Public Fibre Pathways

Public fibre pathways in Rural Queensland

Lots of Queensland rural communities are still without a solid fibre Internet connection, or without some terrestrial Internet connection of any kind. Too far away for NBNco fixed wireless or for Telstra/Optus 4G. Might be lucky to have a landline for phone only. Usually way too long to carry ADSL. So, there you are. Stuck up the creek without a paddle.

Now, we have a new initiative by the Queensland Government to make the spare fibres available in the high voltage (HV) electricity distribution networks. The electricity people have long been putting fibres into any new cabling to monitor and control their HV substations. Wherever they put in new HV cabling or replace HV cabling they put in some fibres as a matter of course. When you buying electricity cables that doesn't cost much extra.

A new entity was set up by the Queensland Government, named “QCNfibre”, with the slogans “better internet for more queenslanders” and “breaking down the digital divide”.

Pretty good initiative because these electricity companies really already have a massive amount of fibre deployed in Queensland. So, putting the spare capacity to good use and connect places which so far have been deprived of good Internet is a good purpose and ought to be applauded.

Now, part of the brief is to engage in to collaborative arrangements for “the last mile” so that local ISP companies can deliver Gigabit Internet to their customers at a reasonable price level. For this to happen, one of the collaboration partners mentioned by QNC are the local governments. Why? Well, the local governments already look after the local public pathways. They plan, build and maintain the local public road network inside their area of responsibility.

They all have a “roads” department with staff, machinery and established planning procedures for road maintenance.

We all know that without those public roads, nobody gets anywhere. So the planning and the fixing of these public roads is a well understood and well supported function of each of these local authorities.

Now, our digital connectivity to the Internet is just like a public road. Consider adding the provision of a public fibre cable to each and every public road which services homes, farms and businesses.

The local authorities roads departments already have the staff and machinery, and are conversant with running pipes, culverts, and the likes. Adding a public fibre cable to the package wherever public roads are upgraded, maintained or built sounds like a logical thing to do. And yes, when those departments need a fibre specialist to do network planning or splicing, there is a job for QNC and other fibre specialists to offer their services.

So, when a local government plans a new public road or upgrades/repairs/maintains a public road as a matter of course the QNC ought to be notified with the details to see if some new electricity cable or new fibre cable needs to be planned to connect the tenants on that public road. And if there is merit in getting engaged, the QNC should take the lead, do the planning, and get the local governments roads departments to dig the holes, put pipes in bridges and overpasses, and do all the groundwork. QNC can send out splicing crews wherever and whenever needed and do the fibre terminations. Any proposed subscribers along those public roads would have to install and pay for their own lead-in cables from their home/farmhouse/business/factory to the nearest public road. QNC just plans a joining point on their entrance gate or any other suitable location.

Now, that won’t hook up everyone and anyone in a day. Rome wasn't built in a day either. But over time each and every public road gets its turn in the maintenance and upgrade plans. So, eventually everyone gets connected. And local authorities do have a way to influence and manage their road maintenance planning to bring forward any part project where there is a particular high or pressing demand for connectivity, like industrial areas or greenfield residential developments.

Think about it..... And know that these local authorities actually are pretty well equipped with tractors, bulldozers, trucks and staff to spearhead the deployment of public fibre pathways in their areas. If they want to be connected, the first stop is to have some inspiring talks between the manager/engineer of these local authority roads departments and a representive of QNC to establish the contacts to make things happen.

Go fo it!