Point Cook Update
Filed under: broadband, customers, entertainment, innovation, internet, lifestyle, networks, news, technology
If you’ve been to Point Cook recently it’s likely you would have seen a Telstra van in the street.
There has been terrific local reaction to Telstra’s fibre-optic trial and our technicians have worked hard to connect more than 300 customers in the past eight or so weeks.
I recently saddled up alongside a couple of our technicians to see what’s involved in connecting customers.
Check out the video of the CTs undertaking an installation below.
Installation involves removing the lead-in copper cable that’s in the pipe running from street to house then replacing it with fibre-optic cable.
Once through to the house, we need to connect a wall-plate on the outside of the home to the internal cabling.
Finally, we work with our customers to determine the best spot for the network termination device and router – the study is proving the most popular location, but some customers have put them in bedrooms, lounge rooms and even wardrobes.
To those customers who live in homes that took a little longer than expected to connect – thanks for your patience – it’s the first time we have done this type of network upgrade and we have learned some valuable lessons along the way.
The Point Cook experience has certainly provided us valuable insight, experience and skills in assisting with any future fibre deployments we may undertake for our customers.
For those who haven’t yet taken up the opportunity call the Telstra Smart Communities on 1800 008 994 or
Register your interest for Telstra Fibre to the Premise (FTTP)
Daniel Hayward, an IT Manager with a leading Australian renewable energy company recently connected to the trial.“The high bandwidth and low latency to domestic and international sites is the fastest I have ever seen in Australia. It’s allowing me to work from home more often and work much faster than I was able to on ADSL2+.
“This ultimately saves me time and money, as well as reducing my carbon footprint as I can now work efficiently from home.”
Enjoying these Point Cook updates, despite it being so close yet so far for me
If a post could be made about the sort of gear used to bring the service together (at the exchange, at the mini exchange, in the home), I’d find that interesting.
Hopefully FTTP reaches my home soon!
It is wonderful that the residents of Point Cook are getting an upgrade from ADSL or ADSL2+.
What I struggle to understand is that we at Caroline Springs can not even get a basic ADSL Bigpond account (or thru any other provider) due to “lack of nodes at the Deer Park exchange”, or some such rubbish excuse. This has been the same excuse for over 3 years. The frustration levels amongst the community here in Caroline Springs are getting very high. Why start with fibre optics at somewhere like Point Cook, when they already have a good level of service, such as ADSL2+? Just up the road at Caroline Springs, we are struggling!!!
I make do with a variable speed microwave internet link through a boutique provider, which cost over $500 installation and a handsome monthly fee. It’s OK, the service provided is quite personal (i.e. if you have a problem, you call up and talk to a REAL PERSON!) The speed is relatively slow (better than dial-up, slower than ADSL) It’s all I can get, and I’m frustrated.
Telstra, time to roll out the upgrades to your long-suffering customers in Caroline Springs. We have Telstra home phone, Foxtel (to two points), two Telstra Blackberries, and no Bigpond!!!
Fibre…? What’s that..?
Try living on on the East Coast of Tasmania…..
ADSL…? What’s that…? No exchange for that here….
Other carriers…? Try Satellite..
Well….guess it’s wireless Bigpond…6G at $88.00 P/m
At least I’m still a Telstra share holder….
Hello! Do you know when this service will be available in Brisbane? At the moment my estate im living, in the mini exchange in my area is overloaded and i am experiecing internet drop outs. Also, what are the costs to get a contractor to do this service?
I would like to see an answer to the comment of Anthony on the 15th July. The reason is what requirements are needed. Does the system work if you have a commercial POWER FAILURE in the area.
How waterproof is the fibre network.
Is the device you call a mini exchange just a type of frame or is it a type of switch.
( An exchange is a switch. )
Do you place the telephone line on the fibre. If so can it be affected by someone else in the street doing massive internet loadings?
Who has access to the so-called mini-exchange. ( The present copper network I have seen with loose pillars and no one in sight. )
If you place normal telephone lines on the fibre what transmission standard do you use.
