Chapter 2 - Voice and data services
2.1
The Committees terms of reference require it to make
an assessment of the capacity of the Australian telecommunications network to
deliver adequate services to all Australians.
In this chapter the Committee examines the adequacy of the network to deliver
voice and data services and the impediments inherent in the network which limit
the services which can be delivered to customers. In later chapters of the Report the Committee
examines other impediments to the delivery of services such as network faults
and maintenance issues, and various government access programs designed to
improve the availability of services.
2.2
The Australian telecommunications network was
originally designed and developed for voice telephony. The Committee received relatively few
complaints about the quality and availability of voice services. Most of the concerns relating to voice
services referred to a loss of service due to faults and the general state of
the network, or to the inability to obtain a connection because of the use of
pair gain systems.
2.3
Data services were initially developed and used mainly
by universities, governments and large businesses. Information technology and data transmission
services have grown to become one of the cornerstones for improving business
efficiency and economic development.
With the development of the Internet the demand for data services by
small business and consumers has rapidly expanded. In this chapter the Committee discusses the
extent to which Australians have reasonable, comparable and equitable access to
services such as the Internet, particular through broadband services.
2.4
It must be stressed that the Committee took evidence
over a period of 10 months and in the interim there was progress made across several
fronts by Telstra and the other telecommunications infrastructure providers
which may bring into question the continuing validity of witnesses' evidence. In particular, Telstra has in place several ongoing
programs, involving both cable replacement and continuous augmentation of its
fixed and mobile networks in response to increased demand and competitive
pressure. The evidence cited below may,
therefore, have been overtaken by events.
2.5
Accordingly, the Committee has sought to identify key
trends on which it can make judgements on the matters referred to it, rather
than basing its conclusions on individual incidents or claims.
Fixed line networks
Network Capacity
2.6
The key source of evidence on the adequacy of Telstras
fixed line network came from representatives of the Communications, Electrical
and Plumbing Union (CEPU), the main union representing employees in the
telecommunications industry, who gave evidence at several of the Committees
hearings across Australia.
Given that the unions members are
working in the field, undertaking repairs and related activities in relation to
the fixed line network, the Committee gave their evidence particular weight. Their evidence was consistent: that the
Telstra network is in poor condition and declining. Submissions from the various branches of the
CEPU also referred to major cables which are full and for which no spare
capacity exists and to the reduction in capital expenditure by Telstra.
2.7
It is not helpful to list here the litany of individual
concerns raised with the Committee, many of which have no doubt since been
fixed. As discussed in the Preface, Telstra
made it clear to the Committee that it was closely monitoring the evidence
being given to the Committee and that it was anxious to address complaints,
especially those affecting individuals.
2.8
The number and range of systemic faults which constrain
the networks capabilities were of greatest concern to the Committee, faults
which will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fix. These included faulty cables, the use of inferior
pair gains technology, and systems which are liable to fail in heavy rainfall
and from lightning strikes. These are discussed
in detail below and in the next chapter.
2.9
It was not only the CEPU raising concerns about the
state of the Telstra network. For
example, King Island Council raised its concerns about continual line noise
from electric fences, decaying lines, and cables well past their use by date.[12]
2.10
Poor or outdated telecommunications infrastructure can
restrict the ability of communities to attract new businesses and employment to
their area. This problem can be
particularly significant for rural and regional areas seeking to attract new
businesses and industries to their area.
Break ODay Council in Tasmania
offered virtually free access to a council building in Fingal in order to
attract businesses to the town. It
received responses from two parties interested in setting up call centre type
operations. Unfortunately it was found
that the existing telephone network was unsuitable for their operations forcing
those parties back to major centres such as Hobart and
Launceston. The Councils submission
said that:
Poor telecommunication infrastructure was clearly the
major contributing factor in this community being unable to secure new and long
term employment opportunities in this instance.[13]
2.11
However, not all submitters were dissatisfied with the
infrastructure used to provide their voice services. To quote just one example:
As a rural subscriber to the telecommunications network
it appears to me that the delivery of voice services is adequate, from an
infrastructure point of view.[14]
Dial-up Internet speeds
2.12
The most common method by which home users access the Internet
is through the use of a modem over a standard telephone line. These modems normally have a maximum
connection speed of 56 kbps which is adequate for browsing the Internet, but is
generally considered too slow for interactive games, downloading music or video
clips, or for business purposes. Although
the number of dial up subscriptions is declining, at the end of September 2003
there were 4,522,000 subscriptions to dial-up services but only 690,000
subscriptions to other services.[15]
2.13
The area of greatest concern with dial-up access to the
Internet is slow dial-up speeds. The Committee
received evidence about this issue from a number of submitters:
We are a progressive company based in Macksville and operate 3
separate sites including a new and used sales yard, a service, spares and
bodybuilding shop and a home office. In
total we have 10 voice lines, 3 modem lines, 2 fax lines as well as 7 mobile
phones. We have recently found
improvement in our sales yard with connection speed to the Internet but still
have problems with connection speed from our Industrial Site to our sales
yard. Due to limitations of available
services and the exorbitant associated costs with other options, we currently
have our sales yard dial in using terminal services to access programs at our
main yard. The connection speed varies
from 26k to 31k on a 56k modem. The
average is around 28k. As you can
appreciate this speed is quite slow when dialling into another system to access
information.
Our home office site, which is operated six days per week, has a
maximum connection speed of 21k. The
average connection speed is usually around 19k.
This slow connection speed means that product updates cannot be
downloaded because they time out, share trading is almost impossible because of
the slow data exchange and we are limited in so many applications.[16]
2.14
The concerns seemed to be greatest in rural areas,
particularly for farmers not living close to an exchange:[17]
Anecdotal comments obtained during the community consultation
indicated that farmers on properties distant from the telephone exchange could
not achieve 14.4 kbps and were more likely to have 9.6 kbps and that the usage
of dial-up for Internet access was not practical for the pursuit of commercial
activities.[18]
I would now like to talk about dial-up services within the
region. The current prescribed minimum download of 19 kilobits per second in
major population areas does exist in the region but is inadequate outside those
centres. Download speeds can be as low as 4.8 kilobits per second, with
implications for core Internet services such as e-banking and email. We have ad
hoc evidence to suggest that around 3,000 to 4,000 households in the south-west
cannot achieve the minimum national standard.[19]
2.15
While concerns about dial up speeds most often related
to rural areas there was also criticism of services in urban areas:
Telstras performance in providing end-user communication
circuits of sufficient quality for data and Internet services to domestic,
small and medium businesses is unacceptable.
At present, Telstra is unable to provide adequate dial-up data services
to all of the Sydney Statistical District let alone regional, rural or remote
areas.[20]118
I experience a speed of between 12 kbps and 14. 4 kbps, which is
hopeless. For example, you cannot download pictures, JPEG files take forever and
even email is slow. It is just like subsistence surviving you cannot get any
enhanced services whatsoever. You could not do anything with web sites or
anything like that.[21]
2.16
Concerns about dial up speeds were also expressed by
King Island Council. Telstra has been
trialling a Wireless Local Loop on King
Island as a cost effective means to
address poor quality copper cabling.
However, those connected to the service are restricted to a dial up Internet
speed of a mere 14.4 kbps.[22]
2.17
The Committee also received evidence that the reason
for low dial-up speeds often lay with the users and ISPs equipment, not with
the line. The Committee was told about a
joint venture between the Pilbara Development Commission and Telstra Country
Wide which was able to test consumers' lines and work out exactly where the
problem with dial-up speed arose. It
showed that:
In about 95 per cent of cases on our region it was not actually
the line but the reconfiguration in the computer, which had in most cases been
provided by the ISP, that was the issue.
So there was an incompatibility between the PC and the modem which was
causing the deterioration in speed.[23]
I understand from Telstra Country Wide that the Pilbara region
now has the greatest proportion of customers that connect at 28.8 kilobits per
second in the whole of non-metropolitan Western Australia.[24]
2.18
In its submission Telstra added that Internet speeds
available via the PSTN vary greatly throughout Australia, depending upon a
multitude of factors including the PC and modem being used, the quality of the
local loop, and traffic congestion.[25] It went on to observe that:
It is widely assumed that dial up data
speeds commonly approach 56kbps in metropolitan areas, while in rural
and regional areas access speeds are too slow for effective use. Both assumptions are wrong. Speeds of 56kbps are virtually never
achieved, regardless of where a consumer lives.
Moreover, Telstra conducted a review in June 2002 of actual data speeds
its regional customers were obtaining, which indicated that 87 per cent of
customers achieve speeds in excess of 28.8kbps, while in excess of 97 per cent
of consumers achieve speeds in excess of 14.4kbps.
2.19
Telstra provided the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry
with figures showing connection rates to Telstra's Big Pond Internet
server. These showed that the majority
of users were connecting at speeds greater than 28.8 kbps and that only 2.64%
of users were connecting at speeds slower than 19.2 kbps. The Regional Telecommunications
Inquiry report went on to note that these figures included the influence of
incorrectly configured customer equipment and that 'it is likely that problems
in the Telstra network are affecting well under one per cent of dial-up Internet
use'.[26]
Connection rates to Telstras Big Pond Internet server, June 2002[27]
2.20
The figures provided by Telstra and reproduced by the
Regional Telecommunications Inquiry only give an indication of the speeds at
which those who are using dial-up connections to the Internet are connecting. They do not show what proportion of potential
dial-up customers have abandoned efforts to access the Internet because low
dial-up connection speeds make it impractical to use the Internet. The Regional Telecommunications Inquiry also
appears to have overlooked the fact that the use of pair gain systems by
Telstra significantly reduces that maximum dial-up speed for large numbers of
users who may well feel that this represents a problem in the Telstra network.
2.21
The Internet Assistance Program[28] (IAP) was
aimed at addressing concerns about low dial up speeds. However, the Regional Telecommunications
Inquiry found that 37 per cent of its submissions noted concerns with dial-up Internet
speeds and the quality of service provided.
A submission to that inquiry showed that 82 per cent of survey
respondents in one area of Western Australia
were not aware of the IAP.[29]
2.22
Evidence given to the Committee continued to raise
questions about the adequacy of the IAP:
There are claims that there has been a steady improvement with
dial-up services and their performance over recent years. It is arguable that
mostly this is a result of consumers becoming more computer literate. More
recently Internet difficulties have been assisted by the Internet Assistance
Program (IAP) developed by the Department for Communications, Information
Technology and the Arts. This initiative is welcome although consumers are
still reporting great difficulties in regional and rural areas.[30]
2.23
In response to these concerns the Inquiry recommended
that a licence condition be placed on Telstra that would require all
Australians to be guaranteed dial-up Internet speeds, or equivalent throughput,
over the Telstra fixed line network of at least 19.2kbps.[31] The Government responded to this recommendation
by imposing a new licence condition on Telstra which replaces the existing IAP
agreement. The Department of
Communications, Information Technology and the Arts states that:
The Telecommunications Service Inquiry (TSI) and the RTI
identified that 19.2 kbps was an adequate speed for basic Internet browsing and
email that could be delivered at a reasonable cost to the community.[32]
2.24
The evidence received by the Committee frequently
questioned the adequacy of a 19.2 kbps dial up connection:
We are saying that even the Telstra standard of 19.2 kbps is not
enough. You really should be up around
48 kbps to do something.[33]
You have 20 or 30 emails coming down the line and suddenly there
is a large one with a one-megabyte attachment to it. You might as well give up. Then you have to use special techniques to try
to delete that from the server so that you can get the rest of them. Otherwise,
it just becomes ridiculous. That is at a
speed of 9.6 kbps. It is not much better at 19 kbps, and it can be very
frustrating even at 33 kbps, and then of course you start to get into the more
normal speeds, the forties and early fifties, which you can get in certain
parts of the metropolitan area.[34]
I would say it would be virtually no value at all in the long
term. I think they should be looking at
better solutions because we are supposed to be getting an equal service across
the nation. I connect in Ouyen
regularly. I am in the centre of town, and at home I get probably an average of
44 kilobits per second[35]
2.25
The Committee asked Telstra about the reason that 19.2
kbps was chosen. In response it
indicated that it was consulted about the decision but the matter was a public
policy issue and it was not particularly involved in the establishment of the
19.2 figure.
