The Broadband Blues

There are things in life that just make you shake your head in disbelief and dealing with telephone marketers are one of those for me. However, when Telstra rang up with an offer of a new fast broadband connection we signed on. Great I thought, as we always struggle for internet.

And I have a bit of a background with IT in networking, so I not to ally a ‘noob’ when it comes to this area. I can configure routers, I know about ADSL standards, I can lookup the DSLAM availability of our exchange. In fact I have taught many sessions extolling the values of network services for Agriculture – opening farmers eyes to a range of new technologies which will benefit both their farms and families.

Just yesterday, Jenny and I were in a local electrical retailer and came across an old friend looking at new computer tablets. And the range of iPads, Android tablets and the new Microsoft S tablets are great. We talked about all the cool things we could do with technology – she told us about how she uses hers in schools and I told her about applications I have found for them on the farm. Its big new world that I believe will benefit us all.

But the elephant in the room is that none of these technologies work as they should without a broadband internet connection.

Anyway, back to the story. So Telstra’s new broadband package involved a ‘new fast connection’, new emails, a static IP just for us, domain alignment with our existing services and a new router configuration. It even came with two SIMMs for new tablet devices. And all for less cost. Great!! And I must say that throughout it all, I have found Telstra staff to be quite helpful. No problems there.

So where is the problem you ask? Well, the change over to the new service was not insignificant, but when it was done and I took a look at the router status, I noticed that the line speed detected by the router was the same as before. Strange, this was supposed to be ‘new fast broadband’ connection. I assumed that since there were limited ADSL2 ports at our exchange that what we would be on one of them. Surely they wouldn’t sell an ADSL2 package without access to an ADSL2 port at the exchange. And when I look at the line quality – its still rubbish. So I rang up and found that actually no there were no ports available, but rest assured that if one becomes available, we would get it. So in disgust, I went for a ride on the bike to clear my head and let me show you what I found….

Thats right – a great example of cutting edge 21st century telecommunications technology. Very artistic , the way the telephone line is gently looped along the fence in the afternoon sun. Perhaps this is even part of the new NBN rollout that they never got back to? (I laugh so I don’t cry!!) We hear all this talk about the NBN, but for us it just stands for ‘Nothing But Nonsense’.

Its almost as good as the time it rained, we lost our phone service and when the Telstra man came to fix it he had to borrow a plastic woolies shopping bag, because the one they had previously wrapped around the wires to waterproof the termination block in the paddock had disintegrated in the sun.

Telecommunications technologies are one of the most significant changes occurring in the world – and this is our share of it? Come on guys and girls – surely we can do better!

So in the end, we are contracted to a ‘New Fast Broadband’ service which is plugged into the same port as the old slow broadband connection was and still connected by the same crap wiring.

You have got to love progress….

Cheers,

NeilK