NBN Assessment Report
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Transcript of NBN Assessment Report
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
The National Broadband Network (NBN)
A Security Perspective
The National Broadband Network (NBN) of Australia is the single largest
network in terms of area of coverage and associated costs federally funded
for the sake growing a nation’s infrastructure in the Information and
Telecommunication sectors. The NBN plans to connect entire mainland
Australia to the Internet by providing 93%FTTH and remaining 7%
through next-gen wireless and satellite coverage. The NBN was initiated in
2009 at a projected federal expense estimated at A$ 43 Billion and was
expected to reach maturity by 2017.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
A Federally funded investment
In April 2009, the Australian Government announced the establishment of NBN Co
with an investment of A$ 43 Billion over a 8-year period to build and operate a
wholesale-only open access National Broadband Network. The NBN represents the
first ubiquitous broadband network of its type deployed in an OECD country (other
than limited Geos like Singapore). It is based on a principle of ubiquitous access to
high bandwidth. The aims of the NBN were:
1. Connect 93% of Australian homes, schools and businesses with broadband speeds of
up to 100 megabits per second (100 Mbps) on a fibre channel.
2. Connect all other premises within Australia with next-gen wireless coverage and
satellite coverage that will deliver 12 megabits per second (12 Mbps).
3. Restructure the infrastructure market from being vertically integrated into becoming
a horizontal competitor and provide opportunities to new entrants.
Ubiquitous access to basic services has been a long-standing policy principle but
ubiquitous access to the highest level of service will now be effectively guaranteed.
Its capacity will significantly exceed current demand and it is premised on a 30-year
business model.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
The NBN Co becomes the sole owner and wholesaler of bandwidth. This move is
likely to attract emerging players in the ISP domain by opening up the layer-3
connectivity. Retail service competitive advantages based on scale and network
ownership may become a thing of the past.
Layer 2 network access will be provided to retail service providers with uniform
pricing across fibre, fixed wifi and satellite access technologies throughout Australia.
To prevent other potential providers from undercutting NBN Co in metropolitan
areas, new fibre networks are required to be open access and charge similar prices;
these rules are known as the “anti-cherry picking” provisions that were passed into
law with other NBN legislation.
Once-in-a-gen
technology swap
The NBN is a once-in-a-
generation attempt to
swap out the legacy
(copper wires) network
with a fibre-to-the-home
(FTTH). While this is
expected to result in
higher cost per
subscriber, the long term
benefits and additional
market demands are
expected to outweigh the
immediate costs.
Telstra’s vertical
integration
The NBN is also an
attempt to eliminate
the apparent conflict of
interest for Telstra
which currently
operates both as a
wholesaler and a
retailer of bandwidth
and Internet services
within Australia. The
NBN is expected to
replace Telstra as a sole
wholesaler-only
operator and shift the
market to move into a
more horizontal
competition.
Disruptive brand
entrants
NBN’s restructure is
expected to provide
opportunities for new
entrants ‘infrastructure
light’ into the telecom
sector in the immediate
term. Disruptive brand
players such as
nationalised banks
(CBA, Westpac, NAB)
and retailers
(Woolworths, Coles)
could use the NBN to
enter the
communications
services market.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Technology & Access
Premises within the FTTH footprint are connected using Ethernet over a gigabit passive optical network (GPON) giving a peak speed of 1 Gbps.
One of the advantages of a GPON network is the distribution hub
requires no electronics - NBN Co. CEO Mike Quigley
The FTTP network architecture chosen
by NBN Co comprises a number of
replicating modules which is
combined to make up the FTTP
network. A fibre distribution area
includes up to 200 premises linked up
to a fibre distribution hub. A fibre
serving area module comprises 16
fibre distribution areas, which services
up to 3,200 premises.
Communication and networking
technology has been growing steadily
in the recent years. World over,
Telecom Service Providers are
strengthening their networks to cope
with the change. Economies of scale
seem to be the natural incentive. As a
consequence, the capacity or
bandwidth available per service per
user is also increasing.
