• Paul Budde
• Australian Telecommunications Users Group

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07 November 2008The main reason for the present debate around the concept of open telecommunications networks is that the current
?closed? networks are perceived to be the natural state of affairs. It is time we broke away from this mindset, which
stems mainly from the technological limitations that existed in the past.

Open networks are the next step in the evolution of telecoms infrastructure as it gives users full control of the services
and applications that can be made available over high-speed broadband infrastructure. Open networks also means a
democratisation of the telecoms infrastructure. Most of the current limitations (bundled products and services, portals,
high access charges) are artificial because of the vertically-integrated nature of the closed network operators; they
prefer to control absolutely everything related to their networks ? even end-user devices were, until recently, under
their total control. Open networks will give the control back to the users.

Compare telecoms to electricity infrastructure, the utilities don?t have any say about what devices users connect to, or
what services they use. Why couldn?t this also be the natural order of telecommunications infrastructure?