24 JUL 2015 · The government has outlined a framework for migrating customers to the NBN, with a threat of regulatory action on the industry if the process isn't smoothed out. Last year Tony Warren, Telstra's Head of Regulatory Affairs, said that the process needed to be fixed and the Comms Alliance was the logical body to coordinate improvements. Today it seems to have fallen on the NBN to work through the detail and, whilst they say things have got better, there is a lot of room for improvement in how services are installed and activated. So, does the government's paper help the situation. Phil Dobbie argues the four pillars are so high-level and the issue seems to be in the detailed execution. We hear from: Katarzyna Stapleton, Executive General Manager Disconnections & Migration at nbn; Christine Williams, Telstra’s Director of Equivalence; and Paul Brooks, Board Director, Internet Australia Do you have something to add? Leave a message on 02 9304 5198.

16 JUL 2015 · No sooner had NBN released its Network Design Rules document than one blogger was questioning whether the 2Gbps uplink capacity per node was enough to cater for peak demand. After all, Cisco is forecasting 29 percent annual growth in peak demand from Australian internet users, and that prediction was made before the arrival of Netflix. NBN says it’s not a big issue. As explained in this week’s Crosstalk, upgrading requires changing an optical switch, not the costly process of adding more fibre. So, the NBN probably has a few years life in it, helped by new standards that could see peak speeds delivered across vectored VDSL double over the next few years. Again, without the need to lay more fibre. But what when we do eventually demand more capacity and speed? Running fibre to the premises could be three times the expense – something that won’t be undertaken whilst the NBN is rushing to pay-off if it’s investment in the original build. Could NBN’s debt slow down our progress and see us lag behind the rest of the world? This week we talk to: - Stefaan Vanhastel, Director Product Marketing at Alcatel-Lucent - Kevin Bloch, Chief Technology Officer at Cisco - John DeRidder, Telecommunications Economist

10 JUL 2015 · The Attorney General (AG) has circulated draft legislation that will give the Government greater control over how networks are designed and maintained. The belief is that the commercial pressures of carriers and carriage service providers are at odds with the objectives of national security. The new Bill - Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2015 – would give new powers to the Government to remedy the issue. The AG’s department would provide administrative guidelines so carriers can understand what parts of their networks are vulnerable to unauthorised access and interference, so appropriate action can be taken. Carriers would also need to seek approval before making substantive changes to their network design. As you’ll hear in this week’s CrossTalk podcast, some in the industry believe it’s a step in the right direction. After all, why would anybody be against national security? The concern is, will the Government be so prescriptive the impact will be counterproductive, and costly for the industry. We hear from: - Patrick Fair, partner at law firm Baker & McKenzie - Matthew Lobb, ‎General Manager Industry Strategy and Public Policy at Vodafone - George Fong, President of Internet Australia and - Mark Gregory, Senior Lecturer at RMIT University Add your comments by calling the CrossTalk feedback line - 02 9304 5198

2 JUL 2015 · The ACCC has revised its decision on access pricing, saying wholesalers should be paying more than 9.6 percent less to Telstra. Whilst ACCC chair Rod Sims expects the savings to be passed on to consumers, CommsDay’s Kevin Morgan says it will simply see the margins passed to Telstra’s competitors who, he says, are already madding a tidy profit from ULL services. Whatever your take, the issue is relatively short lived as consumers move over to the NBN. Then, the more important consideration will be the cost of backhaul. The ACCC are giving careful consideration on the cost of these services, with John Lindsay saying the outcome will impact all service providers and the future viability of the NBN. That’s all!

25 JUN 2015 · Last week the Communications Alliance workshopped issues that will arise from the Internet of Things – technically and regulatory. But do we have a clear vision of what the IoT is? A survey this month from Progress software showed that more than half of developers didn’t use the term Internet of Things, largely because they found it meaningless. Our guests on CrossTalk this week agree that data is at the heart of it, and it’s that data that raises the most ethical questions, particularly if, in a Google-like fashion, the revenues from the IoT largely come from selling that data or targeting marketing activity based on it. Could the utilities often talked about – like health, smart-homes and smart-cars, just be a small slice of the internet of things, where marketers go crazy with your data? This week we hear from: John Stanton from the Communications Alliance Rob Zagarella, National Narrowband Network Communications Ian Davidson, GoFar Will Scully Power, Datarati Paul Brooks, Internet Australia and Andres Torres, Ericsson

