NBN Co pilot to boost broadband speeds for the bush

Fixed wireless wholesale download and upload speeds to increase

Monday, 20 April 2015: A nationwide pilot aims to significantly boost broadband speeds available to families and businesses in rural and regional Australia.

Starting next month, fixed wireless consumers on the current highest speed tier, will be able to experience increased wholesale download speeds between 25-50Mbps – up to double the current top wholesale offering.*

The pilot is also designed to enable faster wholesale upload speeds between 5-20Mbps.

Tony Cross, NBN Co’s Chief Architect said:

“The fixed wireless network already offers people living and working in the bush access to broadband speeds that those in cities take for granted.

“However the speed pilot is designed to allow rural and regional families and businesses to access speeds up to twice as fast as ADSL2+ users can experience in capital cities.

“It opens up the exciting prospect of even greater participation in the digital economy by families and businesses in rural and regional Australia.”

By the end of the NBN rollout, more than 600,000 premises are earmarked to receive fast broadband via the fixed wireless network, with almost 200,000 homes and businesses already complete.

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* We’re designing the NBN to provide these speeds to our wholesale customers, telephone and internet service providers. End user experience including the speeds actually achieved over the NBN depends on the technology over which services are delivered to the premises and some factors outside our control like the end user’s equipment quality, software, broadband plans and how the end user’s service provider designs its network.

Notes to editors:

• The pilot is expected to conclude 20 business days after the commercial launch of the 25-50Mbps /5-20Mbps wholesale speed tier product, unless otherwise determined by NBN Co.
• Commercial launch of the speed tier product is scheduled for Q4 2015 according to the NBN Co’s latest Integrated Product Roadmap.
• Participation in the pilot is not automatic and is at the discretion of individual service providers.
• The exact number of premises as well as the exact areas covered by the pilot may vary once NBN Co has finalised its planning.
• The speeds referred to are wholesale peak speeds to the NBN Co network boundary point and therefore the ranged speed is not a maximum / minimum limit.