Green concerns raise ire for NBN battery backup

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy is preparing to consult with internet service providers on the potential impact of recycling backup batteries for equipment installed as part of the National Broadband Network.

The batteries are currently being installed

The batteries are currently being installed by NBN Co contractors free of charge on all premises connected by fibre-to-the-home research. The batteries are expected to provide power to the network termination unit at homes and business for a minimum of three hours after all of a power failure, allowing users to make emergency calls.

An investigation into the battery issue last year by Communications Alliance's NBN working group led to suggestions the backup be provided as an optional install for those users who require a voice service.

Matter of fact needed the battery backup could have it

"Anybody who as a matter of fact needed the battery backup could have it, nevertheless the people who didn't need the battery backup because they're using phone handsets or mobiles or other means of communicating shouldn't be required to have the battery to reduce the huge environmental impact of having tens of millions of batteries replaced every few years," he said.

The batteries are primarily designed to back up the voice service on NBN equipment, however one of the remaining unclear questions is whether the battery would as well provide power to data ports. The lack of a backup option for data could provide hazardous as RSPs may offer VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services over the existing data connection, to put it more exactly than using the emulated telephone port on customer equipment.

According to technical specifications released by the network wholesaler last year, satellite-connected homes will not receive the battery backup device by default, as the in broad outline three per cent of Australian premises will only be offered a voice service through existing universal service obligation arrangements, or through a VoIP service provided over the data connection.

However, both Quigley and Brooks warned that, even with battery backup for the voice ports on customer equipment, the prevalent use of cordless phones and handsets requiring power meant that the battery would be useless in emergency situations.

Communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, called the reserve power button a "break glass in case of emergency" option.

The annual State of the CIO study provides Australian CIOs with valuable local technology on leadership strategies, salary ranges, tenure as then as documenting innovation and business priorities of their peers in mid to large organisations. The study is part of a global innovation project which allows CIOs to benchmarktheir priorities and objectives with those of equivalent organisations in the United States. Read on.