Pave the way for better internet service, says expert
That is the view of Carlos Dominguez, technology evangelist and incidental adviser to global leaders. In Melbourne last week for Cisco Live 2013, Mr Dominguez, senior vice-president at Cisco, said that given the transformative potential of the internet for prosperity, education and health, it was "absolutely critical" for developed countries to drive faster infrastructure development.
"John [Chambers, Cisco chief executive] and I have met with presidents from every country. Fifteen years ago, we had to convince people there was a link between the internet and productivity growth - at that point it wasn't clear. It's not like that any more," he said.
"The internet is giving equality in education and healthcare in ways we've never seen before."
While he said he was "not smart enough" to comment on Australia's national broadband network and government policies, Mr Dominguez said the internet was changing economic status.
"If you don't have access to it, you are at a major disadvantage. In many ways, the delta between the have and the have-nots is bigger - because of what you can do when you have the internet."
He said governments could always play a role in stimulating the competitive environment to drive commercial deployment but in some cases it was necessary to do more.
"If I was in charge, I'd drive it, it's good for the country ... I'd be trying to drive as much infrastructure as possible, both on the wired side and the mobile side."
He said rapid developments in consumer technology, hardware and software meant demand for services was running ahead of what the infrastructure could deliver.
"Imagine having a Ferrari and having to drive on a dirt road - you really don't realise the potential."
He said the argument over the methods used for the rollout - fibre-to-the-premise versus fibre-to-the-node plus copper and/or wireless, satellite - was almost immaterial. "The secret here is trying to architect how to get the right outcome. For the infrastructure, what I would say [is] whatever it takes to make it happen should be a priority."
The deployment of Australia's NBN is at a crossroads, with the government-backed NBN Co pushing ahead with the rollout of a $37.4 billion network that promises fibre to 97 per cent of premises.
Should the opposition win the coming federal election, however, there might be a rethink using existing copper and other technologies.
Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi said while Cisco could clearly articulate a vision of the internet future, as an organisation it provided a few pieces of the puzzle, not all of them. He said: "The challenge for Cisco is to provide more than just the switches and routers and become a more integrated organisation to facilitate their vision."
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Cisco senior vice-president Carlos Dominguez told Cisco Live 2013 that the internet’s transformative potential for prosperity, education and health makes access critical, and governments can and should stimulate infrastructure deployment to ensure everyone benefits.
Dominguez said the internet is giving equality in education and healthcare in ways we’ve never seen before, and that lacking access places people at a major disadvantage by widening the gap between the 'haves' and 'have-nots.'
Yes — the article quotes Dominguez saying rapid advances in consumer hardware and software mean demand is running ahead of what infrastructure can deliver, likening it to owning a Ferrari but having to drive on a dirt road.
Dominguez described the debate over fibre-to-the-premise versus fibre-to-the-node, copper, wireless or satellite as almost immaterial, arguing the priority should be architecting the right outcome and doing whatever it takes to make infrastructure happen.
The article says Australia’s NBN deployment is at a crossroads: government-backed NBN Co is pushing a $37.4 billion network promising fibre to 97% of premises, but an opposition win in the federal election could prompt a rethink toward using existing copper and other technologies.
Dominguez argued governments can stimulate the competitive environment to drive commercial deployment and, when needed, take a more active role to accelerate infrastructure both on the wired and mobile sides for the country’s benefit.
Telsyte research director Foad Fadaghi said Cisco can clearly articulate a vision but currently provides only some pieces of the puzzle (like switches and routers); the challenge is to become a more integrated organisation that delivers end-to-end solutions.
Based on the article, everyday investors should monitor government broadband policies and funding (such as the NBN debate), the pace at which infrastructure is rolled out versus consumer demand, and whether technology firms like Cisco expand from component suppliers into more integrated service providers.
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