If you use VOIP how do you stop access from the internet and problems like calls from call centres in China and India have with delay and echo etc.
Can anyone out there tell me what Telstra would do with the obsolete copper phone cable after F.O. replaces it. Would it be an economic proposition to salvage the copper? What about co-axial cable, wouldn’t it also be obsolete and be worth heaps to salvage?
Whilst this is great, what is planned for the rest of Point Cook? I recently moved to Sanctuary Lakes and signed up for ADSL 1 as it was the only internet available without signing up for Sanctuary Lakes own Fibre network. The performance of my ADSL connection is dire and I’ve recorded download speeds of less that 0.15mbps. I’ve taken this up with my service provider who raised an issue with Telstra. Apparently, I’m on a RIM and nothing will be done to improve the connection. I don’t feel this is good enough for a number of reasons. Demonstrating that fibre connections are fast and can be retro fitted is all well and good, but what we (the general population) really need is average speed internet (3-8mbps) available for all.
As a major growth area, Point Cook’s internet is not up to scratch by a long shot unless you are one of the lucky few who live in right street for fibre or can get one of the ADSL2 connections…
SERVICE. Well Telstra has got a lot to learn. Over the last few years they have lost so much that the standard of service is worse than over 50 years ago.
1. The way staff talk of the line remind me of the third division staff of the PMG in the late 60′s and early 70′s. They know nothing but want to push their ideas through and upset customers on the way. They are very difficult to understand. Is Telstra using INFERIOR transmission connections. Some connections are as bad or worse than the radio telephone calls of last century.
2. Why does it take so long to process changes when you are on line to Telstra and why does Telstra not send a email to you to show what is happening like other companies do. You wait then you do not understand what is sent and you MUST contact them again. This is a WASTE of RESOURCES.
When is management going to wake up that to survive in communications you MUST get the behind scenes work going smoothly before trying to sell it. It is NOT a SELL SELL Business.
The reason why Telstra has problems include NOT PROVIDING their own TRAINING for staff ( Technician’s )
The PMG,Telecom,Telstra got where they were because of the intensive training provided which was successful. It has changed for the FAR WORSE under the present situation.
No wonder you have problems when you call up and getting the right section to look after you when you have a problem that is that little bit different. Then the attitude of some staff!!!!!!
Why weren’t the areas that have no ADSL ports available covered by the trial ? I would have thought that if you were rushing to install fibre optic, you’d rush to install it in the areas that have an ADSL blackout or shortage.
The following PCOK DA codes have had chronic shortage of ADSL ports, but Telstra put the fibre trial mostly on DA areas that have plenty of ADSL ports available.!
DA024 No Ports Available
DA029, DA043, DA045 No Ports Available
DA030, DA031 No Ports Available
DA041, DA053, DA086 No Ports Available
DA048, DA049 No Ports Available
DA056, DA087 No Ports Available
DA058, DA059, DA065 No Ports Available
DA060 No Ports Available
DA062, DA075 No Ports Available
DA064, DA066 No Ports Available
WOW… people from Point Cook getting NBN.. when people who have bought properties in Cairnlea cant even get ADSL (ADSL1 or ADSL2+). What a load of crap !! Previously before buying a property (paying those top $$$s thinking it is established area) we had to check about proximity to schools, parks, transport, shopping, etc…. never realised that had to check if ADSL was available in the area before buying. Moved from Sydney and had the best possible speed in ADSL2+ and after moving to Cairnlea it really sucks. No ADSL, everyone telling it is speed/PORT problem… when also the Deer Park exchange sucks in the speed. Not sure if it is a real exchange or just a rim.
I live in Sanctuary Lakes. I couldn’t get even ADSL in my street for years…
POINT COOK-VIC PCOK DA066 No Ports Available
We are young parents and we wanted to spend more time with our baby; because of Telstra not enabling ports to this area, we couldn’t work from home. Life is like a hell beacuse of Telstra.