2.26
The Committee also sought to establish what it would
cost to upgrade the Telstra network to provide a higher minimum dial-up access
speed for all Australians. In its report
the Telecommunications Service Inquiry noted that in 1998 the ACA estimated
that the cost of upgrading Telstra's customer access network to provide a
minimum data speed of 33.6 kbps would be in the order of $4 billion. The ACA also found that an upgrade to 28.8
kbps would incur very similar costs.[36] The Telecommunications Service Inquiry
reported in 2000 that Telstra estimated the cost of upgrading its network to
provide a minimum data speed of 33.6 kbps would cost $4.486 billion.[37] In its submission to this inquiry Telstra
said that:
Telstra notes that, at that time, such statistics led to a
number of parties calling for the wholesale upgrade of the PSTN. The enormous cost of such an upgrade made
these proposals unviable. Instead, the
Commonwealth Government and Telstra set up the Internet Assistance Program a
joint initiative to help improve the experience of dial-up users of the Internet
by addressing performance factors affecting speeds reasonable for common Internet
usage.[38]
2.27
During questioning from members of the Environment,
Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee an
official from the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the
Arts referred to the earlier figures discussed in the Telecommunications
Service Inquiry report as the most recent independent costing.[39] In later evidence to that Committee Telstra
stated that on the basis of some rough calculations it would cost at least $5
billion to substantially increase the minimum dial-up speed.[40]
Line dropouts
2.28
Another issue which was raised in relation to dial-up
services is the prevalence and effect of line drop outs. Several submissions to the Committee
commented on connection failures and the costs and frustration associated with frequent line dropouts:[41]
Of late I have been finding that the cost of our Internet access
has been increasing, primarily due to call drop-outs, as we are on a fixed
monthly plan with BigPond.[42]
2.29
One submission from regional Queensland
outlined the efforts of the authors, who are pensioners, to solve the line
drop-out problem they were experiencing with their dial-up access. In their efforts to overcome line drop out
problems they have, so far to no avail:
-
reformatted their computer;
-
had many visits from local computer technicians;
-
been visited many times by Telstra technicians;
-
sought assistance from the Internet Assistance
Program; and
-
sought assistance from the Telecommunications
Industry Ombudsman.[43]
2.30
The cause of line drop-outs is unclear but some of the
rural users who made submissions to the Committee blamed low dial-up speeds:
. The quantity and quality of signal delivery over the current
network often leads to loss of connection with the ISP due to errors or
time-outs.[44]
I probably averaged 10 or 20 calls a week from people asking,
Why are we dropping out so much? We
had people ringing up and saying, Weve been trying to get onto the Internet
and it keeps dropping out. Weve had 10
or 20 dial-ups to get something downloaded and we just cant get it on a
regular basis. Internet banking
services were severely affected by these drop-outs when they came in. People were trying to dial up all the time and
dropping out, and then they got so frustrated with it they just gave it away. That dropping out and the frustration of not
being able to get adequate service is where a lot of the problems come from.[45]
2.31
The IAP, and the 19.2 kbps licence condition imposed on
Telstra, are directed at establishing a minimum connection speed. The IAP self-help site provides some information
which may assist consumers with line drop out problems, however, currently
there is no specific program aimed at addressing the issue of line drop outs.
Summary
2.32
The issue of dial-up speeds was clearly of concern to
many witnesses. These concerns were
linked in some cases to the desire to set higher minimum standards for dial-up
access and to ensure that these issues were addressed before the full sale of
Telstra:
Progressively upgrade dial-in connections to a minimum standard
of at least 48kbps, paying attention to those metropolitan, regional, remote
and rural areas where the present standard falls short of basic service
delivery;[46]
PLEASE have our phone and Internet services up to scratch before
you consider selling OUR phone company.[47]
2.33
Dial-up access to the Internet can provide an adequate
service for many users and can be expected to remain the preferred method of
connection for many users. However, the
speed and reliability of these connections remain a problem for many
users. While the efforts made to date to
address the issue of speed have been of some assistance to some users, the evidence
received by the Committee clearly shows that a dial-up speed of 19.2 kbps is
not considered adequate by users, and that line drop out problems can be as
important an issue as speed.
Higher speed data services
2.34
For many Australians dial up access to the Internet is
unsatisfactory. The main reason for
needing more speed is that many of the newer applications for the Internet,
such as interactive gaming and downloading music, high resolution images and
video files, are very data intensive:
My clients now view broadband Internet speed as normal and
regard my 56 Kbps dial-up connection speed as inadequate considering that I
need to download large image files at times.[48]
2.35
Other drawbacks with dial up access are that it ties up
a telephone line while the consumer is online and response times can be
relatively slow. The Department of the
Senate IT section has estimated that a member of the public seeking to download
a 1 MB submission through a standard dial-up connection would take about
four minutes to do so. If the submission
contained a 30 MB graphic, such as a photo, it would take 1 to 2 hours to
open!
2.36
Not every user of data services currently needs the
higher speeds available through broadband, but the trend towards the need for
faster services appears to be inexorable.
There is a strong expectation in the community that access to higher
speed services should be readily available and affordable and a view that
economic development may be impeded by the lack of such access:
Even some people in rural Victoria
have access to broadband Internet access. Yet here I am in suburbia with absolutely no
hope of upgrading from a prehistoric 56k up connection. Please help.[49]
The inability to access bandwidth in key regional centres such
as Townsville is of particular concern in Queensland,
the only state in which a majority of residents reside outside the capital
city. This situation is not only an
impost to business growth butalso [of] considerable concern to successful
development of this region.[50]
Definition of broadband
2.37
There is some debate about when a higher speed data
service can be described as broadband, but it is usually defined in terms of
its characteristics of high data speed, always on access and as a service which
does not tie up the consumers telephone line when it is being used. In infrastructure terms broadband is usually
transmitted over a dedicated digital link over a copper line, coaxial cable,
optical fibre, satellite or radio link, or a combination of these. Broadband can transmit large amounts of data,
voice or video over long distances.
2.38
In the United States
the Federal Communications Commission defines broadband as a data service
operating at 200 kbps or more in at least one direction. The ACCC also uses this benchmark in its
surveys of broadband access. The
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts states that
broadband is more commonly associated with the speeds equal to or greater than
those provided by Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL), although the
Department notes that many commentators consider 'true broadband' to involve
speeds of one megabit per second (mbps) or greater. Microsoft has its own definition of at least
300 kbps. In Australia
broadband is generally used to describe services which provide data speeds
equal to, or faster than 256 kbps (the entry point download speed for ADSL).
2.39
Higher speed services can be either symmetric (ISDN,
VDSL) or asymmetric (ADSL). Symmetric
services provide the same speed for uploading to the Internet as they do for
downloading data from the Internet. This
is the most suitable type of service for many businesses which have to upload
significant amounts of data to the Internet.
Home users of broadband usually download far more data from the Internet
that they upload, and therefore may be better served by an asymmetric service
which allows them to download at a much higher speed than they upload.
Digital subscriber line
2.40
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) is a general term for a
range of technologies which carry data-streams using digital signals over the
copper lines. The most common of these
technologies is Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) which is used by
telecommunication companies to provide high speed access to the Internet for
home users and small businesses through their existing copper telephone
lines. At the end of September 2003
there were 372,000 DSL subscriptions in Australia,
an increase of 78% since the end of March 2003.
DSL technologies account for 54% of all non dial-up subscriptions.[51]
2.41
Unfortunately ADSL is not universally available to all
telephone users. There are a number of
limitations which impede access to this service.
ADSL availability
2.42
Much of the existing copper network in Australia
was primarily designed and built to carry voice services for the simple reason
that data services were unheard of at the time of its initial development. Parts of the copper network are over 50 years
old. The significance of the emergence
of new technologies such as ADSL has been that they have allowed the capability
of the otherwise dated copper network to be augmented to provide higher speed
access to the Internet. However, as
Telstra informed the Committee during its
inquiry into competition in broadband services:
I think it is right to suggest that ADSL is an interim
technology. It is probably the last sweatingof the old copper network assets.[52]
2.43
Without such technological developments, higher speed
access to the Internet would only be achievable by the construction of a
parallel network, almost certainly based substantially on fibre optic cable on
main routes, with a range of other technologies used to make the final link to the
customers premises. Several network
providers in Australia
have chosen that route, although results have been mixed. As an example, Optus constructed its own HFC
cable network (see discussion of HFC below) to be accessible to 1.4 million
homes in the major population centres of Brisbane, Sydney
and Melbourne. It drew
the Committees attention to the high cost of this approach with an uncertain
outcome:
Our position is that we think it is pretty unlikely that there
will be additional expansion of the HFC networkThe economic experience with
the network was that it was very expensive to build and it has not generated an
economic return.[53]
2.44
Accordingly, in November 2003 Optus chose to expand its
ability to market its broadband services elsewhere by signing an agreement with
Telstra for access to its wholesale DSL network so that it could conveniently
access the last mile copper network between Telstra exchanges and customer
premises:
we are focusing our strategy on ways that we can provide
services to the 80% of households that the [HFC] network does not service in
other waysthe Telstra resale DSL service is one of those options that we are
now commencing with as a means of servicing other parts of the population.[54]
2.45
However, there are a number of limitations on ADSL
availability because of the characteristics of the existing copper network and
the extent to which Telstra has installed the equipment needed for the
provision of ADSL.
2.46
In order to provide ADSL over a subscribers line the
telephone exchange to which that line is connected must be enabled through the
installation of a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM). Telstra has enabled all of its major
exchanges which cover metropolitan areas and major regional centres but many of
its smaller exchanges, which are typically in rural and regional areas, have
not been enabled:
I have tried unsuccessfully now for 3 years to obtain broadband
services to my area from Telstra only to be told that the exchange at Castlereagh,
my exchange, is not ADSL capable, but will be upgraded sometime in the future. However, when I ask for some sort of
evidence that this might be the case they simply give the same 'mantra' as they
do not have a forward work plan at all for the up-grade of the exchange? [55]
ADSL services have been provided in the western part of the
Shire in the towns of Gisborne, Kyneton and will soon be in place in Woodend. The level of telecommunication services fall
away in the central and eastern sectors of the Shire. The townships of Riddells Creek, Macedon, Mt
Macedon, Romsey and Lancefield do not have adequate broadband services, such as
ADSL.[56]
2.47
Concerns about access to ADSL are not confined to rural
areas or to the impact of old infrastructure.
The Committee heard evidence from a member of the Townsville City
Council, Australia's
11th largest city, about the difficulties of accessing ADSL:
ADSL broadband is currently inadequate across the city. Over 10 per cent of Townsville customers
simply cannot get ADSL, due principally to network and technology
constraints. The infrastructure installed
by Telstra over the recent years has led to this situation.
We have over 50 RIMs throughout Townsville, which are not
compatible with ADSL, mostly in the newer subdivisions. Townville, being a rapidly growing provincial
city, has a lot of people living in housing estates which have been developed
in the last five, six, seven or eight years, and they do not have access to
ADSL because of the installation of RIM technology.[57]
2.48
Telstra advised the Committee that it had already
enabled or has plans to enable about 1,000 of its 5,058 exchanges. Telstra claims that those exchanges provide
services to approximately 84 to 85 per cent of its customers. [58]
ADSL demand register
2.49
The Committee also examined how Telstra will determine
what exchanges will be enabled in the future.
Telstra has indicated that it now has a commercial focus on its ADSL
roll-out based on demand and the cost structures within various areas[59]. Initially Telstra used information
gathered from its web site to determine the level of demand:
What we had prior to October was data that we were able to
extract from what we call the mini SQ failure attempts. On the BigPond web site, customers lodge
their phone number to see if they can get access to ADSL. Where those phone numbers were entered and
they did not result in an exchange being enabled or there was a pair gain
system or something preventing it, we were able to take that information
and process it in some way as to give us a proxy, if you like, for what we will
get out of the demand register.[60]
2.50
In recognition that demand for broadband is growing
rapidly, Telstra has now launched an ADSL demand register which will allow
customers to register their interest in ADSL services.[61] Telstra will consider the demand for services
at individual exchanges in deciding which exchange will be enabled in
future. However, the Committee's inquiry
found there was some confusion about what level of demand had to be
demonstrated before an exchange would be enabled, and about the use of the
earlier data gathered by Telstra.
2.51
One witness told the Committee that Telstra had advised
it that the number varied from 20 customers to 50 customers.[62] Another witness believed that 150 potential
customers were required.[63] This issue was raised with Telstra during estimates
hearings. In evidence to the Committee
Telstra has indicated that the level of interest recorded on the demand
register which will trigger the enabling of an exchange depends on the
economics of particular sites. At the
time the issue was discussed Telstra had set thresholds on approximately 160 exchanges. If Telstra receives 60 registrations it will
undertake the modelling work required to set a threshold for a particular
exchange.[64]
At the moment we have three different thresholds on the current
register: 150, which is by far the majority of the ones that have been set to
date; I think there are three at 225; and one exchange at 300, from memory.[65]
2.52
The Committee was told by one witness that Telstra had
encouraged people to register their interest in broadband through its original
mechanism but had later been told that since the introduction of the demand
register 'that information can no longer be
sourced'. The Committee raised this
issue with Telstra who responded saying that:
Telstra's BigPond had a
pre-existing system for gathering expressions of interest from customers
wanting ADSL. This system is being
maintained, however those expressions of interest are now being fed through to
the Demand Register. Telstra Wholesale
is also collecting information for the register from other participating
ISPs customers via those ISPs.