A fibre-optic cable, known as the "drop fibre", goes from the
premises to the street ending at the top of a power pole or in an
underground pit. The "drop fibre" cable joins a "local network"
which links a number of premises to a splitter in the fibre
distribution hub. A "distribution fibre" cable connects the splitter
in the distribution hub to a fibre access node, which is linked up to a
Point of Interconnect (PoI).
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Network Resilience & Flexibility
Devices that deliver such services are
becoming more and more powerful,
further fuelling the growth in capacity
or bandwidth availability. Obviously,
user expectations are also on the rise.
With the result, world over “carriers”
are morphing themselves
appropriately, to be able to carry time-
sensitive high volume data.
As reaction times for failures are
reaching milliseconds in time-sensitive
high volume data services, network
resilience is becoming the key to
design. The two key handles available
to ensure resilience are topology and
recovery technology. The topology for
resilience is a natural ring formed
during the laying of fibre itself. While
topology is terrain dependent, the
recovery technologies increasingly
being realized in hardware, firmware,
and software are providing the much-
needed flexibility.
Comparing Speed Vs. Distance
Source: NBN Co. Corporate Plan, Published Dec 2010
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Fixed Wireless & Satellite Coverage
NBN Co plans to deploy a 4G Long
Term Evolution fixed wireless network
covering approximately 4 per cent of
the population outside the fibre
footprint. The premises in the fixed
wireless footprint will be hooked up to
an antenna allowing a connection to a
wireless base station; the base station
links to a PoI via a backhaul. The 2.3
GHz and 3.4 GHz spectrums will be
used to deliver these fixed wireless
services. Unlike the mobile networks,
only premises can connect to the
NBN's fixed wireless network. Users at
the edge of the coverage for each base
station will receive a peak speed of 12
megabits per second, the speed
increases “considerably” moving
closer to the base station.
NBN Co is expected to launch two Ka band satellites by 2015, each offering 80
gigabits per second of bandwidth, compared to four to six gigabits per second
capacity available from current satellites servicing Australia. The satellites will be
used to bounce signals from a satellite dish on the premises to an earth station,
known as a "gateway"; the gateway is then connected to a PoI via a fibre backhaul.
Source: Wikipedia – About the National Broadband Network, Australia
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Transforming the IT service industry
By taking the cuffs off on the bandwidth limitations, the NBN will allow much more
bandwidth hungry applications to be hosted and stored on clouds. Besides, location
and market access that have long since been controlled by the big players, may no
longer dictate success factor in the federally-controlled NBN network. This move is
likely to attract many new players into this arena in the coming years. This has the
potential to alter
the way in
which IT
services are
delivered and
consumed in the
years to come.
The
telecommunic
ations and
media marketplaces will change out of recognition following the
deployment of the NBN. However, the winners and losers will depend
on the strategies adopted by the individual players and the evolving
regulatory landscape for the next five years. - Allen & Overy
The additional capacity that NBN brings to the table is likely to call for a revamp of
the existing service delivery mechanisms and better integrate them for providing
consolidated online service packages. Such services can include free-to-air television,
satellite television, voice and data calls, teleconferencing, telebanking, lessons on-
demand, social networking on-demand and many more. Furthermore, delivering
such services over a variety of media such as mobile and fixed devices is likely to
become the norm.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Providing high-quality content
On 12 August 2011, NBN Co
announced details of a multicast
facility to enable delivery of quality
video and interactive services by any
NBN retail service provider to any
fibre-connected consumer. This add-on
feature will give retail service
providers the opportunity to introduce
triple-play voice, broadband and video
content to their fibre-based customers.
It will have the capacity to provide
content such as non-English speaking
channels, high-definition television,
3D television, and interactive services.
While the multicast feature will
initially be available only on the fibre
access network, NBN Co may offer
multicast over the wireless and
satellite access networks in the future.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Source: NBN Corporate Plan 2013-2016, NBN-FI-CFO-019, June 2013
Fibre Access Nodes & Aggregation sites
The majority of NBN Co’s FAN sites
(NBN Co plans for approximately 940
FAN sites) and 121 PoIs are to be located
inside existing Telstra exchange buildings.
