OPEL Networks
Encyclopedia
OPEL Networks Pty Limited was a telecommunication
s provider that was to establish wholesale
broadband
services in regional areas of Australia
in the form of WiMAX
and ADSL2+
via a network of DSLAMs. The network was also to include terrestrial and undersea
backhaul
. The project is now defunct.
It was a 50:50 joint venture
between Optus
and Elders
.
(DCITA) under the then coalition
government called for expressions of interest for discussion of how to invest up to A$878 million in funding under Broadband Connect program to provide greater access to broadband
services in rural and regional areas at prices comparable to services available in metropolitan areas, $500 million of which was envisaged as being available to infrastructure projects. On 2006-09-21, the government announced they would invest up to $600 million in broadband infrastructure projects in rural, regional and remote Australia under this program. Applications for funding were open until 2006-11-30.
On 2007-06-18, in the lead up to a federal election, OPEL Networks was announced as the sole successful bidder, receiving the entire $600 million in funding under the program, as well as an additional allocation of $358 million. This was to be combined with $917 million to be invested by the OPEL Networks joint venture.. The awarding of additional funding was met with some debate.
The funding agreement was signed on 2007-09-09, which was dependent upon further planning by OPEL and confirmation that it would reach the agreed levels of coverage.. The then federal opposition
Communications spokesman stated that they would honour the agreement, a stance maintained after winning government two months later, despite their own competing National Broadband Network proposal.
On 2008-04-02, it was announced that the funding agreement had been cancelled.. The minister cited OPEL's failure to meet the terms of the contract, specifically that analysis of OPEL's detailed maps revealed that it would reach only 72% of under-served premises, a claim refuted by the OPEL joint venture partners, who nevertheless stated that the project would not proceed.
The venture was also to acquire long term leased links from Optus
(10,200 km) and other providers such as Nextgen Networks
(2,200 km), as well as establishing a Tasmanian link using Basslink
, providing OPEL with a protected
link to the island.
The selection of WiMAX
technology was questioned by some groups, including the then Federal Opposition and competitor Telstra
, leading to further debate.
On 2008-01-07, OPEL acquired spectrum licence
s from Austar
, conditional upon approval of its funding agreement, enabling it to deploy WiMAX using licenced spectrum rather than using unlicenced spectrum as previously planned.
Telecommunication
Telecommunication is the transmission of information over significant distances to communicate. In earlier times, telecommunications involved the use of visual signals, such as beacons, smoke signals, semaphore telegraphs, signal flags, and optical heliographs, or audio messages via coded...
s provider that was to establish wholesale
Wholesale
Wholesaling, jobbing, or distributing is defined as the sale of goods or merchandise to retailers, to industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional business users, or to other wholesalers and related subordinated services...
broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
services in regional areas of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in the form of WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
and ADSL2+
ITU G.992.5
ITU G.992.5 is an ITU standard, also referred to as ADSL2+ or ADSL2Plus. Commercially it is notable for its maximum theoretical download speed of 24 Mbit/s.-Technical information:...
via a network of DSLAMs. The network was also to include terrestrial and undersea
Submarine communications cable
A submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
backhaul
Backhaul (telecommunications)
In a hierarchical telecommunications network the backhaul portion of the network comprises the intermediate links between the core network, or backbone, of the network and the small subnetworks at the "edge" of the entire hierarchical network...
. The project is now defunct.
It was a 50:50 joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Optus
Optus
SingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
and Elders
Elders Limited
Elders Limited is an Australian based agribusiness company.It was founded in 1839 in South Australia by Alexander Lang Elder as a new arm of his family's Scottish based merchant and shipping business. Its core business was a trading company and commission agent for wool and other agricultural...
.
Broadband Connect Funding
In June 2006, the Australian Department of Communications, Information Technology and the ArtsDepartment of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (Australia)
The department's strategic policy areas include:* National Broadband Network* Postal and telecommunications policies and programs* Spectrum management* Broadcasting policy* Digital economy* Regional communications* Cybersafety and e-security...
