Western Power began trials delivering commercial data services using redundant capacity in the fibre-optic network it uses to control its electricity grid in December 2001. The company's telecommunications manager, Kevan Penter, who oversees the activities of its wholly-owned subsidiary Bright Telecommunications, said the trials had been very successful. The trials have now moved into their pilot phase with around 500 to 600 customers paying for the services.
Western Power said it began building a broadband customer access network (CAN) on its electricity network during major infrastructure projects to move its overhead cables underground. The project has currently brought 25,000 medium-density residential and business premises within reach of the Bright Telecommunications CAN.
While the fibre-optic ducts link directly to homes and are capable of delivering data at rates of up to 100Mbps, currently the price and performance benchmarks of the service mirror those of conventional ADSL broadband services. Bright Telecommunications basic residential fibre-optic service costs around AU$43 per month for a 256/64Kbps link with a 1G download cap. Installation fees vary from around AU$100-$200.
Penter said that while its fibre-optic network did not currently have the reach to match ADSL -- which runs over Telstra's standard copper loop -- it was more "future proof" than DSL-type services. According to Penter, while ADSL would never be able to carry video service, the capacity of fibre was "virtually limitless".
Paul Budde, managing director with telecommunications analyst firm Budde Communications, said that the average residential home would require a link supporting 50Mbps by the end of the decade based on current industry projections.
Western Power has just cabled my street in St James, and even with fibre i am NOT paying $50 per 1gb in traffic that's just plain stupid, i'd rather use dialup.