NBN fibre sites. <i>Image credit: NBN Co.</i>
NBN Co has announced a 12-month construction plan, with work underway between now and September 2012 to cover more than half a million homes and businesses across the country upon completion.
The plan lists 28 new locations to be a part of the National Broadband Network, with construction expected to begin in the next 12 months and 485,100 premises to be connected to the service.
The new sites include:
New South Wales: Blacktown, Dapto, Gosford, Lidcombe, Long Jetty, Penrith, Richmond, Sawtell, Strathfield (Homebush), Wollongong.
Northern Territory: Darwin.
Queensland: Nudgee.
South Australia: Aldinga Beach, Port Augusta, Port Elliot, Stirling, Strathalbyn, Yankalilla.
Tasmania: Launceston, Somerset.
Victoria: Ballarat Central, Melbourne City, Melton, Tullamarine.
Western Australia: Applecross, Meadow Springs, Pinjarra, South Perth.
The plan also lists the 63,500 sites where the rollout has already begun, including Second Release sites and extensions to First Release sites, and the 18,200 premises already connected to the NBN. There are currently approximately 2500 active services on the network, including satellite and greenfields.
The 12-month schedule will be updated on a quarterly basis to include additional locations and is subject to change.
“Today’s announcement represents the start of a major nationwide construction effort that should eventually see us offer National Broadband Network coverage to every one of Australia’s 13 million premises,” NBN Co chief executive, Mike Quigley, said in a statement.
The next phase of construction will involve the rollout of a transit network, expected to be finished in the next three years, to assist the rollout of fibre, fixed wireless and satellite services.
NBN Co will be providing information to telcos and ISPs to help them plan investment programs and marketing services to consumers and businesses in each area on the list.
It is has started building fibre infrastructure in more than 90 new developments across 65 locations nationally and comprises almost 5000 premises.
For the next 12 months alone, NBN Co has approved applications with developers to build fibre in approximately 500 separate towns and suburbs nationally comprising over 67,000 premises.
NBN Co plans to deploy fibre-based broadband to 93 per cent of premises by 2021, with the remaining seven per cent to receive fixed-wireless and satellite services by 2015.
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