Hard News by Russell Brown

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Hard News: Fibre Coming Soon! Ish ...

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  • Craig Ranapia,

    I'm sure One News didn't mean to be mean...

    Why not? They obviously couldn't be arsed doing any kind of serious reportage or analysis. Gee, David Cunliffe thinks it's rubbish (no shit, Sherlock!), but you're just going to have to wait and see what Labour's actual policy is. End of line.

    As I've said on another thread -- and meaning no damnation with faint praise: PAS: kudos for substantive and meaningful debate and analysis. MSM: Ku-don't-s.

    North Shore, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 12370 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    and, more importantly, found third parties willing to invest at least some of the marching private funding, for a long-term return. And then you build it

    and, as the EPMU points out, found enough people to actually do the physical work.

    This from Key give a little more info, mostly about what the plan isn't, but does make it sound like a variety of companies owning the cables to me.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Good on National but the wider picture from National has to be:

    PRIVATISATION DOESN"T WORK!

    Telecom has failed in its obligation to NZ through the Kiwi Share and any competitors have already thrown in the towel to try and build an infrastructure.

    This has been a long played and failed experiment.

    The obvious comparison to Air NZ - it works well but needs massive govt cash injections to stay afloat.

    Railways are dying the slowest of deaths and desperately need govt intervention.

    This is Socialism for the Rich, bailing out private firms and interests.

    An honest politician would Nationalise the lot but this pretence of false markets ,suits the Labour/National govt.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    PRIVATISATION DOESN"T WORK!

    That's a broad statement inviting 15 BUTS of exceptions.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    I think I have found Nationals research on FTTH. Perhaps we could have zero GST on fibre thus encouraging higher fibre intake.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    Kyle where has it worked for essential infrastructure?

    It hasn't and has always been bailed out by govt because it doesn't work.

    I'm trying to think of a positive example & I just can't.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • newtestleper,

    Toastmasters. You're kidding right? They are terrible trainers of public speakers.

    Wellington • Since Apr 2008 • 5 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Moratti,

    Great!! 1 billion so I can download more porn and illegal movies faster.

    Am I the only one who thinks the money could be better spent on say schools, transport, hospitals, research etc.


    The only thing a faster home link for 99% of people will do is allow movies on demand/TV. We dont need a billion to allow more people to watch the goggle box

    dunedin • Since Apr 2008 • 3 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    Am I the only one who thinks the money could be better spent on say schools, transport, hospitals, research etc.

    I think most of those sort of groups would be quite happy to have better interwebs. The research institutions have steamingly fast interwebs, but it limits what I can get done in the evening sometimes. I think fast interwebs should be transformational on all sorts of levels, and in unexpected ways. Not just more pR0n and movies.

    Someone noted yesterday that it would (for example) facilitate data back-ups. Or having remote servers etc. I'm sure that most primary schools would be quite happy to have all of that sort of thing done seamlessly and more centrally somewhere, rather than having to worry about doing their own back-ups.
    I also think it could have an amazing impact on business.

    I should now point out that I'm uber-unqualified to comment on this. (Other than that that KAREN rules)

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I'm trying to think of a positive example & I just can't.

    Auckland International Airport? Government Print? Ministry of Works and Development? New Zealand Steel? Natural Gas? Government Supply Brokerage Corporation? State Insurance Office? Government Printing Office? National Film Unit? Terralink International?

    I don't follow all those closely and what they do, but some seem to have worked out OK (State Insurance are a crappy insurance company though, but I don't think that's privatisation, they just screwed me over when someone hit my car :P).

    I think we all tend to think more about those that haven't worked. NZ Rail, Telecom, BNZ, Air NZ etc with bailouts are the headlines.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • James Green,

    No real justification for posting this... but I hadn't actually looked at a 24 hour animated weathermap for KAREN before.
    http://weathermap.karen.net.nz/animations/karen-2008-04-22.gif

    Limerick, Ireland • Since Nov 2006 • 703 posts Report Reply

  • Michael Stevens,

    This sort of infrastructurre does need to be put in place, no doubt. The devil will, of course, be in the detail.

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 230 posts Report Reply

  • Yamis,

    It may be useful at school as we occasionally use the internet but quite frankly the speed now is sufficient for what we need.

    At home as you say Stephen, we will only be using it to download movies.

    I guess businesses may or may not need ultra fast connections but I'd like to know how many and what for. Most businesses like my local mechanic or the supermarket, or the dairy or nappy shop are probably not cracking open the champagne. Maybe people could fill me in on some examples in the techno world of how great advantages can be gained cos I'm pretty ignorant there.

    In Korea it's bloody fast but the main use as far as I could ever tell was to have websites with so many pop ups, bells and whistles that you couldn't find what you were looking for and for playing Starcraft online in PC rooms.

    Since Nov 2006 • 903 posts Report Reply

  • Don Christie,

    Good. This probably puts both parties on a reasonably equal footing WRT commitment to IT infrastructure.

    The TV report mentioned focusing on municipals, schools hospitals and business first. That is pretty similar to the MUSH networks that have been or are being rolled out so not much new there AFAI can tell. Fibre to homes is something that has been mooted for a while and good to see it being taken up and run with.