In relation to past
expressions of interest, Telstra Wholesale has written to its ISP customers
suggesting that they may like to include on the register recent expressions of
interest that they have collected from their customers.
BigPond plans to lodge on
the register expressions of interest received in the last three months. Given
that customer circumstances may have changed with the passing of time, those
who lodged longer than three months ago will be contacted by email to see if
they are still interested in a service, and in registering their interest.[66]
2.53
Telstra has also said that it sees the demand register
as an internal tool for its own management purposes. During hearings Telstra was asked if it would
make information on the register available to
its competitors and, if not, how those competitors would know if there is
sufficient demand to justify the installation of their own equipment in
Telstra's exchanges. In response Telstra
indicated that it would expect its competitors to do their own market research
to determine the level of demand.[67]
2.54
In January 2004 Telstra announced that Loxton, in South
Australia, will have its exchange upgraded to provide
ADSL after more than 200 local businesses and residents registered for
broadband using the Telstra ADSL Demand Register.[68]
2.55
In earlier evidence Telstra had indicated that the
broadband demand register would be a two phase development which would, in the
second phase, examine demand at the RIM level.[69] Telstra was also able to advise the Committee
that new equipment may become available which will alter the cost structure for
providing ADSL and may allow it to be made more widely available.
I mentioned yesterday that we are at the very late stages of
finalising a tender evaluation on DSLAM equipment. I have been advised that there is the high
likelihood of some smaller capacity DSLAMs coming through that process. So, yes, it has the potential to lower one
cost component of the total ADSL provisioning equation. But I go back to the other point: you still
have to have all the other aspects in place. Typically, the smaller the installation the
higher the fixed costs of transmission links, power and other things become. There still needs to be a case by case
economic evaluation. It ought to be
slightly more favourable because the incremental cost of the DSLAM is lower but
the cost per port will be a little higher.[70]
2.56
While Telstra's general approach to the future roll-out
of ADSL may be reasonable in commercial terms, the Committee remains concerned
about its impact in rural, regional and remote areas. This approach may result in many consumers in
those areas facing delays before they can access ADSL, or possibly never
gaining access to that technology. As
one witness told the Committee it can be quite hard to get 150 people on a
demand register in regional areas.[71] In the Committee's view access to affordable
broadband should be available to every Australian.
ADSL technological limitations
2.57
Even if an exchange is enabled for ADSL, not all
customers connected to the exchange will necessarily be able to obtain
access. Signals carried on copper wires
deteriorate depending upon the length of the line, the gauge and condition of
the line, and the number and condition of any joints on that line. In the past the effect of this has been to
limit the distance from the exchange at which ADSL can be offered to
approximately 3.5 km:
I could not believe the fact I live in a heavily populated
suburb of Melbourne
only 4kms from the telephone exchange and cannot get a broadband service.[72]
Many telephone exchanges in rural areas do not have the
capability to provide broadband at all.
Those that do can only provide broadband services to subscribers at a
limited distance from the exchange (3km is the maximum, I believe). This make it impossible for rural subscribers
to receive this service.[73]
2.58
In January 2004 Telstra announced that new testing and
investigation by Telstra Research Laboratories had shown that ADSL could be
offered at greater distances from an exchange.
Telstra said that the revised limit should extend ADSL coverage to at
least 4 km in line distance from an ADSL enabled exchange, or further,
depending on the cable type and the wire gauge.
Telstra claimed that this would make ADSL available to an additional
400,000 telephone services and improve the current reach of ADSL from
approximately 75 per cent of services to up to 90 per cent over the next three
years.[74]
ADSL affordability
2.59
Witnesses also raised the issue of access to broadband
services from an affordability perspective. Their main concerns relate to connection costs
and the existence of download limits which make ADSL dearer in Australia
than in comparable countries.[75] In response Telstra indicated that caps were
used in Australia
partly because of the immature stage of the market:
So the reason we have caps in place is that we did not have an
efficient means by which that allocation could be determined by individuals,
partly because we are in a relatively immature period of the growth of this
high-speed Internet, or broadband.[76]
2.60
Telstra also outlined some of the reasons that it
claims lead it facing higher costs in providing broadband than
telecommunications companies in other countries and went on to indicate that
broadband costs could be expected to decline as volume increases:
The main thing that I was going to point out today was the
extensive nature of the long-distance multi-megabit bandwidth links that we
have to a very large number of ADSL enabled exchanges. In a lot of the other countries, particularly
those that are a lot smaller, those multi-megabit links are provided with raw
fibre connections over relatively short distances. They do not have the expensive transmission
links and the extensive optical fibre or radio routes and so on. There is a huge difference in the cost of that
backbone network.[77]
2.61
The number of broadband services being provided by ADSL
grow by 99.1% between June 2002 and June 2003.[78] Telstra advised the Committee that:
Only Telstra is investing more than $1 billion in rolling out
the ADSL network and absorbing the risk that comes with such a massive
investment.[79]
2.62
It is the consequence of such investments that the
Committee is examining in its concurrent inquiry into competition in broadband
services.
ADSL reliability
2.63
During the course of the inquiry the Committee noted
media reports of problems with the quality and reliability of Telstras ADSL
service. These media reports were
reflected in some of the submissions received by the Committee:
Early adopters of DSL reported high levels of dissatisfaction
with quality and reliability of service. Talk of class actions against Telstra
for regular failings of its ADSL service reflects this - Telstra does not offer
business customers guarantees on its service availability or quality (Shipton
2001). Broadband suppliers need to offer quality of service standards such as
minimum level service agreements. [80]
2.64
In its submission to the Committee Telstra commented on
these problems and the steps it had taken to increase customer confidence in
the service:
Early technical problems with the service an inevitable feature of all new technology
platforms have been largely
overcome. Telstra has also introduced
ADSL Service Level Guarantees (SLG) to increase customer confidence in access
reliability and reflect Telstras confidence in the ADSL network. The SLGs that now apply to the availability
performance of this network are as listed in the following chart.
97% <>
|
10% Monthly subscription fee Rebate
|
94% - <>
|
20% Monthly subscription fee Rebate
|
<94%>94%>
|
50% Monthly subscription fee Rebate
|
These SLGs, which are believed to be a world first, have been
set up so that customers are automatically rebated in the event of a service
disruption. This means the customer will be rebated regardless of whether they
were aware of the outage.[81]
2.65
In evidence to the Committee the ACA confirmed that it
does not monitor broadband or ADSL faults, although it is considering doing so.[82] In its submission Agile suggested that the
National Reliability Framework should be extended to ADSL broadband services.[83] Given the growing importance of data services
to both consumers and the economy the Committee believes that monitoring of
service standards must extend to data services.
HFC cable
2.66
The generic term cable is generally used to refer to
a network of hybrid fibre coaxial cable through which pay TV services are
provided to households. The networks
consist of optical fibre on main routes, supplemented by coaxial cable closer
to the customers premises. These
networks can also be used to provide Internet access with download speeds of
256-2000 kbps and upload speeds of 128 kbps.
Unlike the way ADSL operates with an individual connection for each
customer, cable users share access to the same HFC loop, meaning cable speeds
can be affected when a large number of users are accessing the network at the
same time. There are 215,400 cable
broadband services connected in Australia.[84]
2.67
The biggest drawback with cable broadband is the
limited extent of access to the existing cable networks:[85]
When I contacted Telstra, they simply said "there is no
cable in your area, so you can't be connected to either Foxtel cable TV or the Internet
cable network".
We had to pay $2,700 to have a satellite dish installed to
receive Foxtel "cable" TV.[86]
2.68
Even where the physical infrastructure exists, access
is not always available:
Optus has a cable obtrusively erected on the power poles in
front of our units. It is 1.5metres from
the wall of the units and a conduit is in place where the cable can be
installed. There is a communications
room set aside for any equipment Optus may need to install and all units are
already wired back to the communications room.
Optus will not even talk to us other than to say, "we don't connect
to home units".[87]
2.69
The number of broadband services being provided by HFC
cable grew by 52.9% between June 2002 and June 2003.[88]
ISDN
2.70
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a
reliable, well established technology for transmitting data. It is a digital alternative to an analogue
public switched telephone service, which uses copper telephone lines to carry a
64 kbps data service. Telstra is
currently marketing an ISDN Home product which uses two ISDN lines to provide
a 128 kbps service. This speed is lower
than that which is generally accepted as falling into the definition of
broadband and the ACCC does not collect figures on ISDN in its Snap Shot of
Broadband Deployment. But ISDN does have
the advantage that it is significantly faster than dial-up access to the Internet. Higher speeds can be achieved by combining
more ISDN lines but these services are generally only affordable by business
users.
2.71
ISDN enjoys advantages over other technologies for some
users. While cable and ADSL have
significant limits on their availability, ISDN is available to 96 per cent of
the Australian population. Because it is
an older technology it is available to customers served by some pair gain
systems which will not support ADSL and, with the use of repeaters, is available
up to 20 kilometres from an exchange.[89] ISDN provides a symmetrical service which is
more suitable than ADSL for customers who upload significant amounts of data to
the Internet. Nevertheless some
submitters to the Committee expressed concern that ISDN does not free up a
phone line[90]
and that it is relatively expensive.[91]
2.72
In its most recent publication on Internet activity the
Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that the number of ISDN subscriptions
had fallen from 16,000 at the end of March 2003 to 14,000 at the end of
September 2003.[92]
Satellite
2.73
The most widely available method of gaining access to
broadband technology is by satellite.
Satellite broadband is available throughout Australia. It represents the most suitable technology in
areas where population densities are very low.
Satellites are radio relay stations in orbit above the Earth that
receive, amplify and redirect radiocommunications signals.
2.74
There are three ways of accessing broadband by
satellite.
-
One-way satellite is the cheapest form of
satellite access. It uses a satellite to
download data at broadband speeds of up to 400 kbps but it depends on a dial-up
connection over a fixed line to upload data to the Internet.
-
A one-way satellite with an ISDN uplink provides
a higher upload speed but is more expensive than one way satellite.
-
Two-way satellite uses a satellite connection in
both directions, but is relatively expensive. [93]
2.75
All of the satellites operated in Australian satellite
slots are owned and managed by Optus, although transponders on those satellites
are leased by other telecommunications companies. Some satellites operated from overseas can be
used to provide services into Australia.
2.76
The principal drawback associated with satellite
services is the cost. Satellite access
involves higher upfront costs than other technologies and the ongoing cost of
satellite access is usually higher than for other forms of broadband. Many submitters put the view to the Committee
that satellite was not affordable:[94]
Of course for a lot of money I could get a two-way satellite
link faster of course, but hardly falling into the category of affordable.[95]
A satellite system may soon become available from Optus, but has
horrendous costs for very limited increase in speed - and NO promises from them
either!!!.[96]
I rang Foxtel and asked to be connected to the satellite Internet
network, but alas again, it requires another dish as it is a different
satellite which controls the Internet network. We can't afford another dish.[97]
To have the same Internet speed as the rest of the civilised world
also costs a premium. We cannot get
normal broadband cable so it requires us to install a satellite to use in
conjunction with a up connection. This service (according to Telstra's web site)
costs $218.90 for installation, $70.95 a month plus up
costs. The 2 way satellite service costs
$399 installation, $699 hardware and at least $120 a month for
the subscription. On the other
hand, people just around the corner only have to pay for a cable broadband
service which costs $259 for installation and then $54.95 a month with no dial up costs. This is an
outrageous difference.[98]
2.77
Another issue for potential satellite users is
latency. Unlike terrestrial services,
data transmitted to a satellite has to be beamed up to the satellite and back
to an earth station before being fed into the terrestrial telecommunications
network. This causes a small but
sometimes noticeable delay in the transmission:
While initially satellite looked to be a great solution to Australias
vastly spread population, it was soon realised the technologys greatest enemy
was price and the fact it was not suited to many applications sensitive to
latency (delay). Such applications involving
time sensitive data and multiplayer games could not be used across the
satellite service. For these reasons
satellite is not a popular choice.[99]
Mobile phone and wireless
2.78
Wireless networks can provide high speed data
transmission by using radio waves instead of fixed lines. There is a wide range of wireless
technologies which can provide data services, the most common of which are the
mobile phone technologies.