19 JUN 2015 · Ericsson and Cisco have both released reports highlighting the growth in data usage, internet speeds and device adoption. Not surprisingly, the figures are all on the rise. Yet, with the exception of mobile data speeds, we rate poorly compared to similar economies. A new report from the Centre for Independent Economics might explain part of the reason. It says Telstra customers are paying a $3.1 billion monthly premium for their services. Vodafone’s Dan Lloyd says this is unique in the world and shows there are structural issues that need to be addressed in the telecommunications landscape. If these issues were fixed, would Australia fare better on the global stage, and would our economy benefit as a result? This week on CrossTalk we hear from: - Andres Torres, strategic marketing manager at Ericsson - Kevin Bloch, CTO at Cisco Australia - Dan Lloyd, Chief Strategy Officer at Vodafone Australia

12 JUN 2015 · NBN’s history has been blighted by poor relationships with construction contractors. Has the new team fixed the problem? In the past, NBN’s immediate partners complained of inconsistent placement of work, whilst subcontractors argued that they were being squeezed on margins and, in some cases, left out to dry. Some have gone insolvent. NBN has now announced a new approach to industry management. Five partners have signed a Multi-technology Integrated Master Agreement (MIMA). This week on CrossTalk we talk about the new agreement with Sandra Dodds, chief executive of infrastructure at Transfield and Michael Doherty, industry management at NBN. Will this approach cure the dysfunction of the past and ensure NBN meets its aggressive targets?

5 JUN 2015 · A government review has concluded that there are only minor changes needed to how agencies enforce website blocking, but it seems to ignore the impending changes to copyright law. Under section 313 of the Telecommunications Act companies have to do their best to help government agencies enforce the law, including blocking websites. Many simply can’t fulfil the request because, as Paul Brooks highlights, many don’t have the equipment required to do it. A review by the Standing Committee on Infrastructure and Communications saw no problem with a broad range of government agencies having the ability to block sites in the course of their duties, but saw the need for more expertise within the departments after the incident where ASIC accidentally blocked a quarter of a million websites, instead of just a handful. Laurie Patton, CEO of Internet Australia, welcomes the recommendations and says, whether you agree with blocking or not, there needs to be a focus on ensuring it is done correctly. But there are ramifications from the Copyright Amendment Bill, discussed with Patrick Fair from law firm Baker and McKenzie. If the Bill is passed as drafted, all telcos will need to have blocking equipment in place, which increases the powers of government agencies to use it for their own purposes. Doesn’t this mean there’s a need for a more stringent method of oversight? Like a Judge, for example.

28 MAY 2015 · Hong Kong Telecom has moved on from providing fibre to the basement, with more than 80 percent of households able to receive fibre right to their home. Now they are reaching further into the home, offering services that utilise their network. As HKT CTO Paul Berriman remarks, they’re even selling curtains, part of a mix of home network solutions. The success of HKT really started with the establishment of their TV Now Pay-TV service, bundled with broadband to reduce churn, which helped justify the rollout of faster fibre-based networks. Whilst he admits that for many 30 Mbps is enough, there is an insatiable appetite for speed in Hong Kong, driven by infrastructure competition, and the arrival of 4K TV (and higher definition services) will help fill the pipes. In the meantime, their experiences provide a useful insight for Australian operators, and raises the question, how long before we need to see fibre delivered all the way to the home?

21 MAY 2015 · At the CommsDay Australasia Satellite Forum this week Paul Fletcher, Parliamentary Secretary to the Communications Minister, raised questions about the future of the Universal Services Obligation. Should it be the responsibility of the NBN? Optus’s Head of Interconnect and Economic Regulations Andrew Sheridan agrees. He says that, even if copper is still needed to provide voice services in the interim, NBN should manage the transition because they won’t have any reason to prolong its life more than is necessary. CommsDay’s Kevin Morgan goes one step further and suggests we could do away with the USO altogether. After all, all over the world, people are moving to mobile as their preferred choice for voice calls. And for many low income households, mobile is the cheaper option. Paul Fletcher says the time is right for the industry to provide evidence of the need for change, adding he can’t see the current agreement with Telstra being renegotiated in a hurry. After all, it’s scheduled to finish in 2032!