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Ovum report: nbn is world leader in regional broadband investment

18 May 2017

The information in this media release was accurate at the date of publication. It may no longer be current and you should not rely on this information.

500,000 regional Australian premises can now order an nbn™ Fixed Wireless service

nbn’s world leading Fixed Wireless network has passed a key milestone with the service now available to 500,000 premises in regional and rural Australia. The milestone coincides with new research from UK analyst firm Ovum which reveals that nbn is investing twice as much on regional broadband than our nearest international rival.

The nbn™ Fixed Wireless service was launched in 2011 and will provide access to nbn services to more than 600,000 regional and rural premises by 2020, with the network already delivering active services to more than 175,000 end-users across the country.

In its new nbn commissioned research report Ovum notes that nbn’s investment of nearly $7,000 per household on regional and rural broadband in Australia easily outstrips any other global market with the US its nearest rival investing around $3,200 per premise on its Connect America Fund aimed at rural areas.

The report notes that other major international markets including the UK, Canada, France and Ireland are all spending less than A$1,000 per household on regional broadband rollout.

“With a minimum available wholesale speed of 25Mbps for all end-users, irrespective of their location or technology platform, Australia has set the bar far higher than seen in equivalent markets such as the United States, the UK, Canada or France,” the Ovum report notes.

“Australia is notable as one of the few, non-city state, markets where government broadband objectives extend to 100% of the population.

“Of the other markets surveyed in our report, all have more limited ambitions for serving the last five most remote per cent of the population than Australia.”

Currently delivering a top speed of 50/20Mbps on Fixed Wireless, nbn has already committed to launching a new nbn100 Fixed Wireless product aimed at the regional business segment in 2018.

In April nbn used new Carrier Aggregation technology to deliver ground breaking 1.1Gbps speeds over the nbn™ Fixed Wireless network, underlining the company's ability to launch even faster services on the nbn™ Fixed Wireless network.

Bill Morrow, CEO of nbn said:

“One of the key reasons people want to work for nbn is the genuine ability to make a difference. 

"The nbn™ Fixed Wireless network is providing fast, reliable connectivity to parts of regional Australia that otherwise would not have access.

“Our Fixed Wireless network has already been recognised as a world leader and we are determined to maintain that position by continuing to deliver even better products on the network.

“The nbn Fixed Wireless network plays a key role in ensuring there is no digital divide between urban and regional Australia and, as the Ovum report notes, is the envy of other countries around the world.”

Media enquiries

Tony Brown
Mobile: 0409 673 843
Email: 

tonybrown@nbnco.com.au

James Kaufman
Phone: 0408 704 229
Email: 

jameskaufman@nbnco.com.au