2.79
Existing second generation GMS and CDMA mobile phone
systems provide low speed data rates of around 9.6 to 14.4 kbps. Higher speeds will be possible as these
networks are upgraded. Existing narrowband
2G digital mobile phone networks can support data rates of up to 384 kbps
although in practice speeds of 32-64 kbps are expected. 3G technologies offer the prospect of data
transmission rates of up to 2 mbps for low mobility indoor applications. The most recent Australian Bureau of
Statistics report on Internet activity identified only 3,000 mobile wireless Internet
subscriptions.[100]
2.80
Wireless local area networks (WLAN) use low powered
transmissions on class licensed spectrum[101] to transmit
data over distances of 50 to 150 metres.
They usually operate on the IEEE 802.11b or related standards which are
capable of providing data rates of 1-2 mbps.
WLANs can be used by consumers to establish their own local networks to
connect devices in their own home or to other computer users nearby. They are also used by commercial operators to
establish hotspots in public areas such as airports, hotels, cafes and
convention centres. To connect to the Internet
the wireless base station must have a connection using some other technology
such as ADSL.
2.81
Wireless local loop (WLL) networks use radio access
technology to link a customer to a local exchange or service provider. They can be used to provide broadband access
to customers over a range of up to 40km and are particularly suited for use in
large facilities or in regional areas.
2.82
To date wireless technologies have not played a
significant role in providing access to data services in Australia. The second generation mobile phone networks
provide only low data rates. Australias
only 3G network was not launched until April 2003 and has only 50,000
subscribers.[102] Several companies have installed WLAN
hotspots but this is a recent development and the technology is not in
widespread use. Similarly, although some
WLL networks have been installed there has been no widespread take-up of this
technology.
2.83
The deliberations of the House of Representatives
Standing Committee on Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
inquiry into wireless broadband are outlined in Appendix 5. It is appropriate to reiterate its key
conclusion that no wireless broadband technology is able to handle the data
rates of the best wire-line technologiesthe solution to the last mile
service involves a mixture of technologies, both wire-line and wireless.[103]
Other network architectures
2.84
The TransAct network, discussed in Chapter 1, uses DSL
technology to provide the final connection to the customer. For residential customers the technology
currently supports the delivery of a total of 36 mbps downstream and 1 mbps
upstream. Home users are offered a range
of broadband speeds up to 2 mbps/256 kbps.
For business customers, symmetrical capacity can be provided at speeds
of up to 13 mbps.
2.85
Bright Communications, in Western
Australia, has trialled both fibre to the home and
fibre to the kerb technologies and provides a variety of packages for home
users offering speeds of up to 1mbps/256 kbps, and for business users a
symmetrical service of up to 2 mbps.
Telstra has also flagged its intention to work with property developers
on a major trial of fibre-to-the-home technology in the near future.[104]
2.86
A variety of other technologies for delivering
broadband are being developed or trialled.
The most commonly discussed technologies use existing electricity supply
networks to deliver digital data services.
These technologies are described as powerline communications (PLC),
powerline telecommunications (PLT) systems or broadband powerline (BPL)
systems. The new broadband systems
provide data rates of 4-20 mbps:[105]
PLC systems consist of terminal devices that are plugged into or
attached to the electrical power supply network and allow data to be
transmitted via the network to other terminal devices plugged into or attached
to the network. The use of existing
electrical power supply network wiring reduces costs and provides convenient
access to broadband interconnection between devices.[106]
2.87
In a recent background paper the ACA noted that several
European countries have adopted their own requirements for powerline
communications systems and that there are a growing number of systems already
being deployed in Europe and surrounding countries to
provide last-mile broadband services.[107] The paper identified a range of issues
arising out of the possible use of these technologies in Australia
and the differences between the power supply network in Australia
and those used overseas. These issues
relate to:
-
compatibility between private and public
networks;
-
telecommunications policy issues; and
-
radiocommunications interference issues.[108]
2.88
In its summary the ACA said that:
Significantly, differences between the Australian powerline
environment and overseas countries developing standards for broadband powerline
communications systems might lead to "safe" limits in those countries
being "unsafe" in the Australian context. This area would seem to need further
investigation. In due course,
developments in the UK
might provide a valuable guide, because of the apparent similarities in the AC
power supply networks of the two countries.
However, there is a risk that overseas findings (and therefore
standards' limits) might not be directly transferable into this country.[109]
2.89
The ACA stated that terminal devices for in-house
applications have recently begun to be marketed in Australian and that an
electrical supply authority has approached the ACA recently about the conduct
of trials of equipment for last-mile applications.[110] However, it seems unlikely that this
technology will become generally available to Australian consumers in the near future.
Cost of broadband
2.90
The price of broadband in Australia
has frequently been criticised on the grounds that it is far more expensive
than in comparable countries. The then National
Office for the Information Economy, quoting Australian Bureau of Statistics
figures, identified the high cost of access to the Internet as the main reason
for households not having Internet access.[111] One reason given for the high cost of
broadband in Australia
was the very high cost of high capacity links:
A major cause for the high cost of broadband services is the
cost of high capacity links. By
comparison with other countries Australia
has high tariffs for network capacity as shown by the graph in Appendix A. A number of small carriers have indicated
that the first major drop in broadband prices (from more than $150.00 to
approximately $100.00 per month) was due to Telstra dropping the cost of
backhaul circuits.[112]
2.91
In early 2004 Telstra significantly cut its charges for
ADSL. At the time of finalising this
report the full effect of this change in prices was not clear. Telstra's competitors and the ACCC have
raised concerns that wholesale prices have not fallen by a similar amount and
that Telstra may be engaging in anti-competitive behaviour. These issues are the subject of ongoing
discussions and their long term impact on pricing and competition in the
broadband market is unclear.
Summary
2.92
Higher speed data services are available through a
variety of technologies throughout Australia,
but there is considerable variation in the broadband options and prices in
different areas. In parts of some
capital cities consumers have the choice of ADSL, cable, ISDN or
satellite. In other parts of the same
cities they are limited to more expensive ISDN or satellite because cable is not
available and their fixed line connection will not support ADSL. In some rural and remote areas consumers are
limited to satellite. Decisions about
the roll-out of broadband in Australia
have largely been made on the basis of commercial considerations and the
resulting lack of uniform access to affordable broadband is a source of
frustration to many consumers:
Senator Alston's
comments that it is a commercial decision not to supply service to me and my
family is not on in the year 2002.
Please go into bat for the little people like me who are
discriminated against because we live in a home unit. Telstra should be giving service just as Optus
should, not making commercial decisions not to serve the public who owns at
least 50% of Telstra.
What type of commercial decisions will Telstra make if they
become private?[113]
2.93
A common theme in the evidence to the Committee was
that consumers in rural, regional and remote areas need to have the same level
of access to the Internet as those in the capital cities:
We need to be able to have very similar, if not the same, level
of Internet access available in the country as in the capital cities.
This also needs to be at a similar cost if we are to be competitive with our
city cousins.[114]
I firmly believe that, with regional situation such as Dungog,
uncapped broadband (speed) capabilities could provide enormous economic
stimulation to the area.[115]
More than anybody persons living in rural and remote areas need
access to modern telecommunications services.
Access to modern Broadband services could not only provide security and
peace of mind to persons, but it could also be a major lifestyle
improvement. However at this time the
provision of these services at a comparable cost to persons living in the
cities appears unlikely.[116]
We submit broadband should be regarded as a commodity similar to
water and power therefore justifying some form of cross subsidisation to ensure
competitive services are provided in the rural areas.[117]
2.94
The frustration of country residents is often shared by
their city counterparts who might have no access to a terrestrial broadband
service even though neighbouring suburbs have access to more than one
technology. A Perth
resident lamented the fact that residents in the suburb of City
Beach have no access to broadband
while those in the nearby suburb of Crawley have access
to cable TV, cable broadband and ADSL.[118]
2.95
The frustration many consumers experience as a result
of their inability to obtain access to affordable broadband appears to be
aggravated by Telstra heavily advertising services which they are unable to access.[119]
2.96
The cost of broadband is also seen as an impediment to
the more rapid take-up of broadband in Australia,
as are the pricing structures. The lack
of clarity in acceptable user plans[120] and the use
of download caps are also seen as impediments to the take-up of broadband:
The current pricing structure where service is capped at 3gig by
the two seemingly main providers where additional megabytes are charged at
exorbitant rates by Telstra or being throttled to 28.8kbps modem speed by Optus
could hardly be called a step forward and dont inspire the average Australian
to connect to the Internet via broadband as they would in other developed
countries with affordable connections such as the UK or the US.[121]
2.97
The evidence received by the Committee clearly shows
that access to affordable broadband services is viewed as an essential service
and that this service is not being delivered to all of the people of Australia. The Governments National Broadband Strategy
will help to address this issue by making broadband more available and
affordable for some consumers. However
the Committee does not believe that it represents a comprehensive solution to
the problems identified by this inquiry because:
-
the programs are only funded for four years; and
-
the funding is limited and will probably only
assist a small number of users.
2.98
The Government's various access programs are discussed
in more detail in Chapter 4 of this report which also discusses the 'doughnut'
of poorer service areas created by Government programs aimed exclusively at the
most disadvantaged geographic areas.
2.99
In the Committees view, the Governments piecemeal
approach to data services is unlikely to meet the needs of the community and
may act as an impediment to Australias
economic development. Access to fast,
affordable, reliable data services should be accorded the same importance as
access to voice services.
Pair gain systems
2.100
Pair gain systems are a significant impediment to the
delivery of the full range of modern telecommunication services to many consumers.
2.101
Pair gain systems enable multiple standard telephone
services to be carried over a smaller number of transmission links. They are employed throughout the Telstra
network wherever there are insufficient copper pairs to meet the current demand
for services. Telstra currently uses 16
pair gain systems which range from small units which allow two telephone
services to be operated over a single pair of copper wires to large systems
which allow up to 480 standard telephone services to be provided by connecting
them to an exchange over single optical fibre cable. The advantage of a pair gain system is that it
offers a cost effective alternative to laying additional copper cable where the
existing infrastructure is inadequate.
2.102
Most pair gain systems are not able to provide the full
range and standard of services which can be delivered over a normal copper
pair. Restrictions on the standards of
service imposed by various pair gain systems include:
-
inability to support features such as calling
number display and faxstream;
-
possible inability to obtain a line when it is
wanted; and
-
restrictions on data speeds and access to
broadband.
Access to voice services
2.103
One type of pair gain system - 16/96 - is used to
provide up to 96 telephone systems by switching calls through only 16 copper
pairs. The Tasmanian CEPU made the point
that with this system, if eight of the 96 customers on such a system were to
phone another eight customers connected to the system that would exhaust the
available capacity leaving up to 80 customers without access to a telephone
service.[122] In its submission the CEPU Tasmanian Communications
Branches identified 12 areas where pair gain systems were affected by
congestion but where there was no known relief in either funding or other
action to ameliorate the situation.
2.104
Similar congestion problems were reported in relation to
the number of transmission lines available at Digital Radio Concentrator
Systems (DRCS) exchanges.[123] It should be noted that DRCS is a solar powered
communications system designed by Telstra for voice and very low speed data
applications in remote areas but, as an ageing technology, is currently being
replaced under Telstras Remote Areas Telecommunications Enhancement program
(RATE) with High Capacity Digital Radio Concentrator Systems (HCRC).
2.105
In some cases customers obtain a second telephone
connection to provide a separate line for a fax or Internet connection, or to reduce
reliance on a single line in case of emergency. Some customers in this situation are perturbed
to subsequently discover that their second line has been connected through a
pair gain system which leaves them with the same inadequate or vulnerable
service which they were hoping to avoid by having a second line connected. In effect they are paying the full price for
two lines but receiving two inadequate services using the same line:
My new service took twice as long to install as they
said and was connected to a RAM 8 system at that stage I had no idea what
that was but I soon found out. As both
my lines run off the same RAM 8 if there is ever a problem with this unit both
my lines are out of action.
It appears that because my service is so far from the
exchange this RAM 8 needs a battery back up somewhere between the unit
and the exchange they seem to record where they put the RAM 8s but the service
personnel state that there are hundreds in my area and no record of the battery
locations has ever been kept. Thus if
there is a problem they could look at hundreds of batteries not knowing which
one is attached to which RAM 8. My
phone service has since this RAM 8 was installed continually cut in and out and
unless I actually go to use the phone I do not know if it is working or not.[124]
2.106
The Boulding case[125] is one of
the more notorious examples of the pitfalls of pair gains. The Boulding family had requested a second
line to their home to ensure that they had a reliable service in case of an
emergency, although Telstras records show that Telstra understood that the
second line was requested to provide an Internet connection. Telstra installed the second line by using a
Telespect 2 Digital Pair Gain System which used a digital signal transmitted
along the single copper pair serving the Boulding residence to provide both
services to that home.
