National Broadband Network

The Australian Government announced on 7 April 2009 it would establish a new company to build and operate a new high speed National Broadband Network.

• Media release: New National Broadband Network
• Publication: National Broadband Network policy brochure

On 20 June 2010, NBN Co and Telstra announced that they had entered into an agreement on the rollout of the NBN. In support of that agreement the Government will progress public policy reforms to support the transition to the NBN.

• Media release: Agreement between NBN Co and Telstra on the rollout of the National Broadband Network
• Publication: Policy statements

To turn its vision into action the Government has taken the following steps. 

• It has established NBN Co Limited to build and operate the network, with the objective of providing 90 per cent of homes, schools and workplaces with ‘fibre to the premise’ delivering speeds of 100 megabits per second and connecting all other premises with next generation wireless and satellite technologies, offering speeds of 12 megabits per second or more.
  
  Website: NBN Co Limited
  Publication: NBN Co Limited Annual Report 2008-09
  
  
• It has released a National Broadband Network Implementation Study, prepared by a consortium of McKinsey & Company/KPMG, that examines the Government’s coverage, commerciality and competition objectives as well as the detailed operating arrangements of NBN Co Limited, its ownership and structure, ways to attract private sector investment and longer term privatisation. The Government is currently considering the Implementation Study and its recommendations and will formally respond in the coming months.
  
  
•  National Broadband Network Implementation Study
  
  
• It has established NBN Tasmania Limited as a subsidiary of NBN Co to build and operate the NBN in Tasmania—the  first three stages, covering 100 000 premises, have been announced as part of the five-year fibre rollout to a total of 200 000 Tasmanian premise.
  
  
• Nextgen Networks has commenced construction of almost 6000 km of new fibre optic backbone transmission links, as part of the Government’s $250 million investment in the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program to connect over 100 regional locations along the routes to the six priority areas of Geraldton, Darwin, Emerald and Longreach, Broken Hill, Victor Harbor and South West Gippsland.
  Regional Backbone Blackspots Program
  
  
• It has introduced legislation to improve competition in the telecommunications sector, including during the transition to the full NBN rollout, which was passed by the House of Representatives and is before the Senate for consideration.
  Telecommunications Regulatory Reform National Broadband Network: Regulatory reform for 21st Century Broadband - Discussion paper
  
  
• It has introduced legislation to provide a framework for the installation of fibre and fibre-ready infrastructure in new developments.
  Fibre in new developments
  
  
• It has released exposure drafts of the legislation to ensure NBN Co operates on a wholesale-only, open and equivalent access basis.
  National Broadband Network Company Legislation and Access Regime
  

The Government terminated the previous Request for Proposals process on 7 April 2009, on the basis of advice from the independent Panel of Experts that none of the national proposals offered value for money. The Panel noted the rapid deterioration of the global economy had a significant impact on the process. Refer to the extract from the evaluation report for more information.

Community forums

The Department has held community forums in locations across Australia to provide information for residents, local government, and businesses on the benefits that high speed broadband brings to Australia.