These buildings provide the necessary
physical environment (such as temperature
control, security and access to
uninterrupted power) for complex active
equipment and are also the termination
points for Telstra’s Duct and Dark Fibre
Networks which are being extensively used
by NBN Co.
On handover, NBN Co carries out any
additional site make ready works (such as
installing additional power or cooling if
required) and installs the basic Common
Network Infrastructure (CNI) such as rack
shelving, Optical Distribution Frames
(ODFs), Fibre Termination Panels (FTPs)
and patch cables.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
NBN Delivery & Partners
Ten of the 121 PoIs are being constructed
for NBN Co by Emerson. These facilities
will also contain equipment designed to
house NBN Co facilities and to act as
central depots for essential network
spares. NBN Co will have two such
facilities in each of the major capital cities.
NBN Co has engaged Nokia Siemens
Networks (NSN) to provide a turn-key
solution for its rollout, of the DWDM
Network which is designed and installed
on a ring-by-ring basis.
adapted from NBN Corporate Plan 2013-2016, NBN-FI-CFO-019, June 2013 * Kindly note that the figures noted in this table may include forecasts and are subject to change from when they were reported\
The Dark Fibre phenomenon. A significant proportion of the fibre for the Transit
Network is ‘Dark Fibre’ being provided by Telstra. Dark Fibre consists of a pair of fibres in
an existing Telstra fibre optic cable, which is reserved exclusively for NBN’s use. NBN’s
FANs and PoIs are predominantly located in Telstra exchanges, and Telstra has high
capacity fibre links between these sites as part of its own core network. In addition to using
Dark Fibre Links provided by Telstra, NBN Co has entered into agreements that will give it
access to fibre built as part of RBBP.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Post-NBN Landscape
Higher speed broadband will
provide a discernible improvement
in the user’s experience, not only by
reducing the time required to
download large files, but also to
enable participation in high quality
real-time audio visual
communications.
adapted from Towards Universal Broadband Access in Australia, ITU Report, July 2012
While the NBN Co. promises to deliver high-speed broadband throughout
Mainland Australia, it remains up to the retailers such as Telstra, Optus,
BigPond, iiNet and others to package their Internet services in a manner that
is readily consumable.
From
a pred
omin
antly
static interactiv
e phase, N
BN
is likely to lau
nch
Au
stralia into an
era of hig
hly in
teractive onlin
e virtual en
viron
men
t. This level of in
teraction, n
ot witn
essed so
far can h
ave far-reaching
imp
acts on the en
tertainm
ent an
d edu
cation sectors.
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Given the propensity for IT services to become integrated in the post-NBN era, cloud
based storage and service hosting as well as customised service delivery are likely to
take the driver’s seat. In such a scenario, access to data and their control are the
primary concern. New technologies in access control and privacy and trust management
are likely to be born.
Today, many of these concerns remain with the individual; however, as critical
infrastructure systems get integrated with the NBN, the access and control to and
from the NBN is likely to gain a new meaning. When operating at 10x and 100x speeds,
the name servers and the gateway routers may increasingly become absorbed into the critical
infrastructure framework. Besides, reliability and availability of services over the NBN
may gain critical
importance.
Individuals and
businesses can no
longer afford to be
disconnected from the
network in a post-
NBN world.
While the NBN promises
to deliver very high-speed
raw bandwidth, its true
potential can only be unlocked by tapping into the applications and their delivery
mechanisms. This is likely to give rise to several new entrants in the app-space and
possibly in the cloud-based market. However, guaranteeing the fundamental
principles of confidentiality, integrity and access-control are going to hold the key.
New age electronics and embedded sec-mecs1 are potential light bearers in such an
arena.
1 Stands for security mechanisms
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Post NBN Era: The Cybersecurity Angle
Major players like Telstra, BigPond and Optus are looked up on for leadership in providing
security solutions in the end-user space; more to the point, these players are likely to continue
their dominance over bandwidth retail space and providing usable Internet solutions
including cloud environs and ISP services.
