
- ISP choice. With the current broadband internet system in Australia, one broadband link can only connect to one service provider. This means you have to connect your phone and your internet through the same provider, and everyone in the same house has to use the same provider too. However, the NBN will bring increased choice, as those living in shared accommodation for example can be billed separately, and choose an ISP and plan based on their individual needs.
- Australia’s global position. Very few people or industries operate in a local vacuum anymore, as the world wide reach of customers, services and contracts expands and diversifies all the time. For Australian businesses and contractors to keep up, they need a high performing internet connection, instead of the outdated copper telecommunications network we currently have.
When is it going to be at my house?
When the NBN is in place it will deliver broadband internet at speeds up to 100 times faster than many people are using today. However, depending on where you live you may have to wait a little while to benefit from these increased speeds and the NBN is being rolled out around Australia over a period of nine and a half years.
To begin the roll out, the NBN Co has released a 12 month national roll out schedule with selected communities listed as the first connection points. By September 2012 work will have started at all of the first roll out points and the new high speed fibre optic connection will be under construction for more than half a million premises. The sites for the 12 month roll out schedule were chosen based on the engineering and logistical requirements of the sites, such as the availability of core infrastructure. The sites were also selected for their diversity, allowing the NBN Co teams to test different design and construction techniques across a range of different sites, each with differing geography, housing type, density and infrastructure. The NBN Co will then continue the roll out of the fibre optic cabling until all modules have been covered, working out from areas which were part of the early connections, where the NBN can link back to the same network structure.
You can find out if you are located within one of the first roll out areas by checking the NBN Co roll out schedule on their website. NBN Co will then release information about future roll outs as it becomes available, so if your neighbourhood is not listed in the first 12 month roll out, you may be in the next round of installations. The information about the 12 month roll out plan will be updated quarterly with new locations, and the following three year plan will be updated annually.
When the NBN is connected in your area you will be able to connect with one of the ISPs who have been certified by NBN Co as capable of offering services on the new network. Therefore, you will be able to choose from:
- AAPT
- AARNet
- Adam Internet
- Exetel
- iiNet
- Internode
- ispONE
- Nextgen Networkds
- Optus
- Platform Networks
- Telstra
What are the benefits of the National Broadband Network for the average user?
You may already be pretty happy with your broadband internet connection, and be wondering whether a National Broadband Network will really make all that much difference to your online experience. Well, the planned improvements to the way Australians access broadband internet will offer the following benefits, which are sure to positively impact your accessibility:
- Reduced download times. When downloading things with high bandwidth requirements such as movies and TV shows, you will notice a significantly faster download. For example, downloading a standard movie in a 1 GB compressed file will currently take you between eight and 24 hour. However, when the NBN launches at a speed of 12 Mbps you will be able to download that movie in just 11 minutes and seven seconds, and if the speed of the NBN is increased to 100 Mbps you could download that movie in just a minute and 20 seconds. The speed is expected to be upgraded over time, so that as new functionality and performance become available, you can tap in directly.
- Connection will be unaffected by other users. In some areas the speed of broadband internet is affected by the number of people who are online in that exchange area or neighbourhood at one time. However, the fibre optic network won’t be affected by the number of users and will be available at all hours of the day and night.
- Reliability and security. Security and law enforcement agencies have been working with NBN Co to ensure the new network is reliable and secure so you aren’t exposed to online threats.
- Long distance access. The fibre optic cable can carry the broadband signal over more than 40 kilometres from an exchange, and won’t be affected by any interference. Your current ADSL signal will start to slow down after travelling just one kilometre, and disappears all together after four kilometres.
- Faster uploads. Most current broadband networks are one directional – only bringing ADSL into your home or office. This is great for downloading, but when you come to upload or send information most connections cannot go faster than 1 Mbps upstream. However, with the fibre optic network the upstream speed is as fast as the downstream speed which is especially important for programs such as video conferencing.
- Greater data capacity. Your data capacity dictates how many online devices you can use at once, and with the NBN you will be able to use a range of high bandwidth online applications at the same time without compromising the experience.
- High speed into the future. When the NBN rolls out it will be much faster than anything currently available, but as we all know, technology and developments move quickly, and luckily the NBN will now be able to easily keep up with these developments. The fibre cables will be able to support increased speeds without major infrastructure changes to the cabling, and instead the updates can be made simply be replacing the technology at each end. The fibre optic cable is also more durable than metallic cables.
