NBN Co will release its revised corporate plan next week, following widespread media reports it would be released this week.
NBN Co confirmed with Computerworld Australia that the revised corporate plan will be released next week and “will contain some new statistics” on take-up rates to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The Australian reported on Wednesday that around 235,000 were expected to be passed by June 2013, which is below the 950,000 target NBN Co announced in its December 2010 corporate plan.
Paul Budde, telecommunication analyst at BuddeComm, told Computerworld Australia the revised corporate plan is also expected to firm up rollout data, which he said should be in line with previous information, with a new starting date from 2012.
“So data will be firm from now on with the Telstra and Optus contracts in place,” he said. “[There will also be a] firming up of the costing and [it] should stay in line with earlier data and reports. In other words, not a blow out as had been predicted by some.”
NBN Co told Computerworld Australia take-up figures were “promising” around Australia.
“For example, in the Kiama first release site, take-up is 38 per cent. In Willunga, it is 35 per cent. These figures show strong demand for the NBN, especially given that the NBN has only been live in these areas for a year and many Australians will still be on existing broadband contracts,” NBN Co said.
Kiama was switched onto the NBN in July 2011, with the Kiama Downs/Minnamurra region on the south coast of NSW covering around 2350 premises.
During the region’s trial period, 80 per cent of properties consented to the connection of a line during construction to make them NBN ready.
Willunga, 47kms south of Adelaide, switched onto the NBN in September last year and covers 940 premises. Around 91 per cent of premises consented to connection lines to make them NBN ready.
Beyond the trials, which concluded in September 2011, premises had to connect to the NBN via retail service providers.
While NBN Co stated in its initial corporate plan for 2011 to 2013 that "it is anticipated that the plan will be updated at least once a year," the plan has not been updated since its December 2010 release.
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