Where to now for long term investors of Telstra, page-795

I’m not saying home network wiring is prohibitively expensive optimistus - just that for the majority of users it is much cheaper, easier, and more flexible and easily upgradeable have a WiFi modem, and using that example to draw the comparison to fixed cable vs 5G.

Just like some people will need hardwiring for their home network if say they want to simultaneously serve video to multiple users at once and run high-bandwidth applications (eg home business using very large databases on a server), there will be applications where a fibre connection will be better - eg the apartment building in the Centre of a city where population density is high and buildings create coverage shadows, or the data Centre which needs constant massive bandwidth, the business that has it’s own large network run from one connection etc. for the majority of users that don’t really use a lot of data (less than say 10,000 GB per month) - which is over 99% of households, then 5G would very well serve them with a lower total installation and operational cost per user than cabling.

The other advantages of 5G of course are that there will inevitably be plans to share data with the phone users in the house and when you go on holiday within Australia you take your modem with you and enjoy your home internet wherever you are. The other big advantage is for people renting or moving - no more 2-4 weeks waiting for your new connection and no more $150 connection fees. You either take your existing plan with you or pop down to the Telstra/Optus store and have your 5G modem internet up and running within an hour.

I lost internet for 2 weeks on NBN when some idiot technician put a new connection on my line, then for 5 days after recent storms when the pits flooded. With 5G even if the local tower went down your modem then connects to the next closest tower with no downtime at all. I worst comes to worst and Telstra has outages like last year, the you just pop in an Optus Sim (or sign up online and install a downloaded eSim) and you’re back online in minutes.

Trying to sell a new NBN connection when 5G is just so much easier to connect, more flexible, and has no two week wait to get online will get really tough!