- Free connection at roll out. While you may have to pay to have ADSL broadband connected to your property, if you connect to the NBN at the time of the roll out, the connection is free.
What do I have to do to get connected?
It can be difficult to get your head around the logistics of connecting every property, home and business in Australia to a new broadband network, but don’t worry because you will be notified when you have to take action. When your street is scheduled to be connected to the NBN, the NBN Co or your ISP will contact you and explain the connection options available to you in your area. You will then be given a consent form to fill in on which you nominate whether you want to be connected to the NBN. If you are renting you will need to seek the permission of your landlord and if you do nothing at this time, your ISP will notify you when they are transferring all of their customers to the NBN.
To connect to the NBN inside your home you will be given an NBN Box which has six ports – two for phones and four for the internet or other data services. With your NBN Box you will also receive a power supply unit with a back up battery and this second box must be kept within 10 metres of the NBN Box. NBN Co will advise you on the best position for the NBN Box in your home or office and will usually be placed near a power source so it can be easily plugged in. The box and the connection are free if you sign up during the initial roll out.
When it comes time to connect your property to the network, the fibre optic cables will be run where the existing phone cables already are, whether that is underground, or overhead. Once your property is connected to the NBN you will need to unplug your phone from its current socket and plug it into one of the phone sockets on your NBN Box. In some cases your service provider may need to come out and check the current cables or install new cables before your NBN service can be activated, but any new cables should simply link to existing cables and all existing sockets can be redirected to your NBN Box.
While the NBN Co and your service provider are coordinating the changeover, your service should continue uninterrupted. It is only when you disconnect from the old network and connect to the new NBN that you will be off line for a few minutes.
The NBN will also allow the NBN Co to offer uniform wholesale pricing, so that wholesale prices for comparable products will be the same for all houses and business, no matter where they are in Australia, and regardless of whether they are in a major city or in a regional or remote area. This is expected to lead to affordable and competitive pricing for connection and use of the NBN for you, with a range of plans being created for all types of broadband user, where entry level packages start from just $40 per month.
At the same time you don’t have to sign up for anything you don’t want to use, for example, the majority of properties in Australia are connected to the phone network, but they are not all required to take out a phone line service and instead many people just use their mobiles instead of getting a landline phone. The only new equipment you will need is the NBN Box to replace your current ADSL modem. You will be provided with an NBN Box, into which you can simply plug your existing phone handset. Other devices which can make phone calls such as fax machines should be able to be connected to the NBN without an issue.
As a way to transition certain regions of Australia to the NBN, the NBN Co launched the Interim Satellite Service in July 2011. The areas connected to the ISS are those which would not be able to be covered by the new fibre and wireless networks. However, the ISS has been designed to offer improved speed and bandwidth to areas of Australia which were previously without broadband access. For example, the ISS offers peak speeds of 6 Mbps for downloads and 1 Mbps for uploads.
The ISS will be in place until 2015 when the NBN Co has plans to launch two of their own high capacity satellites to provide a long term satellite internet service to these customers. With the launch of the two new satellites in 2015 speeds for these users will increase to 12 Mbps for downloads. If you’re unsure about how your coverage under the ISS or your current contract will be affected, you should discuss your individual situation with your service provider.
Broadband internet is an integral part of daily life for many of us, and we come to rely on the speed and connectivity which is at our finger tips whenever we turn on our computers. Broadband internet has allowed many of us to work easily from home to spend more time with our families, tae our work on the road and travel to work sites while remaining connected to the office, and develop and maintain personal and business relationships with people around Australia and around the world. Therefore, as we truly embrace the potential of the 21st century it is time to take all of the benefits of broadband internet and not only improve on them, but also make sure that every Australian has affordable, easy and reliable access to them.
With the National Broadband Network beginning its roll out in 2012 it is going to be an exciting time to connected to others around the country and around the world. The Australian Government and the NBN Co have also worked hard to implement systems and infrastructure plans which will enable the smoothest and easiest transition to the NBN as possible. Being connected is going to take on a whole new meaning and as you see the trucks in your streets and the new cables being laid, you know all you have to do is switch out your old ADSL modem and replace it with an NBN Box and your upgrade will be complete. At the same time you will also be able to seek out competitive broadband internet plans from approved and reliable providers to enhance your connectivity, knowing you can now choose one provider for your phone and another for your internet, or one provider for you and one for your children if the deals are better that way. However, best of all, the speeds and technology of the NBN will be continually updated without the need for another nationwide roll out.