Is that a bird’s nest or base station? Why not both • The Register

Australia’s National Broadband Network has started building bird’s nests.

No, really. The continent-girdling wholesale network this week revealed that birds have nested in over 500 of the 2,400-odd towers it erected to carry kit needed for its fixed wireless service.

This is Australia we’re talking about, so the birds are big, mean, and persistent.

Consider, for example, the white-bellied Sea Eagle, which can boast a wingspan of two meters, weigh in at 3.7 kilograms, and can catch sea snakes.

“They harass smaller birds, forcing them to drop any food that they are carrying,” warns the Australian Museum, adding that they “build a large stick nest, which is used for many seasons in succession.”

The National Broadband Network (nbn) reckons they inhabit the same nest for up to 50 years.

Good luck maintaining this tower – Click to enlarge

Australia is also home to the Peregrine Falcon, apparently the world’s fastest bird when it hits top speed of around 180 km/h. nbn is also worried by Crows and Ospreys, which can spend weeks in their nests incubating eggs.

The pesky avians therefore make it hard for nbn techs to access equipment. The Register is aware of some birds that defend their nests vigorously, which wouldn’t be much fun when trying to tweak an antenna while working at the top of nbn’s towers which range from 30 to 90 meters in height. The nests can also reach weights of 60 to 100 kilograms.

nbn’s solution is building dedicated platforms to house nests on its fixed wireless towers.

The org used cranes to remove existing nests. It’s since built and installed seven nesting platforms, with another eight on the way. Nests are replaced once the platform is in place.

A dedicated nesting platform on an nbn Australia telecoms tower – Click to enlarge

Some of nbn’s fixed wireless services use 5G, a standard readers may remember was the subject of utterly ridiculous conspiracy theories at the time the coronavirus put the world in a spin. The Register’s down under office is aware of exactly zero reports of local birds becoming fearsome mutants after nesting on nbn towers. If that changes we’ll be the first to let you know – from our new home. ®