NBN Co releases 12-month national rollout plan

Construction work begins in cities, towns and suburbs to cover half a million premises
Work has begun on the rollout of the National Broadband Network in areas that are expected to cover more than half a million homes and businesses across Australia when complete.
NBN Co today released its inaugural 12-month construction outlook. The schedule lists the communities in each state and territory where work will begin between now and September 2012, as well as where work on the rollout of the network is currently underway.

The plan names 28 new locations as part of the national rollout passing 485,000 premises where construction of the fibre optic network is expected to commence over the following 12 months. It also lists those sites where the rollout is already underway, accounting for a further 63,500 premises, including Second Release Sites, such as Geraldton in WA, and extensions to First Release Sites such as Townsville in Queensland.
The 12-month schedule will be updated on a quarterly basis to include additional locations. Early next year the company will also issue a three-year indicative view of the rollout, to be updated annually until anticipated completion of the rollout in ten years time.
On average it is expected to take 12 months from the start of the fibre network rollout in a given area until individuals are able to receive high-speed broadband over the NBN.
Once the network is built and ready for service, householders and business owners can purchase broadband and telephony packages from one or more of the 28 retail telecommunications providers that have signed up to offer services over the network. Twelve of these companies have already completed the necessary accreditation and on-boarding process in preparation for service delivery.

NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley said:
"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.
"We'll be publishing regular updates about where precisely the NBN is being rolled out and when it will reach each area. Public education activity, to launch next year, will also explain what the rollout will mean for every Australian, how to connect to the network and why it is important that the nation upgrades its telecommunications infrastructure."

The next phase of construction will also involve the rollout of the first stage of the transit network which will connect the different fibre access nodes to points where the traffic will be transferred to service providers. In this first stage NBN Co is planning to construct 149 transit links connecting 155 fibre access nodes, of which 30 are also points of interconnect. The company is nearing completion of a contract to build transit services over the next 12 months. To be completed over the next three years, the transit network is an important part of providing a National Broadband Network and will assist the roll-out of fibre, fixed wireless and satellite services.
In addition to the basic rollout information, NBN Co is today providing additional data to telecommunications companies and internet service providers in order to help them plan their investment programs and their marketing of services to consumers and businesses in each area.

This additional information includes rollout and activation data regarding new housing developments. NBN Co is already building fibre infrastructure in over 90 new developments spread across 65 locations nationally and comprising almost 5,000 premises. There are currently live developments in New South Wales where NBN Co has provided wholesale broadband services for several Retail Service Providers on an open access basis. 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 is currently progressing negotiations with a construction contractor to rollout the fibre network in South Australia and the Northern Territory.
 
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