The truth about Aust broadband technologies

3G

3G is a term for third-generation wireless, and refers to up and coming developments in personal and business wireless technology, especially mobile communications. 3G is not expected to mature for up to four years. It is claimed 3G will provide data speeds of up to 2Mbps, although these claims are currently treated with some scepticism.

A bit of background on the technology: the first generation of wireless began in the late 70s and included cellular mobile phones using analog voice capability. The second generation is the one we are familiar with today and includes CDMA, TDMA, and GSM. Since its inception, 2G has improved with increased bandwidth and the introduction of multimedia capabilities through technologies such as GPRS and EDGE.

3G is effectively going the whole hog, supporting enhanced multimedia, e-mailing, fax, videoconferencing, and Web browsing. 3G will operate around the 2GHz frequency band and have a high degree of routing flexibility, so much so that eventually you should be able to roam all around the world and stay linked to the network. That's not to say it will be solely a mobile solution; it is also relevant to fixed wireless applications.

Rumour mill

Why is it that ADSL has been relatively unreliable? The scuttlebutt points to various problems. The first is the incompatibility between products from various vendors such as Cisco, Nortel, Alcatel, and Lucent that Telstra has liberally sprinkled around the network. This does not appear to be Telstra's fault: Telstra supplied all the vendors with very precise specifications that in some cases do not appear to have been adhered to.

The second possible cause is that many years ago, when the current digital industry was almost a twinkle in someone's eye, our telephone systems were experiencing all sorts of problems such as fade out. To correct this problem, tweaks were made to the copper wire by adding resistors, transformers and the like, literally millions of them, and now no one knows exactly where they all are. Admittedly the tweaks improved analog telephony, but they play havoc with modern ADSL.

Some vendors claim these two suggestions are just fluff, and the real reason for the ADSL problems is that the authentication servers are unable to cope with the load.

• Related stories

• Alerts

Add your opinion

I was sure you couldn't get T1 ...Anonymous -- 25/11/01

I was sure you couldn't get T1 and T3 services in Australia, that it's a US standard, instead we have 2Mb links instead of their 1.54 ?

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

yeah daniel, the author obviou ...Anonymous -- 26/11/01

yeah daniel, the author obviously transcribed some part of an US based article about broadband.
We use EUROPEAN standards here on Oz. eg: ISDN is ETSI based (ISDN3) as opposed to the dozens of US IDSN standards.

Also, in Oz, we have E1 (2Mbps) and E3 (45/34Mbps) leased lines.

Also, the only ATM offerings here are:
VBR-RT (Variable Bit Rate - Real Time) and
VBR-NRT (VBR- Non Real Time) and
CBR (Constant Bit Rate).

I'm also surprised that they didn't mention Frame Relay (an EXTREMELY POPULAR service here, and in some cases WAY CHEAPER than leased lines).

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

There's a simpler way to calcu ...Anonymous -- 26/11/01

There's a simpler way to calculate if you're ready for broadband or not.
Work out how much money it's costing you per month for your Internet connection. For a lot of people these days, that's a second phone line rental charge plus the cost of the phone calls to the ISP plus the ISP costs. Don't forget, you pay for 1 phone call every time you connect to your ISP and that doesn't take into account those sometimes frequent drop-outs that happen during an Internet session causing a subsequent phone call.
I switched to broadband when the costs per month were about equal. The benefits far outweighed the initial setup cost.
For people with only 1 phone line and relatively frequent Internet use, the cost will be harder to work out but you also have to take into account the hassle of tying up the phone when using the Internet.
Of course, you need to factor in the cost of the cable modem and/or installation charges but I haven't looked back.
Broadband has been a real hit at home.
I've had 4 computers using the net simultaneously using nothing more sophisticated than an Ethernet connection via coax cable and Windows 98SE Internet Connection Sharing...all without any negligible notice in speed degradation.
Oh, and I do heartily agree that you need Firewall software and Anti-Virus software in the broadband world. It's sad but true that this is required judging by the number of hits that Zone Alarm reports on my PC.

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

I agree with Al, but the unfor ...Jason Hall -- 27/11/01

I agree with Al, but the unfortunate truth in Australia is that unless your in a capital city (and one of the lucky suberbs at that) cable is but an idle wish. ADSL is useful, but until the price becomes reasonable (and service stable and in more areas) its a joke. ISDN is more expensive than most small / home businesses can afford also.

We can mostly thank Telstra for out great broadband coverage. Thank god I live in the smart country (oops, the government is about to sell that too..).

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

JASON UR WRONG. IT MUST BE WHE ...Anonymous -- 02/12/01

JASON UR WRONG.
IT MUST BE WHERE YOU LIVE THAT DELAYS ELECTION NEWS, THE ALP LOST THE ELECTION SO YOU CAN SLEEP EASY TONIGHT, AUSTRALIA WILL NOT BE SOLD AFTER ALL AND WE CAN CONSIDER OURSELVES THE LUCKY COUNTRY AGAIN.

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

Malcolm, everything that the g ...Anonymous -- 03/12/01

Malcolm, everything that the government (now in) can lay their greazy hands on will be sold. You have no idea what service in the country is like, otherwise you would also be against the further sale of telstra. Without government ownership, there is two options.

i) High government interference in private enterprise, ensuring telstra keeps up it's commitment to rural australia at high costs, whilst it's competitors take "the cherries" in easy to maintain areas;

ii) all providors must provide to all australians. This will however place the burden of cost onto the user, as has been seen in the electricty market, where it costs upwards of $30,000 to install a basic grid extension of a kilometer for a single user.

So sit down, shut up, hold onto your manager's salary, & get ready for a bumpy ride as the country goes down the toilet, from potentially smart nation, to "you got maney, you can do anything. If your poor, it's your own fault & we wont do **** for you"

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

satellite internet Anonymous -- 05/07/08

Just for your info we have just got satellite in rural vic. free hookup because of inability to get cable broadband.we currently get 100mbps speed. however our download content seems to be totally out of control without any music or video downloading. not sure why.either way the speed and quality are ecceptional. Paul

• Reply to comment
• Reply to story
• Report offensive content

• Just In

• Most Popular

• Most Discussed

Reader Services

Popular Topics

Essentials