2.107
Although the actual cause of the fault on the day of Sam
Bouldings fatal asthma attack has not been
identified, an investigation into the telephone services provided to the
Boulding family was critical of the use of a pair gain system on that line:
The technical characteristics of the Kergunyah customer
access network (CAN) infrastructure, in combination with the digital pair gain
system providing services to the Boulding family, were not conducive to
long-term reliable service in this instance.
These technical characteristics around the time of January 2002 were not
consistent with those recommended by Telstra for the type of electronic
equipment installed on this infrastructure.[126]
Dial up speeds
2.108
Pair gain systems also impact on dial-up access speeds
on fixed line networks. In evidence to
the Committee about the general impact of these systems, Telstra stated that:
The main issue is that the broad delivery of service is really
not impacted upon. Some aspects of services,
as we all know, are impacted on to some extent - for example, different
generations of pair gain equipment can have an impact on dial-up data speeds,
but that also is a very complex area and depends on the length of lines, type
of pair gain equipment and so on. By and large, you can still operate dial-up
data through pair gain systems, but you get some slightly different performance
outcomes, depending on the particular type of system.[127]
2.109
Telstra provided the Committee with the following table
showing the capability of various pair gain systems.
Telstra Rural
and Remote Access Technologies
(Last Updated 2002)
|
|
|
Homeline
Product Features (2*)
|
|
|
Infrastructure
Platform
|
Description
|
Dial-up Data Rate(1*)
|
Call-Waiting
|
Call-Forward (9*)
|
Call-Barring
|
Call Return *10#
|
3-way Chat
|
Call Back Busy
|
Calling Number Display (CND)
|
CND-Blocking
|
Faxstream Duet
|
Message-bank Home
|
RADIO
CONCENTRATORS, POINT-TO-POINT RADIO and FIXED WIRELESSACCESS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Analogue
Radio Concentrator System (ARCS)
|
8 channel analogue radio concentrator
(150 MHz)
|
up to 4.8 Kbps
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Digital
Radio Concentrator System (DRCS)
|
15 channel point-to-multipoint radio
concentrator (500 and 1500 MHz)
|
up to 7.2 Kbps
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
High
Capacity Radio Concentrator IRT2000 V9.2
|
TDMA point-to-multipoint radio
concentrator system operating in the 500 MHz and 1500 MHz bands Up to 30 VF
or data channels.
|
up to 26.4 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
High
Capacity Radio Concentrator IRT2000 V10.3 (equipped with ERS-C customer end)
|
TDMA point-to-multipoint radio
concentrator system (500 MHz and 1500 MHz bands); Up to 60 simultaneous VF
channels or up to 30 simultaneous data channels or a mix thereof.
|
up to 26.4 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(6*)
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
High
Capacity Radio Concentrator SWING V3.1
|
TDMA point-to-multipoint radio
concentrator system (500 MHz and 1500 MHz bands); Up to 60 simultaneous VF
channels or up to 30 simultaneous data channels or a mix thereof.
|
up to 26.4 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Single
Channel Analogue Radio (SCARS)
|
Single channel point to point analogue
radio. (150MHz and 400MHz)
|
up to 16.8 Kbps claimed
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
NA100
Dual Channel Analogue Radio System (DCARS)
|
Dual channel point to point analogue
radio. (150MHz and 400 MHz)
|
up to 9.6 Kbps
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
SR210/310
Dual Channel Analogue Radio System (DCARS)
|
Dual channel point to point analogue
radio. (150 MHz and 400 MHz)
|
up to 14.4 Kbps
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Hawk
version 1 Dual Channel Analogue Radio System (DCARS)
|
Dual channel point to point analogue
radio. (150 MHz, 400 and 450 MHz)
|
up to 19.2 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Hawk version 2 Dual
Channel Analogue Radio
System (DCARS)
|
Dual channel point to point analogue
radio. (150MHz, 400 ,and 450 MHz)
|
up to 19.2 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(7*)
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Multichannel
Analogue Radio System (MCARS)
|
6 channel point to point analogue radio
(400 MHz & 900 MHz)
|
up to 14.4 Kbps
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
|
|
|
Homeline
Product Features (2*)
|
|
Infrastructure
Platform
|
Description
|
Dial-up Data Rate (1*)
|
Call- Waiting
|
Call- Forward (9*)
|
Call- Barring
|
3-way Chat
|
Call Back Busy
|
Call Back Busy
|
Calling Number Display (CND)
|
CND- Blocking
|
Faxstream Duet
|
Message- bank Home
|
Multichannel
Digital Radio System (MCDRS) DXR200
|
Point-to-point non concentrating digital
multi-channel customer radio system sourced through NEC Australia but -manufactured
by MAS Technology (NZ) (400 MHz, 900 MHz & 1500MHz)
|
up to 26.4 Kbps (with 64 Kbps encoding)
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
CDMA
Wireless Local Loop
|
WLL platform using CDMA base stations
with a V5.2 switch interface from the Base Station Controller to the PSTN
switch. (under development) (800 MHz)
|
up to 14.4 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Fixed
Radio Access (FRA)
|
Nortel Proximity I TDMA WLL system
operating in 3.4 GHz band
|
up to 46.6 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
SATELLITE
SYSTEMS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
USO Satellite
Telephony (USOSat)
|
VSAT
DAMA
satellite telephony service - off PAS2
|
up to 28.8 Kbps (8*)
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
RSS via
Satellite
|
AXE RSS with satellite transmission -
off PAS2
|
up to 9.6 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
|
|
Y
|
Y
|
|
|
IPSTS(MiniSat)
|
Interim telephone service using MiniSat
technology on the Inmarsat satellite platform
|
up to 2.4 Kbps
|
N
|
N
|
N(5*)
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
SMALL
PAIR GAIN SYSTEMS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Analogue
Network Termination (ANT1)
|
Allows an ETSI Basic Rate service
(OnRamp) to provide two analogue PSTN lines over one copper pair; used for2nd
line (both services to same customer)
|
up to 50 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
N
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
N
|
1+1 FM
Carrier system
|
Uses FDM to combine a normal VF
telephone service (physical service) with an extra service (carrier service) provided
via an FM carrier service
|
up to 26.4
up to 9.6 on derived channel
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N(13*)
|
Y
|
N(13*)
|
Y
|
2
channel Digital Pair Gain System ( 2 DPGS)
|
Uses digital multiplexing to provide two
telephone services over one physical cable pair - reactive solution (2B1Q DSL
bearer = 2x64Kbps VF)
|
up to 19.2 Kbps Rel1 up to 28.8 Kbps Rel2
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
|
|
|
Homeline
Product Features (2*)
|
|
Infrastructure
Platform
|
Description
|
Dial-up Data Rate (1*)
|
Call- Waiting
|
Call- Forward (9*)
|
Call- Barring
|
3-way Chat
|
Call Back Busy
|
Call Back Busy
|
Calling Number Display (CND)
|
CND- Blocking
|
Faxstream Duet
|
Message- bank Home
|
4
channel Digital Pair Gain System (4 DPGS) - Phase 1
|
Uses digital multiplexing to provide
four telephone services over one physical cable pair
|
up to 7.2 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
4
channel Digital Pair Gain System (4 DPGS) - Phase 2
|
Uses digital multiplexing to provide
four tel servs over one physical cable pair - reactive solution (4B3T DSL bearer
= 4x32Kbps ADPCM VF)
|
up to 7.2 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(3*)(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Rural
Access Multiplexer Phase 1 (RAM Ph1)
|
8 channel pair gain system (2 x 160Kbps
2B1Q)
|
up to 26.4 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Rural
Access Multiplexer Phase 2 (RAM Ph2)
|
8 channel pair gain system (1 x 528Kbps
xDSL) 8 channel pair gain system (2 x 272Kbps xDSL)
|
up to 28.8 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
MEDIUM
PAIR GAIN SYSTEMS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mini
Line Concentrator (MLC) 14/5
|
Up to 14 services over 5 cable pairs
(trunks)
|
up to 50 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(10*)
|
Y
|
Y(4)(11*)
|
|
Mini
Line Concentrator (MLC) 15/6
|
Share up to five cable pairs (trunks) to
provide up 15 services. A sixth trunk provides the power feed & data
communications to the remote unit.
|
up to 50 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(10*)
|
Y
|
Y(4)(11*)
|
Y
|
Mini
Line Concentrator (MLC) 16/6
|
Share up to five cable pairs (trunks) to
provide up 16 services. A sixth trunk provides the power feed & data
communications to the remote unit.
|
up to 50 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(10*)
|
Y
|
Y(4)(11*)
|
Y
|
LARGE
PAIR GAIN SYSTEMS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Large
Line Concentrator (LLC) - 16/96
|
Combine a number of Extel MLCs via an
extra switching stage (E2SS and R2SS) to provide up to 96 services over 15
trunks. 16th trunk used for data and power supply.
|
up to 50 Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(10*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(11*)
|
Y
|
Remote
Customer Multiplexer (RCM)
|
Multiplexes up to 30 tel services over a
standard 2 Mbps digital link (4W, optical or radio)
|
up to 26.4
Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Homeline
Product Features (2*)
|
|
Infrastructure
Platform
|
Description
|
Dial-up Data Rate (1*)
|
Call- Waiting
|
Call- Forward (9*)
|
Call- Barring
|
3-way Chat
|
Call Back Busy
|
Call Back Busy
|
Calling Number Display (CND)
|
CND- Blocking
|
Faxstream Duet
|
Message- bank Home
|
Digital
Concentrator System (DCS-20)
|
Provides up to 120 services; Central
Unit and Remote Unit interconnected by a variety of transmission schemes:
cable pairs, 2Mbps PCM over copper, fibre or radio.
|
up to 26.4
Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
N
|
Y
|
Y(4*)(11*)
|
Y
|
Remote
Integrated Multiplexer (RIM)
|
Provides up to 480 services over a
number of standard 2 Mbps digital links to a maximum 34 Mbps. Integrated RIM
- connects directly to the exchange via the digital links: Non-integrated RIM
- indirectly connected to an exchange via the MDF using 2 wire circuits.
|
up to 26.4
Kbps (non-int.)
up to 50 Kbps (int)
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Small
Capacity Distributed System (SCaDS
with
O/F)
|
SCaDS is a digital pair gain system that
can support up to 30 POTS or 12 ISDN services or a mix. Up to 6 cascaded
remote units on a single bi-directional optical fibre bearer up to a maximum
distance of 30km for each remote unit
|
up to 28.8
Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
SCaDS
with G703 interface
|
Allows SCaDS to use existing G703 2 Mbps
transmission capacity (including digital radio)
|
up to 28.8
Kbps
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
Y(4*)
|
Y
|
(1) = Data rate capability not
throughput. The numbers outlined here are indicative only. Factors
influencing data speed include: distance of customer from their exchange;
technology employed; quality of lines and interference encountered (noise
levels, impedance matching); environmental factors; customer equipment (modem
type, computer set-up, other equipment on the line); and carrier and ISP used
by the customer (server capacity, compression techniques employed).
(2) = Product features may not be
supported due to technology constraints, or when the technology is
concatenated to another access technology.
(3) = CND inhibited after power fail
fault until B-party has lifted off
(4) = Distinctive ring works
satisfactorily provided PGS is not concatenated to another PGS, ie that has
been used as an exchange replacement, eg RCM, DCS20, NIRIM.'
|
(5) = Call barring possible on
IPSTS(MiniSat) during terminal set-up but cannot be changed remotely (of
availability to be confirmed by Vendor.
6) = Calling Number Display will only
function on ERS and ERS-C equipment. System software V10.3 or later must be
used. Although Microstations and HBD equipment can be used with V10 systems
CND will not work on Microstations or HBD terminal and repeaters.
(7) = Date (8) = Default data rate set
at 14.4 Kbps; 28.8 kbps enabled with *28 prefix
(9) = EasyCall Call Forward includes
Call Forward Immediate, Busy and No Answer
(10) = CND may not be passed to B-Party
on unanswered call where concentrator is congested.
(11) = First ring cadence is corrupt
(12) = Untested
(13) = Untested
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.110
As the preceding table shows, some pair gain systems
effectively limited dial-up speeds to 7.2 kbps while many others, including the
common early Remote Integrated Multiplexers (RIMs) limited dial-up speeds to
around 26.4 kbps.[128] It was explained to the Committee that these
limitations often relate to the number of analogue to digital conversions which
occur when older systems are being used:
the bigger issue that
impacts on data speeds is this factor of analogue-to-digital conversions that
you get when you go through some of the access network electronics. Each time
you go through an analogue-to-digital conversion you limit the achievable
dial-up speeds. So if you have two conversions you are generally down to around
the 30- to 28-kilobit per second level.
