Skip to the article content

NBN Co and Telstra expand construction of Fibre to the Node

26 June 2014

NBN Co and Telstra have agreed to pilot the planning, design and construction of 1000 nodes across Queensland and New South Wales. The announcement comes ahead of the anticipated large scale integration of Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) technology into the National Broadband Network (NBN).

FTTN marries fibre optic cables with Telstra’s copper lines in a streetside node cabinet to deliver fast broadband to homes and businesses.

The areas covered by the pilot are parts of:

QLD

Bribie Island,  Warner and Caboolture in the Moreton Bay region; and
Bundaberg and Gympie in the Wide Bay-Burnett region

NSW

Belmont, Boolaroo, Morisset and Hamilton in the Hunter Region; and
Gorokan on the Central Coast.

 

NBN Co will also expand its FTTN build pilot activity in Woy Woy on the NSW Central Coast.

NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow said:

“This is a progressive step in the evolution of the NBN. It shows we are determined to get on with the job of delivering fast and reliable broadband to Australians while wider negotiations with Telstra continue.

“The extensive pilot program we’re announcing today will deliver valuable insights into how to build a sustainable and consistent program of work that allows the industry to ramp up and deploy the FTTN element of the NBN at scale.”

Mr. Morrow said the agreement between the two companies is intended to leverage Telstra’s expert design knowledge of its copper network combined with NBN Co’s own skills and resources as well as those of the Australian construction industry.

The cost of the trial activities will be funded from within NBN Co’s peak funding envelope approved by the Federal Government.

Talks between the two companies regarding the renegotiation of the Definitive Agreements, including access to Telstra’s copper to support FTTN-based services, are ongoing and progressing well.

NBN Co is also working with the telecommunications industry to develop an FTTN product set.

Today’s agreement represents the second phase of FTTN build activity. The first phase involved the construction of small scale FTTN sites in Umina in the Central Coast in NSW and Epping in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. NBN Co plans to expand its FTTN build pilot activity in Umina.

Media enquiries

Andrew Sholl

NBN Co Media Hotline

Email: andrewsholl@nbnco.co.au

Email: media@nbnco.com.au

Mobile: 0448 805 806

Phone: 02 9927 4200

 

Notes to editors

  • NBN Co is committed to fulfilling the Federal Government’s policy goal of ensuring all Australians have access to fast broadband as soon and as cost-effectively as possible, as set out in the Statement of Expectations to the company.
  • A Strategic Review carried out by NBN Co and completed in December 2013 recommended that the NBN could be rolled out faster and at a lower cost by combining proven technologies with existing capable networks.
 

Downloads

NBN Co and Telstra expand construction of Fibre to the Node

Media Release Template
Download (PDF - 140 KB)