Cornered! is a blog devoted, most of the time anyway, to telecommunications: local and global issues, technology, people and trends from the perspective of someone who's been reporting, analysing and commenting on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition). Sometimes serious, sometimes flippant, sometimes frivolous. Controversial, analytical, informative, amusing, but never boring; a vehicle for examinations of important issues and observations on my encounters and experiences in an industry where polarised views and hyperbole are the norm.
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Cornered! Government claims 38 percent shortfall in Opel wireless coverage
Cornered! Government claims 38 percent shortfall in Opel wireless coverage | Government claims 38 percent shortfall in Opel wireless coverage |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Wednesday, 02 April 2008 | |
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Page 1 of 3 According to communications minister, Stephen Conroy, "A precondition of the funding agreement was that Opel undertake testing and mapping to substantiate the service coverage set out in its proposal." Hhis department: "performed an analysis of the detailed testing and mapping undertaken by Opel, and determined that the Opel network would cover only 72 percent of identified under-served premises." So how did the department come to this conclusion? "Opel's testing was verified by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and Enex TestLab." And who, I hear you ask is Enex? According to its web site "Enex TestLab was founded in 1989, originally as part of RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia, and has now grown into a commercial testing facility unparalleled anywhere in the world." Well that sounds impressive, but the trouble is nowhere on its website http://www.testlab.com.au does Enex claim expertise in field testing or modelling the coverage of wide area wireless networks. I asked a highly regarded wireless networks consultant how the government might have undertaken modelling and testing to conclude with reasonable confidence that performance of the proposed Opel network would fall so far short of what was claimed. He doubted that it could have done so. And any such testing would have to have been done with the rigour and certainty that would withstand a possible legal challenge from Opel. After all we are talking about $1 billion here and around $16 million in opex and capex that Optus claims to have spent to date, and a similar amount from joint venture partner Elders. CONTINUED |
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