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Nextgen plugs South Australian backhaul blackspot

Nextgen plugs South Australian backhaul blackspot

$12.6 million Victor Harbor link completed on schedule, South West Gippsland next in line

Fibre backhaul provider, Nextgen Networks, has completed the second link in as many weeks of the Federal Government’s $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP), with the 129 kilometre link in South Australia going live.

The $12.6 million link is expected to provide additional capacity for higher speed broadband services to approximately 27,000 residents at seven sites in regional South Australia, including Willunga, which has been earmarked as one of the first sites under the National Broadband Network.

“It means faster and cheaper broadband for families and small businesses throughout this part of regional South Australia,” communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, said in a statement.

“Faster speeds and cheaper prices are exactly what have been delivered on the Perth to Geraldton link and I expect the same for the Victor Harbour link.”

It follows the launch of a 426km link between Geraldton and Perth last week, providing additional backhaul to the Western Australian town and sparking new ADSL services from iiNet subsidiary, Westnet.

Additional links to Darwin, Broken Hill and South West Gippsland remain underway, with the latter expected to be complete by April despite delays due to extensive rains in December.

Minor delays hit beginning of construction for the $125 million Darwin link in August last year, while one of the backhaul provider’s operational links in Queensland was severed during disastrous floods in January.

Senator Conroy said all projects had so far been on time and budget.

Follow James Hutchinson on Twitter: @j_hutch

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Tags Nextgen NetworksRegional Broadband Blackspots Programme (RBBP)

More about BackboneFederal GovernmentIinetNextgen Networks

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