    Free access for business to KAREN would be a great and very simple thing instead of the shonky bloody way access to that *existing* advanced network is run now.

    Free Wifi is something a bunch of us in Wellington are working on as well.

    Stephen Moratti, I whole heartedly agree. As I see it the problem is similar to good roads. All they do is facilitate access to drinking dens and other places of vice. We should stop building and maintaining them.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1645 posts Report Reply

  • Shep Cheyenne,

    I'ld hardly consider most of those essential infrastructure (& don't know too much about many) but sure Terralink does some good work.

    AKL is owned by Local Govt - so devolved ownership - and a monopoly. It was always gonna win even with Banks as Lord Mayor.

    Likewise Min. of Works was split and Dept of Conservation takes on many of their privious roles. Councils like CCC have 'City Care' as another devolved local Govt owned infrastructure business taking over from min of Works.

    The essential infrastructure needs to be nationalised or the situation will continue of bailouts, ideology beating economic reality.

    Since Oct 2007 • 927 posts Report Reply

  • Gareth Ward,

    I'm all for an injection of Government money if that's the difference between this happening and not - I think a $1.5b initial investment would see a fairly good "social ROI" within a few years.
    But I can't see how this plan is going to work given that these are the criteria:

    The investment will be made alongside additional private sector investment and will be subject to a series of five principles, said Key. These include the network being open-access; ensuring the investment does not see already-planned investments cut back; ensuring increased broadband services; and making sure the investment does not end up lining the pockets of incumbent industry players.

    Since it was announced yesterday I've been trying to work out a model that would fulfil all those and can't really think of one... Anyone with a better take on open-access infrastructure investment planning?

    Auckland, NZ • Since Mar 2007 • 1727 posts Report Reply

  • Matthew Poole,

    Why do people constantly require justification against today's concepts when faster 'net to the home is discussed? Seriously, who'd have thought of YouTube five years ago? It requires broadband as an enabler, and in the absence of that nobody was going to really think of it. There will be other ideas out there that just require someone to view it as viable before they try it out. You don't try ideas that are doomed to failure because the market is inaccessible.

    The short version is, the ideas follow the technology. Cart, horse, etc. Demanding that the ideas be around to justify the technology is a nonsense.

    Auckland • Since Mar 2007 • 4097 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    well all I can say is "roll on the election year internet infrastructure bidding wars!" - mind you he really said:

    "In the first six years, priority will be given to business premises, schools, health facilities, and the first tranche of homes"

    I'm not sure how one joins the "first tranche of homes"

    (a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tranche_(disambiguation) in my experience usually refers to a type of financial instrument so I for one am confused - maybe it's the meat reference)

    I work at home, run a small business, maybe I can weasel in that way

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Mark Thomas,

    wow. national spending up on a big infrastructure project... and labour complaining that it will create a monopoly, stifling competition? i knew the 80s were making a comeback.

    that animated KAREN thing is very cool

    Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 317 posts Report Reply

  • Paul Campbell,

    crap that link was meant to be 'Tranche'

    Dunedin • Since Nov 2006 • 2623 posts Report Reply

  • Kyle Matthews,

    I'ld hardly consider most of those essential infrastructure (& don't know too much about many) but sure Terralink does some good work.

    Well you originally said "PRIVATISATION DOESN"T WORK!". Clearly in some places it does.

    Personally I prefer the SOE model for a lot of these things. If Telecom had some good competition in the home line area, that'd work well. It did wonders for toll call prices about 15 years ago.

    Since Nov 2006 • 6243 posts Report Reply

  • Felix,

    ...Key struggling through his speech...

    Is it just me or is Mr Key looking more and more like Mr Bush every day?

    Seriously, that was painful viewing.

    Raglan • Since Nov 2006 • 26 posts Report Reply

  • Simon Grigg,

    In Korea it's bloody fast but the main use as far as I could ever tell was to have websites with so many pop ups, bells and whistles that you couldn't find what you were looking for and for playing Starcraft online in PC rooms.

    Yes but as the rest of the world treks ahead the amount of bandwidth needed so that folks can stay averagely connected is going to increase dramatically in the near future.

    A little bit like RAM and Hard Disc space.

    Just another klong... • Since Nov 2006 • 3284 posts Report Reply

  • Steve Barnes,

    Tranching has largely led to the understatement of the risks embedded in high-yield debt and asset-backed securities backing the structured products. These risks have surfaced recently in the light of the subprime mortgage crisis.

    Gee Mr Key, you sure know some big wordz.
    Yeah. Call me picky but when a political party can only find its leaders from a small goup of "financial advisors" with no political experience then the agenda is far from hidden, it's a frikkin ELEPHANT sitting on your lap. You can be sure that first "tranch" of homes will be on Partai Drive and the likes of Ms. Gibbs will be able to download all they desire.

    Peria • Since Dec 2006 • 5521 posts Report Reply

  • anjum rahman,

    showing Maurice Williamson looking like he had in fact swallowed a dead rat

    i'd say he was probably annoyed that he didn't get to make the announcement given it was his portfolio. at least a joint announcement at a press conference might have let mr williamson feel like he was a part of it all.

    hamilton • Since Nov 2006 • 130 posts Report Reply

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