NBN Co dumps fixed wireless target

FIXED wireless users on the National Broadband Network (NBN) through fixed wireless have suffered a blow to their future speeds, with NBN Co dumping its plan to provide 100 megabits per second (Mbps) downloads.

This is a reversal of NBN Co’s position in early January, when it stated half of fixed wireless users – equivalent to about 300,000 homes and businesses – could get access to 100 Mbps by the time the NBN rollout ended in 2020.

Speaking at Senate Estimates last week, NBN Co chief executive officer Bill Morrow said NBN Co had “killed” the 100 Mbps fixed wireless goal despite earlier promising to meet it, citing the cost-prohibitive nature of adding bandwidth.

“If you stay at a certain level it’s not a problem but the cost of that incremental capacity starts to double, even quadruple.

“The ideal of offering 100 Mbps services means driving even more capacity into the network and the economics of that break apart to a point where it doesn’t make any sense.”

By comparison, according to NBN Co, all fixed-line NBN connections will be capable of 100 Mbps downloads by 2020 except fibre to the node (FTTN), of which only a quarter will be fast enough.

Labor is demanding an explanation, with Shadow Communications Minister Stephen Jones saying NBN Co’s move away from 100 Mbps-capable fixed wireless was a backflip.

“Only 12 months ago, NBN launched the policy, heralding it as ‘game-changing’. Mr Morrow previously described the policy as one which delivers for ‘tomorrow and in the future’.

“Now they are saying something completely different.

“Fixed wireless broadband was planned as part of the original NBN project by Labor in government to give regional Australians the best technology available.

“Regional and rural Australians deserve a better explanation as why and how this has happened.”