Just how rigorous was the Broadband Connect tender process? The OPEL consortium is getting nearly $1billion for rural broadband, largely based on a wireless network, and doesn’t have any firm technology plans, nor the wireless spectrum needed to run a wireless service.
Like the proverbial dog that finally chased down the bus, Elders executive, Jason Horley, was looking for an answer to the same question everyone was asking: “What happens now?”.
Even though the virtues of WiMAX were declared in a separate “fact sheet” (www.minister.dcita.gov.au) on Ministerial letter head (elevated to the status of a fourth generation service!) it appears Mr Horley thought WiMAX was more of a generic descriptor for a range of technologies they haven’t made a decision about yet.
According to CommsDay 19-6-2007: Horley said however that the JV was not yet wedded to any particular wireless access platform or solution. “There are a number of spectrum solutions available to us and we will assess it on a location by location basis,”…. as WiMax “was just starting to come to life” the operator was not averse to looking at other players in the market that had the necessary components and were ready to deploy.
(Urgent note to Singtel-Optus media office: This man is far too honest and should have no further access to the media.)
From this it is apparent that the much-vaunted wireless network is nothing more than a pot of money in need of spending – by somebody, ANYBODY, with some spectrum, equipment and expertise. The government may just as well have flown a King Air over the countryside and pushed $100 bills out the window.
The whole thing is so vague, let me make a bold prediction. Someone will soon decide this WiMAX mallarkey is interesting, but not where the real dollars are. Suddenly the mists will clear and out of the fog someone will suggest a high-speed packet download system like Telstra operates.
Then, completely out of the blue, it will be obvious that if you are going to the trouble of putting a data service at all these sites, wouldn’t it make sense to use something that will provide mobile voice as well?
I could be dreaming… but we will see.
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