(DCITA) under the then coalition
Coalition (Australia)
The Coalition in Australian politics refers to a group of centre-right parties that has existed in the form of a coalition agreement since 1922...
government called for expressions of interest for discussion of how to invest up to A$878 million in funding under Broadband Connect program to provide greater access to broadband
Broadband
The term broadband refers to a telecommunications signal or device of greater bandwidth, in some sense, than another standard or usual signal or device . Different criteria for "broad" have been applied in different contexts and at different times...
services in rural and regional areas at prices comparable to services available in metropolitan areas, $500 million of which was envisaged as being available to infrastructure projects. On 2006-09-21, the government announced they would invest up to $600 million in broadband infrastructure projects in rural, regional and remote Australia under this program. Applications for funding were open until 2006-11-30.
On 2007-06-18, in the lead up to a federal election, OPEL Networks was announced as the sole successful bidder, receiving the entire $600 million in funding under the program, as well as an additional allocation of $358 million. This was to be combined with $917 million to be invested by the OPEL Networks joint venture.. The awarding of additional funding was met with some debate.
The funding agreement was signed on 2007-09-09, which was dependent upon further planning by OPEL and confirmation that it would reach the agreed levels of coverage.. The then federal opposition
Opposition (Australia)
Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition in Australia fulfils the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent at a general election...
Communications spokesman stated that they would honour the agreement, a stance maintained after winning government two months later, despite their own competing National Broadband Network proposal.
On 2008-04-02, it was announced that the funding agreement had been cancelled.. The minister cited OPEL's failure to meet the terms of the contract, specifically that analysis of OPEL's detailed maps revealed that it would reach only 72% of under-served premises, a claim refuted by the OPEL joint venture partners, who nevertheless stated that the project would not proceed.
Network Infrastructure
The OPEL Networks rollout was to include:- 1,361 WiMAXWiMAXWiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
sites across all states as well as the Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
and Australian Capital TerritoryAustralian Capital TerritoryThe Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory... - 312 DSLAMs across all states
- 114 DSLAMs to be built and owned by OptusOptusSingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
and made available to OPEL, across all states excluding TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, but including the ACT. - 2,400 km of new fibre-optic backhaulBackhaul (telecommunications)In a hierarchical telecommunications network the backhaul portion of the network comprises the intermediate links between the core network, or backbone, of the network and the small subnetworks at the "edge" of the entire hierarchical network...
, including a new undersea linkSubmarine communications cableA submarine communications cable is a cable laid on the sea bed between land-based stations to carry telecommunication signals across stretches of ocean....
to TasmaniaTasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
The venture was also to acquire long term leased links from Optus
Optus
SingTel Optus Pty Limited is the second largest telecommunications company in Australia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore Telecommunications...
(10,200 km) and other providers such as Nextgen Networks
Nextgen Networks
Nextgen Networks is an Australian communications company which is a subsidiary of Leighton Holdings, one of Australia's major companies.Nextgens Network is based on a geographically protected national network, with the Brisbane to Melbourne link utilising self-healing SDH two-fibre ring architecture...
(2,200 km), as well as establishing a Tasmanian link using Basslink
Basslink
Basslink is a high-voltage direct current cable link crossing Bass Strait, connecting the Loy Yang Power Station, Victoria on the Australian mainland to the George Town substation in northern Tasmania...
, providing OPEL with a protected
Self-healing ring
A self-healing ring, or SHR, is a telecommunications term for loop network topology, a common configuration in telecommunications transmission systems. Like roadway and water distribution systems, a loop or ring is used to provide redundancy...
link to the island.
The selection of WiMAX
WiMAX
WiMAX is a communication technology for wirelessly delivering high-speed Internet service to large geographical areas. The 2005 WiMAX revision provided bit rates up to 40 Mbit/s with the 2011 update up to 1 Gbit/s for fixed stations...
technology was questioned by some groups, including the then Federal Opposition and competitor Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
, leading to further debate.
On 2008-01-07, OPEL acquired spectrum licence
Frequency allocation
Use of radio frequency bands of the electromagnetic spectrum is regulated by governments in most countries, in a Spectrum management process known as frequency allocation or spectrum allocation. Radio propagation does not stop at national boundaries...
s from Austar
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
, conditional upon approval of its funding agreement, enabling it to deploy WiMAX using licenced spectrum rather than using unlicenced spectrum as previously planned.
Operation
While Optus was to be contracted to build the network, OPEL Networks was to operate its network on behalf of its owners Optus and Elders, offering wholesale services back to them as customers, as well as to other third-party broadband retailers. Elders intended to enter the telecommunications market by selling OPEL services from its existing retail channels.External links
- OPEL Networks (original site removed)
- Optus OPEL site (original site removed)
- Elders Telecommunications
- Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts - Australia Connected