Australia - Broadband - DSL Market Overview and Statistics

Synopsis

While the resale of DSL based services using Telstra’s Unbundled Local Loop (ULL) service was economically unviable for voice services, it did enable platform based competition to provide broadband services. Many firms have installed their own DSLAM infrastructure enabling them to provide fairly high speed Internet services via ADSL2+. This regulatory framework related to ULL has encouraged investment and the number of broadband users with access to services has increased. However a key concern moving forward is the impact on investment in DSLAM infrastructure may become obsolete once Fibre to the Premises (FttP) networks are built. The Governments proposal to build a National Broadband Network (NBN) may invoke changes in the regulatory environment relating to DSL based broadband services. As such the existing regulatory regime will need to be balanced against the emerging regime relating to the fibre network.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Regulatory environment - Analysis
  • 2.1 The impact of fibre optic networks on DSL regulation
  • 2.2 Unbundling of the Local Loop (ULL) and line sharing
• 3. DSL infrastructure
  • 3.1 Overview
  • 3.2 Tool for competitors
  • 3.3 DSLAM Infrastructure
    • 3.3.1 Key providers
    • 3.3.2 ADSL2+ enabled exchanges
• 4. DSL Services
  • 4.1 ADSL2+
  • 4.2 Naked DSL
  • 4.3 VDSL and VDSL2
• 5. Market analysis
  • 5.1 The end of ULL and DSLAMs
  • 5.2 DSLAM competitors gained an early foothold
  • 5.3 Continual delays by Telstra
  • 5.4 Telstra ADSL2+
  • 5.5 No convergence with TV, but complimenting
  • 5.6 FttH superior to ADSL2+
  • 5.7 Australian rules for ADSL2+
  • 5.8 High-speed Internet & High Definition TV to regional & rural areas
• 6. Related reports

• Table 1 – DSLAMs sites taken up by access seekers and Telstra – 2007 - 2008
• Table 2 – Number of infrastructure providers by number of ADSL enable exchanges – 2007 - 2008
• Table 3 – Number of DSLAMs by provider – 2006 – 2009
• Table 4 – Number of ADSL and ADSL2+ enabled exchanges – September 2008