Its a crazy mixed up world out there. I talk to people every day about the state of broadband availability in their area. Its a big mixture between the have and the have nots. The vast majority of people I speak to have inadequate broadband speeds of below 4Mbps. Those (select few) who have speeds of greater than 10Mbps, don’t see what all the fuss is and are enjoying Neflix, Stan, Presto and other video streaming services.

When Netflix came on the scene, it looks like network capacity planning people were on leave or absent. It might even be that the marketing people simply chose to ignore the fact that the internet in Australia simply could not cope. So the situation now is that, those who have 10Mbps and above can enjoy Neflix, Stan, Presto. But for the majority of Australians like me struggling to get 4Mbps the problem is made even worse, as now I struggle to get more than 2Mbps.

NBN has finally completed its 12 month study and has promised to turn things around. So you would think that things will be on the improve, and here is why I believe it wont.

a) The new FTTN will still use the existing telephone copper wire. Fibre will only be used sparingly for some parts of the network. Known as the “last mile” the existing, aging copper lines will be used to connect each home to the internet.

You know, that stuff that Postmaster-General’s (PMG) Department laid in ground many decades ago. Well these copper wires are corroded, neglected and have deteriorated severely over time. To save money Telstra don’t do any maintenance on these wires and only attend to problems that are reported to them. In a deal of the decade, Telstra just sold its recycled and corroded lines for 11 Billion dollars to the NBN. Just like it has been for the last decade, the Internet speed in peoples homes will be directly impacted on the quality of the copper lines.

So in reality you get the same shit, just in a different package. Apply political spin and propaganda and you will win over most Australians.