Australia: nbn roll-out reaches halfway
July 10, 2017
By Colin Mann
One in two Australians can now connect to the nbn network as the roll-out of the nation’s largest ever infrastructure project officially passed the halfway point.
More than 5.7 million homes and businesses are now able to order a service from their retailer as nbn continues to ramp-up the roll-out of the network by adding up to 100,000 new properties to its footprint each week.
The company has also highlighted its plans to begin further construction work across suburbs within the capital cities as well as outer metro regions such as Gold Coast, Gladstone, Bendigo, Port Macquarie and Geelong.
“I’m proud to announce that one in two Australians are now able to enjoy the benefits of fast broadband by connecting to the nbn network through a retailer,” declared nbn’s Chief Executive Officer, Bill Morrow. “Nationwide access to fast broadband will become the platform to launch Australia into the next phase of its digital future – it will change what our jobs will look like, where we will live and how we fare on a global scale.”
“We are seeing great demand for fast broadband across the country – there are currently around three in four homes and businesses who have signed-up to services over the nbn network following the 18-month window they are provided to make the switch. Our team will continue to ramp-up the rollout of the network to help meet this demand in the coming months as we start further construction work across the capital cities and outer metro areas.”
“The rollout of the nbn network is one of the most complex and ambitious initiatives to be undertaken in any market across the world. We’re building a nationwide network that has the ability to deliver wholesale speeds which are currently around eight times faster than the average capacity available on the majority of Australia’s existing broadband services. Our team is on budget and ahead of schedule to connect millions of Australian homes and businesses in the next few years and ask for your patience as we make the transition from the old to the new network.”
“To ensure Australians get the best possible Internet experience, it’s important they understand the role of nbn as the access network connecting their homes and businesses to services provided by retailers. Speeds experienced over the nbn network are influenced by a range of factors such as the technology used to deliver the network as well as equipment quality, broadband plans, signal reception and the age of the smart devices being used to connect to the Internet.”
The roll-out of the nbn network is scheduled to be three quarters built by mid-2018 and complete by 2020.