The nbn co. just announced that it’s testing a new diagnostic tool aimed at remotely finding out whether a home has any wiring faults and particularly copper telephone lines in fibre to node suburbs.
While some critics have suggested it’s just a way for the nbn co. to try to find other reasons for the NBN’s well publicised faults like slow speeds or congestion, I think the move makes a lot of sense.
There’s no getting away from the fact that the mixed technology NBN that’s now rolling out places a lot more emphasis on the copper wires and cables both inside the house or along the last mile as many more premises now only get fibre to the node in the street.
And that means the NBN experience will only be as good as the wiring you have at home. We’ve been making that point for a long time of course, not only with Smart Wiring but as part of the message from the Australian Registered Cablers group.
In other words your home or office is crucial to getting the best out of much faster broadband.
In fact the nbn co. says their research shows speed performance is impacted by poor wiring which they say can include degradation due to age or initial installs as well as where unused phone outlets remain connected to the main system.
Getting the public to think about their home wiring is a great step forward though we think the message needs to be more than just about old wiring problems or a cheap modem.
You will really only get the best from the NBN if you look at upgrading your wiring to specifically handle technology, things like higher speeds, more outlets and gadgets, networking and increasingly green energy and storage.
It’s also vital that the NBN Co. talks to the 72,000 plus registered cablers out there who are the only ones allowed to make changes to customer cabling. I mean officially allowed to.
At present he NBN Co. is partnering with a few big RSPs as part of the 5 week trial, but say they will make the diagnostic tool available to all RSPs to help them assess broadband service issues for customers.
We think its a smart move but it would be a lot smarter if registered cablers were part of this initiative right from the start.
