What is in the Perth Telstra Building?

[Professor Redfern]

You know the one, it has a skateboard ramp on top. What is it for? Is it full of massive amounts of equipment? The reason I ask is it has no windows so I always assumed it was designed to house exchanges or something rather than people. Was this ever the case and is it still the case?

Does it have heaps of offices full of pasty white glum telstra workers? Is it where they house all their Indian operators?

[BusaSteve]

You know those old radio valves that glowed?...a giant one of those.

[Sprint]

Flux Capacitor.

S.

[Roger Explosion]

Its just a giant exchange. The lack of windows is something to do with uber weather/fire protection.

[Blazon]

Flux Capacitor

^not far off

Hamsters and wheels and all kinds of tech are in that building for interconnecting voice, data and interwebs.
The temperature must be kept very cool too the prevent the equipment from overheating and fire protection. Hence, no windows...well they are some on the southern side but are very small.

Toured the building in the late 90s. There were a couple of floors with staff...Directory assistance and 1100(faults). With all the changes, automation and restructures since then, those functions would have been moved to Sydney/Melbourne/India. So probably only a small team of technicians remain.

Its now co-tenanted by these guys.

team

[Wedge]

NSA listening post.

[Dr. Venkman]

Its just a giant exchange. The lack of windows is something to do with uber weather/fire protection.

I used to work there for Telstra faults dept, you're right, it is mostly exchange equipment, only a few floors are inhabited by humans and it's the main exchange for WA - want to cut WA off? Knock that building over.

When I first started there, they gave us a tour of the place, it was designed with as few windows as possible to reduce atmospheric EM interference or keep out the EMP from the detonation of a nuclear device.

[peter600]

aaww

conspiracy theories about the CIA are way more interesting....................

[devolved]

to reduce atmospheric EM interference or keep out the EMP from the detonation of a nuclear device.

The fact that its possibly right underneath the actual explosion?

I'm curious about its construction - Is it 'blast resistant', why build it in the middle of the city if your concerned about nuclear war during construction - why not build it in Northam or somewhere a little further from 'ground zero'?

[Wedge]

aaww

conspiracy theories about the CIA are way more interesting....................

It's not conspiracy theories if they are true..

[shan]

What is in the Perth Telstra Building

I know your frustration with TELSTRA, we all have been there.
Seriously, what your planning , it aint worth it .

[Professor Redfern]

Cheers all. Is the size of it redundant nowdays, have things gotten heaps smaller so the building doesnt need to be as big or is there now just heaps more stuff and so its as full as ever?

[Dr. Venkman]

The fact that its possibly right underneath the actual explosion?

I'm curious about its construction - Is it 'blast resistant', why build it in the middle of the city if your concerned about nuclear war during construction - why not build it in Northam or somewhere a little further from 'ground zero'?

From memory it was built in the late 70's, the building is resistant at best, no building will withstand a nuke at close range, building it in Northam or elsewhere will be about as useful as a broken light bulb, detonate a nuke in the upper atmosphere, the EMP will fry anything electronic, it will do just as much damage to your enemy

[rod]

And racks full of equipment aren't too worried about a view.... even less reason to have windows on an exchange!

[chief wiggum]

Cheers all. Is the size of it redundant nowdays, have things gotten heaps smaller so the building doesnt need to be as big or is there now just heaps more stuff and so its as full as ever?

equipment constantly gets smaller, but you need so much more of it to keep up with population/business growth. and more power supply/batteries, more air cons, etc. plus there's the other carriers who want to get in the act blah blah blah. in short, the place is still packed, or at least it was 5 years ago