Broadband - Should the government simply buy a satellite?

[Winston001]

Should the NZ government buy Xtra and a satellite (or sufficent bandwidth) and provide fast broadband to the whole nation?

I'm thinking that the cost would be subsidised by the taxpayer, not at current satellite rates. Cheapish for all.

What do you think?

[jrandom]

It would only be cool if it had a death ray.

[Mikkel]

The Americans are going to use it for missile target practice... especially if it has a deathray!

[Steam]

I think you'd soon find out it would be INSANELY EXPENSIVE.

[jrandom]

I think you'd soon find out it would be INSANELY EXPENSIVE.

But totally worth it, if it had a death ray.

[yod]

I think you'd soon find out it would be INSANELY EXPENSIVE.

correct

But totally worth it, if it had a death ray.

...and correct

[Hitcher]

Hmmm. Death ray...

[YellowDog]

I guess the 'Death Ray' idea is a good one.

You could then auction off 5 minute slots for users to do as they see fit. "A better money raising idea than Kiwisaver" I hear you say!

So far as Broadband goes, it depends upon which problem you are looking to address. If you are talking about home and business services - IMO - Satellite is not the answer. There are enough of those already. You just need to do what the rest of the developed world has done and lay fibre cable all around NZ (Wellington has it). I realise that NZ is sparsely populated however most European settlements with >1000 have it, so should not be a problem for NZ.

The solution will take time and cost money. David Cunliffe says that ADSL2 is very close to general availability.

Good one David.

Problem sorted!

[yod]

You just need to do what the rest of the developed world has done and lay fibre cable all around NZ (Wellington has it). I realise that NZ is sparsely populated however most European settlements with >1000 have it, so should be a problem for NZ.

Do you mean fibreoptics around cities/towns or a national network?

because we already have a fibre backbone covering most of the populated country and fibre laid throughout the main centres (not just akl wgtn chch), it's called the telstraclear network

obviously it isn't down every suburban street and into each door but;

a) that would be REAAAALLLY expensive
b) it's unnecessary

[CookMySock]

Should the NZ government buy Xtra and a satellite (or sufficent bandwidth) and provide fast broadband to the whole nation?

It won't work. The ping time just to the satellite will be enormous. Then there is the problem of fitting millions of users, all wanting 10mbit connections, into some finite bandspace.

1million users times 10mbit up AND down fullduplex = 1x10^6 * 10x10^6 Hz * 2. Well into the absurd category. There is simply not that band bandspace available.

Unfortunately, fibre to each house is what is needed long-term.

DB

[limbimtimwim]

What do you think?

There is the latency problem, something that far away has issues around that. There is also the rain fade problem. Then the downlink from the satellite to the intarnets will get very busy if you have lots of people using it.

You see, once upon a time, the government spent money on infrastructure. That's how nearly everyone got phone, power and a road somewhere near where they lived.

So, what should be done, in my opinion, instead of messing with this radio stuff is just bite the bullet and run half a dozen fibres into every house. Yes, it'll cost an absolute bomb. You don't have to connect it to anything, just get it in there.

The cable in it's bulk form is very durable and once it is there, it'll last decades and you can upgrade the endpoints and get speed increases but leave the cable in place. Eventually whatever is buried will be superseeded, but not for many years. Replacement fibre could be pulled through the installed conduit in many cases.

Each cable would become property of the house/business it is connected to, and each cable would run to a publicly owned box where private companies could patch your fibre into their equipment.

[NighthawkNZ:Me]

I just want a death ray... stuff the broadband

[007XX]

But totally worth it, if it had a death ray.

"Bring in the Laassseeeeer!!!!"

Wasn't the whole debate of Fibre optics discussed by Telecom + Gubermint about 2 years ago and rejected as way too expensive?

[Usarka]

A death ray???? Isn't that what got Steve?

[limbimtimwim]

Wasn't the whole debate of Fibre optics discussed by Telecom + Gubermint about 2 years ago and rejected as way too expensive?

That's kinda what I was getting at. Once upon a time, the goverment spent money on core infrastructure. Now the NZ government is kind of in maintenance mode. Sure, a spagetti junction there, a bridge there. But nothing Auckland harbour bridge or Clyde dam sized is on the agenda. They are too scared to just do something about it. Networking to a house is what I think is core infrastructure. If it's not core infrastructure today, in 5 years we'll all be feeling it as we continue to curse telecom's crap ADSL service and TelstraClear's very slow to roll out coaxial cable network.