Most of the pair gain systems that we have used for many years
have those two analogue-to-digital conversions. The way we have approached that
issue is that, with the advent of the Internet assistance program, we are
advising customers to access that program. If they have issues around the data
speed then they can be brought up to the achievable levels that they need by
case-by-case attention. That is working quite well. We are actually achieving
quite a lot of very positive outcomes for customers who go through the centre.[129]
2.111
Telstra also advised that the RAM 8 phase 3 pair gains
system would soon enter service. This
system will offer 50 kilobit per second dial-up speeds and will be an important
tool in further targeting some of the existing concentrator systems.[130]
2.112
The issue of whether customers whose dial-up speed was
limited by a pair gain system should be paying less for their service was
raised with representatives of the Consumer Telecommunications Network:
I think they should be. That is absolutely the case because it is
quite clear they are never going to get something faster. I must admit that I was a little bit
disappointed with the recommendation in the Estens report that the guaranteed
speed be 19.2 kilobytes per second, especially considering that the standard
modem for dial-up even is a 56K modem. The reality is that we know most of those
modems are not going to get 56K and we can accept that, but perhaps 33.6 might
be a more realistic speed that we are looking at. At least at that point you can guarantee to
get decent email with some attachments, which is a bare bones basic service
that you should be able to expect from an Internet service in Australia.[131]
Access to broadband
2.113
The use of pair gains systems in the Telstra network
also significantly impacts on the availability of ADSL. Telstra told the Committee that about 900,000
telephone services are currently provided through a RIM. Of those services, approximately 70 per cent
are connected through exchanges which are ADSL enabled.[132] A significant number of Telstra customers are
therefore unable to access ADSL services even though their exchange is ADSL
enabled:
Ozemail informed me that they
regrettably cant provide a service as my new phone line was not put in by
adding new copper pairs as I was informed, but
by using a RIM system which is incompatible with ADSL. At no time was I informed
by Telstra that this would be a problem in the future, if I wanted to upgrade
to broadband.[133]
2.114
There sometimes seems to be some confusion, even from Telstra
personnel, about the reason that ADSL is unavailable on a particular
service. One customer recounted his
experience in trying to obtain an ADSL connection:
On 5 June I rang the 1800 151 311 number as per the
advertisement in the Courier Mail to obtain my "faster affordable Internet
experience", only to be told that, despite my close proximity to the
centre of a large regional centre like Toowoomba, I was unable to obtain an
ADSL connection because we have "a pair gain phone line system", and,
"You can't expect to just ring up and get that sort of service like you
would a telephone
I made contact with the electorate office of my local
member of parliament and dealt with a very helpful aide who made contact with
the local Telstra Countrywide office. One
of the Countrywide staff then rang me back to correct some of the miss-information
that I had been given during my previous telephone contact with Telstra. It appears that we have standard telephone
lines, but are unable to access ADSL because we have a line length of 4800
metres, and the service will only reliably work up to a line length of 4000
metres from the telephone exchange.[134]
2.115
The Committee took up this issue with Telstra:
The short answer to your question about the RIMs is that we are
actually no longer deploying RIMs. We
have stopped that. We do not buy them
anymore. They are not manufactured
anymore. We are now deploying CMUX
technology, and the CMUX-AU is the version of the CMUX that is designed to take
up from where the RIM was formerly utilised. It is a device that handles the same sort of
capacity of PSTN and ISDN that RIMs were able to provide for, but it has also
been designed to provide broadband capability to a percentage of the customers
in that area. Those devices have been deployed
from earlier this year - early in the first half of this year - but when we
first got access to the technology from the vendor it only had PSTN capability.
ISDN was proven in a pilot phase, and that is now available in the market. The broadband capability of the CMUX-AU is
being piloted this month in one exchange area of Queensland.
Subject to that being a straightforward
exercise, which we are reasonably confident it should be, we will have the
broadband capability available in the new subdivisions in which we deploy these
devices[135]
2.116
After this statement became the cause of some press
discussion based on apparently contradictory evidence given by the companys
representatives at another Senate committee inquiry, Telstra advised the
Committee that some RIMs were still being deployed in special circumstances.
2.117
Telstra also advised the Committee that it was trialling
a miniMUX system which could be fitted to an existing RIM to provide a limited
number of broadband connections. A
miniMUX provides 24 ports for ADSL and up to two miniMUXs can be installed in a
RIM. The installation of a miniMUX is,
however, dependent upon there being both sufficient demand and space to install
the equipment in the RIM cabinet.
Telstra outlined the status of the trials for the Committee:
This relates to a pilot period of assessment of miniMUX
capabilities and the processes that relate to Telstras provisioning and
maintenance of wholesale and retail services through these miniMUX devices. We instituted a trial in four RIM areas in the
Crace exchange area in Gungahlin and surrounding suburbs early this year. We later extended that trial to encompass
another six exchanges, three of which were in the Townsville area and three of
which were in the Castle Hill/Kellyville area in north-west suburban Sydney.
Part of the reason for the trialthere were a couple of reasons,
reallyis that there were some technical aspects of the performance of miniMUX
inside a closed cabinet out in the street environment in relation to heat
loading and so on that had to be assessed. There are four different types of RIM
cabinets. Each one is slightly
different, so the mechanics and physical performance had to be checked. That has proceeded to our satisfaction in that
technical sense.
The integration of our provisioning processes and our
maintenance processes has been worked through and tested in the different
areas, so there is no issue in respect of where a miniMUX might be. We have a performance guarantee period for new
technology that we then implement so that our operational part of the company
is well satisfied they can operate that equipment well. That period comes to an end this week, so we
are expecting formally to complete the trial and begin the commercial
deployment of miniMUXs where it is appropriate, from this point on.[136]
2.118
Telstra advised the Committee that other methods of
addressing the problems posed by pair gain systems have been to use one CMUX to
provide ADSL services in an area with RIMs or to use available copper in the
same area.
Response to the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry
2.119
The Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (RTI)
recommended that Telstra should give a formal undertaking to the Government
including providing timeframes in relation to any action required to implement
a strategy for improving the quality of telephone service affected by the use
of 6/16 and similar pair gain systems.[137] In response to this recommendation the
Government said that Telstra would provide it with a formal undertaking on 'its
strategy, including timeframes, to improve, as soon as possible, phone services
affected by the use of 6/16 and similar pair gain systems'.[138] An undertaking on this issue was signed by
Telstra and the Commonwealth on 18
December 2003.
2.120
Subsequent examination of the undertaking between
Telstra and the Government and questioning of Telstra during estimates hearings
has exposed the limitations of the undertaking.
The undertaking between Telstra and the Government deals only with
problems of congestion on 6/16 and similar pair gain systems. It does not address the issue of the
inability of these systems to provide access to ADSL, or to the same level of
service in relation to calling number display and faxstream services[139] as other
customers enjoy. When Telstra was asked
whether it was only removing these systems when services degrade to a point
that it is not a quality service a Telstra representative replied that:
We remove them when there is a very clearly agreed set
of criteria based around the congestion performance.[140]
2.121
The RTI also recommended that:
Recommendation 4.2
Telstra should be required to demonstrate that it has an
effective strategy to address any dial-up data speed issues arising from poorly
performing pair gain systems. Telstra
should provide a formal undertaking to the Government in relation to any
actions necessary to implement such as strategy.[141]
2.122
At the time that this report was being prepared the
Government had not secured such an undertaking.
2.123
Telstra has indicated that it is phasing out the older
systems and that the newer systems being used have greater capabilities. During the final hearing on this inquiry on 7
August 2003 Telstra advised the Committee that, for example, it is phasing out
the 6x16 medium line concentrators and that last year 520 of those systems had
been removed.[142] More recently Telstra has stated that it has
removed 670 of these systems and that about 5,600 remain:[143]
The use of the network reliability framework now clearly
identifies where there are problems in the network, and then the remedial plans
will go accordingly. If during that
process we have identified that a pair gain system, whether it is large or
small, is the cause of a problem from a customer perspective, that is where
those plans will be built. That is the
way we will prioritise it.[144]
We do not have specific time frames against specific
types of pair gain systems, except to say that all the older systems - and I
would refute the term archaic; they are just older - are all decreasing in
their installed base, every one of them. I will mention that the 1+1 FM system
has basically gone in the last year.[145]
2.124
In the Committee's view the continued use of outdated
pair gain systems which impede access to services is not acceptable. Customers should be entitled to know if the
level of service on their line is affected by the presence of pair gain systems
and these systems should be phased out as soon as possible.
Payphones
2.125
As the current Universal Service Provider, Telstra is
required to ensure that payphones are reasonably accessible to all people in Australia
on an equitable basis, wherever they reside or carry on business.[146] Payphones are also provided by other private
operators, however. Concerns were raised
with the Committee about the availability of payphones and some aspects of
their operation.
I live just 100ks from Melbourne,
Half way between Ballarat and Daylesford, .
Recently Telstra opted to remove the nearest Public
Phone which was 6ks from our home and we now have to travel to Creswick 17ks
away to use a Public Phone to report any faults with our home phone. A fairly frequent occurrence in this area. So much for increasing services to Country
people.[147]
2.126
And:
Council is also concerned about telephone access at
major tourist attractions. In this
Shire, there are major water sport/recreation facilities that are widely used
by locals and tourists alike.
Unfortunately, should there be an accident, there is no public telephone
(or mobile phone) access at the lake, so making emergency communication
difficult.[148]
2.127
Concerns were also raised about payphones not giving
change.[149]
2.128
Following the conclusion of the Committee's hearing
program, the Australian Communications Authority reported to the Minister for
Communications, Information Technology and the Arts on its review of the
provision of payphones in Australia. In relation to the adequacy of payphone
services the ACA found that:
existing payphone services in Australia
are reasonably adequate and overall customer satisfaction is rising. In particular, the number of public payphones
remains fairly stable.[150]
2.129
However, the ACA raised concerns about the reliability
of Telstra's payphones and its fault repair performance:
the overall reliability of Telstra's
payphones and its fault repair performance is poor in remote Australia,
especially but not only in remote indigenous communities. There are steps that Telstra can and should
undertake to improve the reliability of its payphones. The ACA will undertake closer monitoring of
USO performance by Telstra in these target areas.[151]
2.130
The ACA made a total of thirty three recommendations
aimed at improving payphone services, particularly for indigenous Australians
and people with a disability, improving processes for determining the location
of payphones, and improving Telstra's fault repair performance with regard to
payphones. As the ACA's report was
released after the conclusion of the Committee's public hearing program, the
Committee has not had an opportunity to examine its findings or to seek
comments on them from interested parties.
The Committee has not, therefore, reached any conclusions nor made any
recommendations following on from ACA's recommendations. Its findings in relation to people with a
disability are discussed in the following section.
Services for people with disabilities
Legislative requirements
2.131 People
with disabilities often require special equipment to allow them to access the
telecommunications network. The Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999
requires that the supply of a standard telephone service by the universal
service provider, currently Telstra, include the supply of other equipment to
people with disabilities, such as access to mobile phones and telephone access
at public venues, in order to comply with the provisions of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.
2.132 Several
witnesses suggested that the current regulatory regime does not adequately
address the changes occurring in telecommunications in Australia,
that existing telecommunications legislation should be reviewed to ensure that
it reflects new developments in technology, and that the resulting services on
offer to the general public remain accessible to people with disabilities:
As alternative telecommunications technologies are
introduced, it is time to ensure that the quality and safety standards that
Australians expect are not eroded. Telecommunications legislation needs to
accurately reflect the broader obligations of telecommunications companies,
especially in relation to the needs of people with a disability.[152]
But I do believe that it is time to go back and review
the legislation, to look at the definition of a standard telephone and at how
we define the obligation to provide access for people with disabilities and to
make sure that these kinds of black holes do not occur in the future. One of the ironies is that the previous
legislation is basically technology specific. We need technology neutral legislation which
enshrines the basic right of access to telecommunications for people with
disabilities. That is our primary
recommendation to you.[153]
2.133 A
similar plea was made in other submissions with respect to consumers more
generally and not just those with a disability.[154]
2.134 Australian
Communication Exchange Ltd (ACE) provides the National Relay Service on behalf
of the Commonwealth Government. The
service exists under legislation to provide telecommunications access for
people with disabilities, particularly people who are deaf or have hearing or
speech impairments. It is a vital and
important service, as it gives people who would otherwise be denied access to
the network the ability to communicate with the general community. ACE submitted[155] that the
introduction of wireless local loop (WLL) in regional and rural areas places
Telstra in breach of its USO, because the technology is incompatible for
Teletypewriter (TTY) users and thus effectively reduces their communication
options in comparison to with those of the general public. The Australian Communications Authority
disagrees, however, considering that Telstras approach to rolling out CDMA WLL
services will fulfil Telstras obligations under the USO and the
Determination. The Authority did acknowledge, however, that emerging
technologies could possibly require changes to regulatory requirements.[156]
Disability Equipment Program
2.135 Equipment
for people with disabilities is usually provided at present through the
Disability Equipment Program (DEP) operated by Telstra and provided as part of
its Universal Service Obligations (USO).