The dramatic breakthrough in speeds
is likely to call for novel approaches in
securing IT enabled services to be
delivered and secured. Traditional
technologies involving packet
inspection can require a rethink when
time-critical applications enter the
fray.
When major organizations and critical
infrastructures are targeted, the
damages are likely to be catastrophic.
Interestingly, while SLAs are in place
to drive the NBN implementation, it
remains unclear how the service
providers such as Telstra, Optus,
BigPond and iiNet are going to operate
the sudden spurt of IPs that are likely
to spring up. Moreover, significant
challenges in protecting the
infrastructure may need to be met to
support the projected end-user
bandwidth.
In an increasingly growing and connected world, anything and
everything is fair game!
As much as the NBN is likely to interconnect systems far-and-wide across Australia,
it exposes the service providers like Telstra and Optus who are likely to bear the
brunt of potential threats and cyberattacks. While technologies such as IDS and IPS
exist, handling packets at the rate of several Gbps within the core network can
require a drastic rethink in strategy leading to valuable innovations. As envisaged,
embedded hardware designs may be trusted with the task of handling the speeds.
Today, this remains is anyone’s game!
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
Challenges for Tomorrow
The rate of uptake is directly proportional to the level of maturity that the NBN
experiences. Besides, as the level of exposure increases, systems may need to be
able to evaluate their risks against exposure. We conclude our report by outlining
four grand challenges in the post-NBN era.
Trustworthiness. This is likely to
motivate new R & D for assessing the
trustworthiness of systems requesting
connections to the NBN. The connection
requests coming from open networks and
systems are likely to come under scrutiny.
Providing service level guarantees may
provide short term gains – however, new
technologies may be called for assess the
trustworthiness in the long run.
Enterprise Security metrics. A
corollary to the trustworthiness
challenge is the ability for a NBN-
connected system to measure its security on
an ongoing basis. Enterprise security
metrics can take a new meaning.
Human speed will not cut it anymore. Threats are too fast and too
vast - FBI Director James Comey
Reliability, Availability &
Robustness. Once connected to the
NBN, systems cannot afford to go offline.
Mechanisms in provable security for
guaranteeing five-9 SLAs can give birth to
new technologies that can integrate with
the NBN architecture in a scalable
manner.
Resilience & Regeneration. As more
advanced system are being developed
with increasingly large amount of
intelligence built-in, an NBN-connected
can be expected to be resilient to external
and internal cyber-attacks and regenerate
for full-functionality. Systems with such
capability may become preferred over
existing systems which can lead to a
more dynamic NBN.
With
the projected u
sage m
odels that are likely
to influ
ence ou
r futu
res, this m
ay be an
exciting
opp
ortun
ity to d
evelop in
nov
ative w
ays to light u
p th
e dark fibres as N
BN
begins to realise its
true p
otential
Secure Cyber Space http://www.securecyberspace.org
References
1. NBN Corporate Plan 2013-2016, NBN-FI-CFO-019, June 2013
2. NBN Corporate Plan 2010-2013, Dec 2010
3. Colin Oliver, Toward Universal Broadband Access, ITU Report, July 2012
4. Colin Oliver, Toward Universal Broadband Access, ITU Report, Nov 2009
5. Amy Lind, The New Broadband Buildout, IBM Whitepaper, Dec 2009
6. Rohan Pierce, NBN 2.0: What future for Australia’s NBN?, ComputerWorld
Magazine, Nov 2013
7. David Anthony, The National Broadband Network and South Eastern NSW,
Discussion Paper, Sept 2011
8. Matt Yardley, Developing successful PPP to foster investment in universal
broadband networks, ITU Report, Sept 2012
9. The National Broadband Network: Opportunities, Govt. of Victoria, Melbourne,
VIC, 2009
10. The Impact of the National Broadband Network on the Communications Sector: A
forensic view, Allen & Overy Venture Consulting, Feb 2011
11. NBN: An implementation study, NBN Co report, July 2013