[clug] Trump Telstra once and for all

[Andrew Smith]

Ben wrote:
> is to go wireless, or get Optus HFC, or TransACT. TransACT are worse
> than Telstra when it comes to wholesale access to their network;
Not true, in fact they're cheaper in most respects, and somewhat easier, 
given that you can telehouse a floor away from the Broadband routers.
> Internode have been trying for years to get access to the TransACT
> network and they even have a POP at TransACT house, and got TransACT
> to help with the additional backbone for the Civic DSLAM, but TransACT
> still won't let them offer a service - presumably because they might
Not true, I've spoken to both sides in my travels.  They simply 
want/offer different things.  Transact's wholesale broadband network 
delivers clients on Layer3, Internode want to see clients on Layer2 and 
neither side will budge.  End of story, no conspiracy theory.

> compete with Grapevine). TransACT are worse than Telstra when it comes
> to artificially constraining the speed of the service. The highest
> residential plan is a 2Mbps plan, and the network is capable of 56Mbps
> (including video and voice). The business plans start $549/month for
> 10M/1M connection, with a $2,000 installation cost and you still need
> to get an ISP on top of that!
Actually there's also 3M/1M for $189/month and $450 installation, or 
5M/1M for $319 and $750 installation...
They don't constrain the speed, you do by spending less :)   As it 
happens, you can get some pretty good cross-town bandwidth for 
reasonable money with their Metro Ethernet service, it craps all over 
Telstra price-wise.

I'm much more scared of Telstra's 3G network.  Has anyone had faults in 
during the last month while Telstra techs have been tied up rolling it 
out?  We've had delays of up to 10 days to get attendance on basic DSL 
line faults and 5 days for all the phones at a school.  Somehow I don't 
think that level of service is getting better.

So Telstra couldn't get their domestic $3B FTTC network, they roll out 
3G with speeds (next year) of <14Mbps and NO requirement for 
competitor/wholesale access.  Where do you think their resources will 
go?  Fair enough, sell them off, but leave the wholesale infrastructure 
with the government.

Andrew