The Deal With The Australian NBN

One of the biggest things that has caught the ears of Australian business visa holders these past few months is the National Broadband Network that the the government is continuously pushing for in the past three years. And with the technological gains that it promises to deliver, one can understand why the government has been so enthusiastic about the project. However, according to some experts, there are still a lot of things that needs to be sorted out before it can be fully implemented.

Before going on, it would be a good idea to know more about the project. The National Broadband Network project started as a proposal by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd during his run for elections in 2007. Upon being elected, Rudd's administration immediately started accepting proposals for the development of the NBN. However, all the proposals were ultimately rejected, with the Australian government opting to shoulder the construction.

The construction of the network was begun in 2009, with the laying of the initial system in Tasmania. The Tasmanian section of the system was formally launched on August 12, 2010, with the attendance of current Prime Minister Julia Gillard. However, the development of the rest of the network was put temporarily in limbo with the 2010 Federal Elections held in late August, with the Liberal Party vowing to block the development of the project. With Gillard and the Labor Party winning, the NBN project was soon restarted.

According to initial proposals, the NBN would be able to deliver 100 Mbps (megabits per second) of internet speed to consumers. However, during the Tasmania launch, the administration announced that the speed was upgraded and now pegged to 1 Gbps (gigabits per second), making it one of the fastest commercial networks available to date. The network is also expected to serve around 93 percent of the households in the country.

However, with a AU$ 43 billion initial outlay, the network is certainly not going to be cheap. And because of that, customers can expect that the actual service is not going to be cheap either. According to internet experts, homes wishing to avail of the service is likely to shell out anywhere from AU$ 200 to AU$ 400 to hook their homes to the network. However, they also added that those who opt not to avail of the option will also be able to experience an improvement in their connection.

A lot of groups have criticized the cost of the system, many have also proposed alternatives that they claim will be able to provide the same benefits while being significantly cheaper. However, the government is still adamant that the NBN is the best way to go. Whether or not this one proves correct will only been known once the network becomes fully online.