FTTN vs FTTP -- there's too many acronyms in the NBN. Here's how to understand the differences in the two NBN plans -- in 500 words or less.
Understanding the technology of the National Broadband Network can be confusing. However the battleground over the Government's model and the Coalition's plan is based on one question: is existing infrastructure adequate to carry improving technology into the future?
To cover the vast size of the country, the NBN requires three technologies to deliver Internet to homes and businesses. How you are linked to the broadband service depends on the remoteness of your location.
The most remote parts of Australia (seven per cent of households) will be joined to the network by a wireless network, or by satellite. These methods have been supported by the Coalition and are not controversial.
What is being debated is the structure behind how the majority of Australians households (93 per cent) will have access -- and that is through fibre optic cables. In particular, the arguments are based on where fibre optic cables finish in the supply chain.
A fibre is made of thin glass or plastic that can carry light. They are flexible, transparent and slightly thicker than a strand of human hair.
The light from a laser travels along the fibre to deliver information and is capable of high speeds, which will continue to become faster in the future.
These fibres are bundled together to make a fibre-optic cables.
Because data is carried through the cable by light, the speed is not adversely affected, compared to being sent through copper wiring.
Under the Government's NBN roll out, fibres will be connected to every household. This has been coined Fibre to the Premises (FTTP).
Under this model, Internet will be delivered at a consistent and reliable high speed.
The obvious disadvantage is that every household will need to be connected, making the rollout expensive and time consuming.
The government expects the roll out to be completed by mid-2021 at a cost of $37.4 billion.
The Coalition's model will see fibres from Internet distributers connect to “nodes” located in street cabinets, with connections from nodes to households within one kilometre through existing copper wires.
This has been termed Fibre to the Node (FTTN).
As the existing wires are ageing, they will need to be maintained and may need to be replaced in the future. The speed of your internet also decreases the further you are from the nearest cabinet.
The advantage to this model is that the roll out will be far quicker and less expensive.
The potential is also there if you wish to connect your home to the node with fibre at your own (considerable) expense. Unless you live in an apartment and can't convince your strata to agree.
However, as the Coalition concedes, the speeds that were achievable under the Government's model are not possible under their plans.
Therefore, as both parties have now proposed a model for the National Broadband Network, the battleground has shifted to whether a quick roll out of a cheaper alternative is a better option to a more expensive, but reliable product ready for future technological advancements.
If you want to read a more technical dissection of the differences between the government's plan and that of the Coalition, Karl Schaffarczyk, of the University of Canberra, has gone into greater detail.
