Whether or not it's destined to be a technological white elephant, the NBN is coming. Look at the plans on the NBN website and see if your address is scheduled for the NBN treatment in the next three years.
If you are in a scheduled area then it's time to think ahead about your telecommunications needs.
Most ISPs and carriers assume that you'll sign into two-year or longer contracts. In recent discussions I've had while negotiating telephony with the major carriers, there were some significant incentives to sign on the dotted line for long periods.
Our advice - tread carefully.
The NBN will bring a proliferation of companies selling services across the new network. That means increased competition and creativity and resellers will come up with innovative ways to bring together voice and data services.
With increased speed and traffic capacity, the NBN will become an enabler of multi-point video-conferencing, remote presentations and ways of connecting businesses with customers in far-flung locations. But if you're locked into a long-term contract with your current service providers those opportunities mightn't be available to you.
For the next three or four years, as the dust settles on the NBN, try to avoid locking yourself into any single service provider or contract. You never know what might be around the corner.
