Homes and businesses can now connect to high-speed broadband services in Triabunna, Sorell, Deloraine and Kingston Beach

NBN scheduled to pass a total of 12,800 Tasmanian premises in the coming weeks as more communities come online

Thousands more families and businesses in Tasmania will be able to receive high-speed broadband following the completion of the latest stage of the rollout of the National Broadband Network.

At a ceremony in Launceston today, the NBN was formally switched on in Deloraine in the north of the state, in the east coast township of Triabunna, and in Sorell and Kingston Beach near Hobart.

The combination of the new locations, those about to come on line and the existing sites in Tasmania will bring to 12,800 the number of premises in Tasmania able to connect to the fibre optic network.

The four new sites switched on today cover 3900 premises. This is in addition to the 4000 premises in the early test sites of Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point. The activation of the network in George Town and St Helens is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, adding a further 4900 homes and businesses to the NBN footprint in the state.

To get connected to the network, homes in the new rollout locations need to contact one of the internet service providers offering NBN retail packages.

Chairman of NBN Tasmania, Mr. Greg McCann, said:

“Tasmanians were the first in the nation to take advantage of the improved broadband access that the NBN will eventually deliver to every Australian. I'm delighted that from today many more will be able to benefit from this essential upgrade to Australia's decades-old telecommunications infrastructure. I thank residents for their cooperation, understanding and patience during construction.

“The job ahead for NBN Co in Tasmania is to roll out the network across the remainder of the state. It's a construction project that will see the creation of up to 800 new jobs at the peak of the rollout and the establishment of a permanent Tasmanian workforce to maintain the network.”


First state to complete NBN rollout

Tasmania is scheduled to become the first state in Australia where the NBN rollout will be complete.

The fibre optic broadband network will replace old-fashioned copper telephone lines in cities, towns and suburbs covering around 200,000 homes and businesses.
In addition to the new fibre broadband sites, NBN Co also announced today that it had begun plans to deliver its fixed wireless broadband service to approximately 32,000 Tasmanian homes and businesses. Eligible people in the more remote parts of the state are already receiving high-speed broadband though NBN Co's Interim Satellite Service.

Construction in the new sites was carried out by Lend Lease Infrastructure Services working with NBN Co agent Aurora. In March Visionstream Australia won a four-year $300 million contract to complete the Tasmanian fibre rollout.

MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Holly Hearne
Mobile: 0427 957 393

Rhonda Griffin
Phone: 02 9927 4015
Mobile: 0428 134 401
rhondagriffin@nbnco.com.au

Notes to Editors

• Over the next three years, construction of the fibre optic network will be underway or completed in areas containing 3.5 million premises in 1500 communities in every state and territory in Australia - up to one third of the nation's homes and businesses
• NBN Co is a wholesale network operator which does not supply services direct to the public. Home and business owners need to first contact a telephone or internet service provider to select a plan and order a service. The service provider will organise the final connection and installation of equipment in their customers' homes and businesses.
• These service providers include Aurora Energy, iiNet, Internode, Primus and Telstra. Exetel is offering services in Midway Point, Smithton and Scottsdale only. Further information is available at nbnc.com.au/serviceprovider
• NBN Co's fibre optic broadband service offers telcos and ISPs wholesale speeds of up to 100 Mbps*. It aims to serve 93 per cent of Australian premises by 2021. The remainder are scheduled to receive high-speed broadband via fixed-wireless and satellite.
• For more information visit www.nbnco.com.au

* NBN Co is designing the NBN to be capable of delivering these speeds to NBN Co's wholesale customers (telephone and internet service providers). Speeds actually achieved by retail customers (end users) will depend on a number of factors including the quality of their equipment and in-premises connection, the broadband plans offered by their service provider and how their service provider designs its network to cater for multiple end users.

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