Setting the Record Straight – Ballan NBN.
Ballan is most of the way through its NBN rollout. On November 20th 2017, Telstra’s copper network in Ballan will be switch off. If you haven’t placed an NBN order before the November 20 cutoff date you are likely to lose any services still using the copper lines including Land Lines and ADSL connections.
Let’s take a step back and talk about the type of technology available in Ballan, fibre to the node. (FTTN).
Fibre to the node technology is an alternative to the more expensive fibre to the premises (TTP) technology. FTTN allows NBN to increase the speed of the rollout whilst reducing the cost. Essentially fibre is delivered to an area and terminates at the local exchange or purpose built FTTN boxes. FTTN allows the NBN to deliver fibre cable to an area whist using the existing Telstra lines to deliver the final link to your home or business. The upgrading capability to fibre to the curb (FTTC) in the future is also considered an easy upgrade if the demand is considered high enough.
While cheaper and quicker to roll out, there is two limitations to FTTN connections. Speed & Reliability. In our experience, we have not seen many FTTN connections capable speeds above 25mbps download. This is One quarter the speeds available with FTTP. Those closest to the exchange or fibre boxes can expect speeds up to 50mbps. (If ordered). One example is a client in Inglis street having ordered the highest speed available by their telco, (100/40), but is only getting download speeds of 24mbps. The expected upload speed on a 25mbps plan is 5mbps, this customer tested at 14mbps so paying for a faster connection only really showed a benefit uploading.
We’ve heard a lot of our clients ask questions about reliability. Reliability on the NBN is still somewhat limited by the copper cabling installed in the 70’s & 80’s so there will be some issues. Our advice if you are experiencing issues is to report it as soon as you can to your telco provider. Over the last 18 months while work has been carried out, reliability has been a hot topic. Expect less drop outs after the November deadline.
In short, the NBN is non negotiable. If you plan on using Internet & phone services, you must place an NBN order. Your alternatives after the deadline are Mobile based ones only.
If you’d like assistance with the NBN, let us know. Give us a call on 03 5368 2611. If you want to check your NBN availability, you ca do so at www.nbnco.com.au
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