How fast is your Internet? By Ian McLean

The way the Rudd Labour Government originally announced they were setting up the National Broadband Network Co (NBN) did not include any incentive for the existing owners of the ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) exchange equipment (mainly Telstra and Optus) to update their internet exchange infrastructures.

The copper wire from existing NODES to our premises or to the nearest exchange and the performance of the existing ADSL exchange equipment limits the current speed we experience.

The existing NODES, usually a conspicuous olive green cabinet off to the side of the road, are fed from the nearest exchange by fibre optic cable. The NODE that feeds Coal Point is in Amelia Street, near Whitelock Street in Burnage Reserve.

It is fed by fibre optic cable from Toronto exchange and from there the houses have the normal copper cable.

This NODE provides local subscribers with telephone and internet services.

If you are lucky enough to live past the NODE you really should be enjoying relatively high speed broad band but the speed is restricted by the equipment at Toronto exchange and to some extent old NODE technology.

If the new NBN Co policy was to concentrate on upgrading the outdated ADSL equipment at the exchanges (already fed by fibre from the existing National backbone network) we would all be better off much sooner.

The slow roll out of the fibre in the streets from exchanges to the subscribers houses is the problem because the inexperienced new NBN Co underestimated the size and complexity of the project.

As a matter of interest you can test your speed at various times during the day and in the middle of the night say 2.00AM - write down your results so you can review your findings 

Without exception you will find your existing connection is much faster when the exchanges aren’t overloaded therefore confirming that any copper between you and the exchange or NODE is only a part of the slow speed problem.

The owners of the ADSL equipment at the exchanges must be given the incentive to up grade the equipment without further delay so we can enjoy higher speeds - NOW.

This is not Rocket Science just practical and common sense logic – I hope this gets through to the new board that will be running our NBN Co.

It’s comforting to know that the newly appointed CEO by the new Government, Ziggy S used to run Telstra.