This program was criticised by a number of witnesses representing people
with disabilities.
2.136 First,
they were concerned that the DEP is offered solely by Telstra (although Optus
provides some equipment for customers using the Optus cable). Consequently, it was suggested that people
with disabilities are being denied the full choice of telecommunications
services and the full advantages of competition policy.[157]
2.137 Second,
it was claimed that only limited equipment is available through the DEP, it is
chosen solely by Telstra and much of it is dated:
In some respects the protection of our entitlements has
become fossilised at the technology stage we had reached in 1997. Equipment
for people with disabilities has not kept up with new technologies, and in some
respects people needing adaptive devices are now further isolated than they
were ten years ago, despite the enormous potential of new communications
technologies to overcome the barriers of disability.[158]
2.138 Some
submitters expressed concern that Telstra was able to vet access to the DEP:
To get equipment from Telstra I have to get a doctors
signature, which seems quite reasonable, but then I have to be vetted by the
operator at the disability inquiry hotline. What knowledge do those operators
have of hearing loss or any other disability? [159]
2.139 To
overcome these concerns, a number of disability representatives suggested that
the DEP should be independent of Telstra, or indeed of any carrier:
an independently run disability equipment program
would be really important. The consumers would be free to go to it, and they
would not need to have a Telstra standard line into their home.[160]
The comment from the whole of the disability sector is:
why do Telstra, or any other carrier, choose which equipment is available and
which is not? That is why we believe the independent solution is the best, both
for vetting and for the supply of equipment, so it can be decided on fairly
what should be on the equipment list and it should be allocated fairly and
reasonably.[161]
2.140 Attached
to the submission from the Deafness Forum of Australia was a paper by TEDICORE
(Telecommunications and Disability Consumer Representation) outlining the
following key principles for such a program:
-
the program be consumer-focussed and managed;
-
equitable access to the Internet and mobile
telephony be considered an integral part of access to telecommunications;
-
user needs with regard to new telecommunications
technologies be taken into account;
-
telecommunications products and services to be
based on the principles of inclusive design where possible, with specialised
products to be compatible with, and easily connected to, mainstream products; and
-
the program be based on principles of social
justice from the Universal Declaration on Human Rights - 1948 and the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Disabled persons.[162]
2.141 TEDICORE
favoured the introduction of a public procurement policy for disability
equipment to facilitate the access of people with disabilities to appropriate
telecommunications equipment:
we really would like to see a big change in the way disability
equipment is provided under an independently run program.
We consider that that [public procurement] is a very
important issue that we would like to continue stressing as a way of
encouraging more accessible equipment being available in Australia through
the government taking a proactive role by ensuring that it specified in its
public procurement policy that it would prefer tenders which included
accessible equipment, as is happening in the United States at the moment.[163]
2.142 Telstra
disputed claims that the company offered only a limited choice of equipment to
people with disabilities:
Our view is that we do offer a comprehensive range of
equipment that you [the disabled] can get through the program and we do
undertake our customer satisfaction surveys to ensure that the equipment we
provide to customers is meeting their needs and expectations.[164]
2.143 Its
representatives advised the Committee that Telstra had recently revised its
catalogue of products and services for people with a disability and they provided
the Committee with a copy.[165] They also outlined some of the steps Telstra
is taking to improve the range of equipment available for people with a
disability:
More recently we have announced Braille and large visual
display TTYsthat is in a flier that we circulated amongst the deaf and/or
blind community; we launched that not very long agoso the equipment program
has been expanded. As well as that we are developing a multifeatured disability
phone. In the hearings you would have heard that perhaps a big button phone
would be useful for some customers. We recognise that and that is what we are
working on. We hope to have it available late this year. We are certainly
working hard to achieve that time line.[166]
2.144 Telstra
representatives also informed the Committee
that it had established a wholesale program which would allow other service
providers to offer disability equipment to their customers:
Telstra Wholesale established a disability equipment
program in January 2003, so this is a fairly new initiative. It allows service
providers to supply specialised telephone disability equipment to eligible
customers in order for them to access the standard telephone service. Under
this wholesale program, the full range of disability equipment that is
available through Telstras program is also available to those service
providers who might want to offer that service to their own end usersthat is,
their own customers. Telstra has established a disability wholesale help desk
for the service providers.
Since that program was establishedand I again say it
was just at the beginning of this yearit has received about 650 calls and has
processed 37 applications on behalf of service providers.[167]
Existing telecommunications equipment and services
Access to phones, payphones and
TTYs
2.145 Many
people who are deaf or hearing impaired rely on a teletypewriter (TTY)[168] to
communicate. Their opportunities for
full communication are limited by the number of TTYs located in public places:[169]
if it is necessary for a particular individual to be
issued with a TTY for use in the home then clearly it is necessary for that
person to have access to TTYs wherever they go. This means that TTYs should be
provided as necessary as part of the Australian communications network.[170]
2.146 This
is a particular concern in the case of emergency calls:
One particular area of concern relates to emergency call
services. While the emergency call service number 106 has been established as
an alternative to 000 for TTY users, that does not solve the problem if the
telephone service does not support TTYs problems arise for TTY users when
they are away from home where they have a TTY.[171]
2.147 The
Australian Communications Exchange referred to the TTY technology used by
people with disabilities in Australia
as end of life technology, isolating people from developments elsewhere:
Teletype devices were literally recovered from disuse in
the late 1960s and refurbished and modified to become the first TTYs used by
deaf people. Deaf people chose an end
of life technology as their platform because it was available, cheap and it
worked. TTYs in current use in Australia
have a very similar form factor to those introduced in Australia
in 1980.
Thus Australia
is a TTY island using a system not deployed extensively anywhere else in the
world.[172]
2.148 Other
hearing impaired people rely on volume control on their phones. Few public payphones have volume
control. These are therefore
inaccessible to hearing impaired people:
One of the major problems for Australians with a
hearing/deafness disability is the lack of access to volume control voice
phones when away from their homes. If it
is necessary for a particular individual to be issued with a volume control
voice phone with a hearing aid coupler for use in the home, then clearly it is
necessary for that person to have access to volume control voice phones with
hearing aid couplers wherever they go.[173]
2.149 It
was suggested that increasing the availability of volume control would
transform the lives of many hearing impaired people:
The simple addition of volume controls would make all
the difference to the ability of hearing impaired people to move freely around
the world. We talk a lot about TTYs,
which are vital and high-tech, but simple volume controls would change the
quality of life of millions in Australia.
[174]
2.150 Even
where available, the volume control on public phones in Australia
is inadequate for people with significant hearing loss, and inferior to the
volume control available in some other countries:
Unfortunately, saying that payphones should have volume
control is not sufficient. The loudest
volume available on existing payphones in Australia
is insufficient for anyone with close to severe hearing loss and is well below
the best overseas payphones.[175]
2.151 Access
to payphones by people with physical disabilities can also be limited by their
location and their height, which may place them beyond the reach of people in
wheelchairs:
The height and access to payphones continue to cause
significant concern to people with physical disabilities. Many payphones are still not accessible in
terms of height, and in terms of being able to gain access to the phone itself,
particularly for those with limited upper limb dexterity.[176]
2.152 Concern
was also expressed that deaf and hearing impaired people relying on TTYs were
adversely affected by the phasing out of the analogue mobile phone service
network and its replacement by GSM and CDMA phones. Currently they cannot use their TTYs to
communicate by mobile phone, a significant limitation given that there are now
more mobile phone connections than fixed line connections in Australia:
Both GSM and CDMA phones effectively garbled the signal
of the TTY when it was sent across the telephone network, and they have lost
that access We are saying that a large number of people in Australia
who rely on text telephony are not able to get access to over half the network.[177]
2.153 While
deaf and hearing impaired consumers can, and do, make use of mobile phones for
text messaging, cost is claimed to be an issue for many.[178] Because of these developments it was
suggested by some witnesses[179] that the
quality of access to equipment and services by people with disabilities has
been substantially degraded over the last five years. Others stressed the importance of ensuring
that future developments do not similarly disadvantage people with
disabilities:
Let us look at what is going on in technology and make
sure that deaf and hearing impaired peoples interests are considered first,
not afterwards, when they have to make complaints through the DDA to get their
needs met.[180]
Closure of aged and disability
centres
2.154 A
number of witnesses commented on the adverse impact of Telstras closure in
2003 of its six aged and disability centres.
These were said to have played an important role in informing
consumers with disabilities of the range of equipment available and in advising
them, generally on a one-to-one basis and often in their homes, of the
equipment best suited to their needs. It
was claimed that the centres were closed without consultation with the
disability sector. They have been
replaced by a disability hotline, an inadequate substitute in the view of some
witnesses:
The alternative arrangements put in place by Telstra are
not satisfactory. The use of the Telstra
disability hotline a telephone service as the primary source of assistance
for people with disabilities is not really a satisfactory substitute for the
human contact of a telecommunications expert matching the needs of a person
with a physical disability. As a
principal provider of disability equipment, this particular move by Telstra to
close the centres is deeply regretted by the disability community.[181]
Telstra response
2.155 Telstra
representatives advised that the closure of its aged and disability centres was
prompted by their lack of support in the disability sector:
The reason we closed these centres is that we found that
they in fact were not being used very frequently. On average we had about three visits per week
to these centres. It seemed to us that
we were not in fact meeting the needs of people with a disability. We have
now changed our approach so that, for all intents and purposes, we are turning
almost every Telstra shop into a shop whereby people with a disability will be
able to get the sort of advice they need about what might be available for
them. [182]
2.156 However,
they did acknowledge that there was inadequate consultation with the sector
about these closures:
We did brief them prior to the closure but I think their
criticism in terms of perhaps the haste in which it was done is something that
we recognise. Certainly, we did receive
some criticism about the lack of consultation that occurred over the closures.[183]
2.157 Telstra
drew the Committees attention to the steps being taken to address these issues,[184] primarily
through its third Disability Action Plan.[185] Telstra has an ongoing program to review the
location of TTY payphones and to investigate the feasibility of a robust TTY
payphone attachment for outdoor locations.[186]
2.158 In
October 2000 a major research program on physical payphone access commenced
under the guidance of an independent steering committee. Telstra stated that it now has an ongoing
program to ensure that payphones are mounted in accordance with the findings of
that research. Telstra is trying to
promote awareness of access requirements among suppliers and commercial site
owners for both wheelchair users and the visually impaired.[187] The Disability Action Plan also states that
payphones are being upgraded with an in-built hearing aid coupling device,
volume control feature, language selection and large visual displays.[188]
2.159 Telstra
representatives explained that, to overcome the problems faced by TTY users in
accessing the mobile phone network since the phasing out of the analogue
network, they will be offering alternative TTY accessible technology. This may take the form of the old copper wire
service or radio with TTY capability.[189]
Developments in telecommunications equipment and service
2.160 Concerns
were raised by a number of witnesses about the potential for new technology and
convergence to overlook the needs of people with disabilities, as happened in
the move away from the analogue network (as was discussed above). As mentioned above in the context of
Telstras universal service obligations, particular anxiety was expressed in
relation to Telstras current consideration of the deployment of a wireless
local loop (WLL) in regional and remote areas, as this technology is not
accessible to TTY users:
The TTYs currently available in Australia will not work
with a wireless local loop so access to the standard telephone service for Deaf
people and people with a hearing or speech impairment will currently not be
possible in an area serviced by a wireless local loop.[190]
Telstra has made it clear, and for what I believe are
quite reasonable business purposes, that is will be rolling out CDMA wireless
local loop in a range of scenarios as the standard telephone service. The
quickest, easiest and cheapest way of getting networks rolled out there is to
use wireless local loop. Wireless local
loop is based on CDMA. It is not accessible for people with disabilities. So
all of a sudden we are having whole chunks of our network cut out. We are basically punching black holes in
that network for people with disabilities, which is not insignificant.[191]
2.161 Telstra
has said that where wireless local loop is installed, the company will meet its
obligations to people with disabilities by offering an alternate technology to
residences and workplaces where there is a deaf or hearing impaired resident or
worker. In the view of the disability
sector this is an inadequate response since it will not take account of the
future needs of people with disabilities who move their residence or workplace. Nor will it allow these people to access
telephones outside their homes or workplaces, a service available to every
other member of the general public. It
was argued that, therefore, such an approach represents an abrogation of the
major carriers responsibilities under the USO, as well as the requirements of
the DDA.[192]
2.162 A
further concern for people with disabilities is the roll-out of telephony using
Internet Protocol, which is being progressively introduced into universities
and some major public organisations such as CSIRO. This is also incompatible with TTYs:
It [Internet telephony or IP telephony] looks and feels
like a regular telephone. It has a number. You pick it up, you dial and it works. But it
does not work with TTY. In fact, it will not work with any modulated modem type
device. So again, we are now looking at
areas the size of cities, whole universities in fact, not just some but
nearly all universities losing their ability to be accessed by people with
disabilities. So we now have a serious
hole emerging in the telecommunications network for people with disabilities.[193]
2.163 The
Australian Communication Exchange advocated the extension of the any to any
connectivity now operating in relation to voice telephone services to text and
video connectivity. These options will
become more viable with developing broadband technologies. Any to any video connectivity will be
especially valuable for deaf people who use Sign language as their first
language:
Deaf people who use Auslan would also prefer to use it
when communicating on the phone. With
the growing introduction of videotelephony (video conferencing, videophones and
Video over Internet Protocol) and roll-out of broadband, there is now every
opportunity for Deaf people to at last use their preferred language to
communicate over the Australian network.[194]
2.164 Some
witnesses suggested that the benefits of the technology may be limited for some
people with disabilities by the cost of the equipment required:
Consumers with a disability have a heavy reliance on
telecommunications equipment and the increased impost [of Telstras recent
price rises] makes it increasingly difficult to remain connected. The problem is even worse for consumers in
rural and remote areas.[195]
2.165 Telstra
representatives advised the Committee that the organisation is conscious of the
potential for new technology to adversely impact upon people with disabilities
if their needs are not adequately considered during the development phase. To prevent such an eventuality Telstra has
ongoing discussions with the disability sector:
what we are always battling with in this area is that
it is moving as rapidly as it is. That
includes how to make sure that we are providing people with a disability with
the ability to link into that new technology at the same time as it is being
rolled out. We are very conscious of the
fact that the disability community in general see this as being a very
important point of principle.[196]
2.166 Telstra
witnesses acknowledged, however, that its efforts are not always successful:
But to be absolutely honest with the committee, it is
not always possible to do that, so we sometimes get into this dilemma of not
knowing how long one can delay the roll-out of a technology that is required by
the community at large, because one does not have available to an important
part of the community a corresponding technology which will meet their needs.
.. We try to work in advance of these new technologies, so it coincides with
their introduction, but it is not always possible.[197]
2.167 They
also pointed to the need, in developing new technologies, for Telstra to
respond to demand rather than anticipating it:
Another assumption seems to be that Telstra can and
should provide the infrastructure necessary to deliver the latest technology
before genuine demand has been established for the services provided by this
technology. I think we have to say that all organisations whether they are
public, private or even not-for-profit - must ensure that their investments are
somehow, to the best that they can manage them, synchronised with demand for
their goods and services.[198]
2.168 Telstra
is aware of concerns by disability advocates that developments in any to any
connectivity might not adequately address their needs. It has established a Working Group to look at
options and consumers and disability advocates are represented on that Group.[199] Telstra says that it is investing heavily in
the broadband infrastructure necessary to support any to any connectivity in
text and video, having spent $1 billion to date, with an additional $1 billion
to be allocated over the next five years.
Payphone policy review
2.169
On 31 March
2004 the Government released the ACA's report on its review of the
provision of payphones in Australia.[200] The ACA recommended that:
3.
The payphone industry and disability peak bodies should
consult through an Australian communication Industry Forum (ACIF) working
group, and work together to develop a Payphone Accessibility Code for
endorsement by HREOC. Australian Local
Government Association (ALGA) and the Property Council should be invited to be
involved in this ACIF group. The group
should look for approaches that:
-
maximise reasonable accessibility for people
with a disability;
-
are flexible enough so as not to inhibit the
overall provision of public and private payphones; and
-
provide certainty to payphone operators that
they have met their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act.
4. Telstra should continue to increase
teletypewriter (TTY) payphone numbers in secure locations where there is
evidence of need and TriTel and other specialist payphone firms should, at a
minimum, provide TTY payphones in private sites when an agreement with the site
owner requires Telstra to remove a TTY payphone. TTY siting criteria could be discussed in the
proposed ACIF working group. The ACIF
working group should also propose a means of providing comprehensive
information about the location of TTY payphones. TTY payphones also need clear instructions
displayed to explain how to use them.[201]
2.170
The Committee has not had the opportunity to examine
the detail of these proposals. However, they
are consistent with the evidence which was received by the Committee during its
hearings and it supports the general thrust of the ACA's recommendations.
Summary
2.171 The
Committee firmly believes that adequate communications are as important, if not
more important, for the disabled as they are for the able-bodied. While there are telecommunications issues
affecting the able-bodied who live in rural and remote areas which could be
expected to be even more challenging for the disabled, the Committee was
disturbed to learn that new technology represents an issue for the disabled
even in major urban areas. The Committee
also recognises the challenges for telecommunications providers to give
appropriate priority to the needs of the disabled in such a rapidly changing
environment, while noting that new technology has an inherent capacity to
provide solutions.
2.172 In
the Committee's view there is a strong case for the development of an
independent disability equipment program.
This would allow telecommunications users who are affected by a
disability to access a service from a wider range of service providers and give
them greater control over what equipment should be available.
2.173 The
Committee accepts Telstras argument that the closure of its aged and
disability centres was justified by their limited use, but expresses its
disappointment at the poor manner in which the closure was handled. Apart from these issues, the Committee is
satisfied that the needs of the disabled are generally receiving appropriate
attention. There is no doubt, however,
that such attention would be diminished in a fully competitive market without a
continuing system of government regulation, with telecommunications providers
aiming at ever lowered costs, rather than the provision of services which might
not be justified on a fully commercial basis.
Priority services
2.174
The background and operation of Telstras priority
assistance service is outlined in Appendix 5.
However, that program only extends to Telstras network. During the Committees hearings this issue
was discussed by Telstra:
. you may be
aware of what is described as the Priority Assistance Program, which is a
program set up to enable us to meet the needs of customers who might have a
life-threatening illness. Whilst that
program is particular to Telstra at the moment, the government has asked other
providers to consider making the same service available to their customers. There is quite a bit of discussion going on
within the industry about how that might be done in a way which does not
necessitate the government putting into place a licence condition on them to
ensure that it happens.[202]
Mobile networks
2.175
The availability of mobile phone coverage was raised as
an issue in many of the submissions received by the Committee. Most of the evidence which expressed concern
about the extent of mobile coverage was received from, or related to, rural,
regional and remote areas. Much of this
evidence came from local government bodies or organisations.[203] Some examples will suffice to give the
picture:
Approximately 30% of our Council area is without Digital
Mobile Phone Services. This includes the
Townships of Swan Reach, Walker Flat,
Purnong, Bowhill, Murbko, Mt. Mary,
Keyneton, Tungkillo, parts of Palmer and the
eastern Mount Lofty
Ranges within our area (except
adjacent to the Sturt Highway).[204]
That their mobile phones work EVERYWHERE and not only in
certain areas so that when driving twenty kilometres the services appears and
disappears.[205]
Our mobile phones continue to drop out in this area
especially when travelling to and from Coffs
Harbour. There are quite a few
black spots around the area and we have purchased a CDMA phone to try and
overcome the problem but still find that the phone drops out at certain spots.[206]
I live just 100ks from Melbourne,
half way between Ballarat and Daylesford, we have never had a mobile phone
service here and our mobile phones are only used when we are away from home.
Service between our home at Ballarat are intermittent even when we are
travelling toward Ballarat and Telstra readily admit to this.[207]
2.176
Concerns about the possible consequence of inadequate
mobile coverage related not only to business and social needs, but also to the
ability to seek help in the case of emergencies:
A recent tragic incident near the Scott River district
south of Nannup illustrated this dramatically when a father and husband was
unable to call for help when his wife and sons were swept from rocks into the
sea.[208]
2.177
The Committee accepts advice that mobile phone coverage
is continuing to expand. Many submitters
acknowledged that mobile coverage in rural areas had improved, although it is
still inadequate in places.[209] Telstra advised the Committee that it was
continuing to expand its mobile coverage:
During the life of this committee we have also
significantly expanded the size of our CDMA mobile phone network. Last financial year we added 402 base
stations and repeaters. This has
increased mobile phone network coverage from 15 per cent of the landmass to
almost 19 per cone tot the landmass, with over 98 per cent of the Australian
population now covered by Telstras CDMA mobile network. This financial year we plan to add a further
482 base stations and repeaters. This
will increase mobile coverage to well over 20 per cent of the land mass by June
2004.[210]
2.178
Telstra also provided the Committee with information
about the cost of providing mobile coverage and the economic viability of
expanding coverage to smaller communities:
. It is not purely the cost of the base station but the
back haul transmission capacity back to a base station controller, which is
generally located in the capital cities. So, in the Queensland
context, it is in Brisbane.
That is a variable cost of course, depending on the distance and the
availability of transmission capacity out there. In a general sense, though, if
I can generalise, an economically viable solution runs out at a community of
about 1,000 people.[211]
2.179
Telstra went on to outline the effect that Government
programs have had in enabling coverage to be expanded to smaller communities:
Since then, of course, we have had the government
programs of NTN and Besley that have helped to fund communities that are
significantly smaller than that. At the bottom end, we are talking about
communities down to about 380 people. Subsequent to that, again there has been
some special funding from other organisations such as state governments that
has helped us to provide funding for things like gaps in highway coverage et
cetera. The last Queensland
governments mobile contract included a condition for the provision of mobile
phone coverage on some of our highways, and there are other examples of the
same thing. The short answer is that, on a straight economic basis, you can
look at a community of around 1,000this is for CDMA, by the waybut through
various other programs there should be very few, if any, communities down below
380-odd people where we cannot provide a mobile phone service.[212]
2.180
However, the programs aimed at improving coverage have
not been able to assist some communities because of their structure. In its submission the Shire of Nannup, in
south western Western Australia,
expressed concern about the poor mobile phone service in its area. As part of the Wireless West initiative that
involves State, Federal and carrier involvement, two sites in its area were
identified for mobile phone towers.
Under the program the Council was requested to provide $20,000 per site
towards the cost of the infrastructure. As
the Council was unable to contribute to the cost, the sites will not be
built. The Council expressed concern
that local governments were being held to ransom in the site selection process
and that the funding of telecommunications infrastructure is not a local government
responsibility.[213] Telstra acknowledged that under the
Networking the Nation program contributions from local communities were
required:
Under the Networking the Nation program, there was a
requirement for whoever was making the application to NTNand it was not always
a council; it could have been another community groupto contribute $10,000.
That is in the context of a base station that might cost in total half a
million bucks or thereabouts. So, yes, there was a requirement under that
program for that contribution to be made.[214]
2.181
Some submissions also noted that while the total extent
of mobile coverage was increasing, the important issue for users was the
coverage of the network to which they could gain access. In its submission the South West Development
Commission stated that there was an expectation, especially by international
visitors, that GSM mobiles will work throughout the region.[215] This issue was also raised in relation to
programs designed to improve coverage on regional highways:
I find it quite untenable that tenders were requested
from Vodafone, Telstra and Optus for Federal Govts $50.5 million program to
improve mobile phone coverage on 35 regional highways.
With Telstra virtually the only provider of CDMA service
(Optus offers CDMA on Telstra equipment), it would mean that Vodafone and Optus
would be tendering for GSM service. As
the carriers do not "speak" to each other (inter-carrier roaming) - a
subscriber to Optus GSM cannot access service from a Vodafone or Telstra GSM tower
and vice versa - it would mean that anyone wanting continual coverage would need
to carry CDMA, and three GSM phones to access all carriers.
Intercarrier roaming is technologically feasible within
CDMA and within GSM networks but is not possible between CDMA and GSM networks
as the different technologies cannot interact.[216]
2.182
The South West Development Commission suggested that
one solution to this problem would be the development of a dual use handset.[217]
2.183
While most of the evidence received by the Committee on
mobile phone coverage related to the extent of coverage in rural areas some
submissions also raised the issue of blind spots in mobile coverage in both
city and country areas:[218]
Arriving in Brisbane,
I expected almost a perfect mobile phone system . Alas, I can't use either of
2 mobile phones in my Unit, or outside in the yard.[219]
2.184
In response to the concerns about continuing
non-coverage of more remote areas by its GSM and CDMA networks, representatives
of Telstra noted the availability of its satellite service:
We still have TMS, our mobile satellite service, that
covers the whole of the footprint of the country. So you can take that as an
overlay network that fills in those gaps. It is not as if there is no service
there; it is just a different platform that we use.[220]