National Broadband Network

The Australian Government announced on 7 April 2009 it would establish a new company to design, build and operate a new high-speed National Broadband Network (NBN). The NBN will become the single largest infrastructure investment made by an Australian Government, accompanied by historic reforms to Australia's telecommunications sector.

Latest news

Amendments to the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities)  Determination 1997 and the Telecommunications Regulations 2001 that will facilitate the rollout of the NBN and other next-generation broadband infrastructure came into effect on 16 December 2011. 

On 14 November 2011, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy welcomed the announcement that NBN Co has signed agreements with contractors for the rollout of the NBN in South Australia and the Northern Territory. NBN Co has now established a program of construction works in each state and territory in Australia for the NBN rollout.

On 2 November 2011, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy introduced a package of reforms to the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and other telecommunications safeguards into parliament.

On 18 October 2011, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy welcomed the release of NBN Co Limited’s inaugural 12-month national rollout plan. The schedule lists the communities in each state and territory where work will begin between now and September 2012, as well as where work on the rollout of the network is currently underway.

The NBN Co Limited Annual Report 2010-11 was tabled in Parliament on 13 October 2011. The Annual Report is available on NBN Co’s website.

On 11 October 2011, NBN Co released its Statement of Corporate Intent. The statement details how NBN Co will discharge its mandate to provide access to high-speed broadband to all Australian premises, as set out in the government’s Statement of Expectations to NBN Co of 20 December 2010.

The Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Fibre Deployment) Act 2011 came into effect on 27 September 2011.

On 16 September 2011, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation jointly launched the fifth and final NBN first -release site in Willunga, South Australia.

On 7 September 2011, the first new development in which NBN Co has provided fibre, Bunya in western Sydney, was launched.

On 6 September 2011, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy welcomed the announcement that NBN Co Limited has signed agreements with contractors for the rollout of the NBN in Victoria and Western Australia.

On 1 September 2011, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy welcomed the launch of the NBN in Townsville, Queensland.

Townsville is the fourth site on mainland Australia to be connected to the high-speed network as part of customer trials.

On 10 August 2011 the Minister for  Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy released for public comment  draft amendments to the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities)  Determination 1997 and the Telecommunications Regulations 2001 to facilitate  the NBN rollout. Submissions close on 7 September 2011. 

On 4 August 2011, the Prime Minister and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy launched the NBN for the first time in Victoria, in the inner city Melbourne suburb of Brunswick.

Brunswick joins the two New South Wales sites of Armidale and Kiama, as the third mainland NBN site ready for customer trials.

On 3 August 2011, NBN Co Ltd announced the dates for the start of preliminary works in NBN second-release sites in New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory.

A rolling schedule of works will start across nine locations in August 2011. The second-release sites are a mix of extensions to the first-release sites and a number of additional sites announced in July 2010. NBN Co will roll out its network in a series of modules, each covering around 3000 premises.

On 3 August 2011, NBN Co announced five wireless first-release sites for the first  stage of its fixed-wireless rollout as part of the NBN, with the first services  to go live mid-2012.

On 29 July 2011, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy launched the NBN in Kiama Downs/Minnamurra in New South  Wales.

Kiama Downs/Minnamurra is one of five first release sites where NBN Co Limited (NBN Co) is testing network design and construction techniques ahead of the national rollout.

On 24 June 2011, the Minister made five key regulatory instruments which provide the framework for Telstra's structural seperation.

Further information on the instruments is available at Telecommunications regulatory reform - seperation framework page.

On 23 June 2011, NBN Co and Telstra announced that they had entered into Definitive Agreements on the rollout of the NBN. The Definitive Agreements translate the Financial Heads of Agreement signed in June 2010 into detailed, legally-binding agreements for review by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and shareholder approval. NBN Co also announced that it had entered into an agreement with Optus whereby Optus would decommission its HFC network and progressively migrate its customers to the NBN.

In addition to the Telstra and NBN Co agreements announced on 23 June 2011, the government has reached an agreement with Telstra for the future provision of the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and other public interest services from 1 July 2012. Further information on this initiative is available at Universal Service Policy in the National Broadband Network environment.

On 18 May 2011, the Prime Minister and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy launched the first mainland NBN services in the regional city of Armidale in northern New South Wales, which will ultimately connect over 4882 premises with a fibre connection. Armidale is one of five first release sites where the NBN is rolling out on mainland Australia.

On 6 May 2011, NBN Co announced the interim satellite solution, bringing forward the introduction of enhanced satellite broadband services to those who need it most.

On 28 April 2011, NBN Co announced the commencement of the next phase of construction in seven communities in Tasmania including Deloraine, Kingston Beach, George Town, Sorell, South Hobart, St Helens and Triabunna, connecting over 11 100 homes and businesses.

On 12 April 2011, legislation to provide the regulatory framework for the National Broadband Network (NBN) came into force.  

On 11 March 2011, the Minister announced the completion of the 449 kilometre Perth to Geraldton Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP) link. On 16 March 2011, the Minister announced the completion of the 146  kilometre Victor Harbor fibre backbone link. These links form part of the Australian Government's $250 million RBBP, which is delivering 6000 kilometres of fibre backbone across regional Australia, benefiting around 400 000 people.

On 14 February 2011, the government released the executive summary of an independent assessment of NBN Co Limited's Corporate Plan. Greenhill Caliburn provided a commercial assessment of the plan, identifying and analysing its key assumptions and potential risks. 

On 10 February 2011, Telstra and NBN Co announced that they had finalised key commercial terms to allow for the more efficient rollout of the NBN. These pave the way for NBN Co to make use of Telstra's assets to roll out the NBN and for Telstra to decommission its copper network.  

The government released NBN Co Limited's Corporate Plan on 20 December 2010, providing further detail for industry and the public on the rollout of the NBN. The government also released the Statement of Expectations that sets out the government's expectations of the company as it rolls out the NBN. The Statement comprises the government's response to the Implementation Study.

In 2010 the government sought comments on how the Universal Service Obligation and public interest services might transition to the NBN environment, including possible funding and institutional arrangements for delivering outcomes.  

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. Planning is underway for further community forums.

Progress to date

  • The government has established NBN Co to design, build and operate the NBN, with the objective of providing 93 per cent of Australian homes, schools and businesses with a 'fibre to the premise' connection providing broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, with capability to provide speeds of up to one gigabit per second. For the remaining premises, a combination of next-generation fixed wireless and satellite technologies will provide peak speeds of at least 12 megabits per second.

    Website: External sitewww.nbnco.com.au

  • The government has released NBN Co's Corporate Plan, which provides a range of detailed information on the NBN rollout, including financial information on the costs to rollout the network.

    NBN Co Limited announcement: NBN Co Corporate Plan released
  • The government has released a National Broadband Network Implementation Study, prepared by McKinsey & Company/KPMG, that examines the government's coverage, commerciality and competition objectives as well as detailed operating arrangements for NBN Co, its ownership and structure, ways to attract private sector investment and longer term privatisation. The government also released the Statement of Expectations, which comprises the government's response to the Implementation Study, and clearly sets out the government's expectations of NBN Co as it rolls out the NBN.

    See the National Broadband Network Implementation Study page
    Joint ministerial direction: Statement of Expectations (PDF, 6 MB)
  • The government has established NBN Tasmania Limited as a subsidiary of NBN Co, to build and operate the NBN in Tasmania. The first three stages of the Tasmanian rollout were announced as part of the five-year fibre rollout to a total of 200 000 Tasmanian premises. Stage 1 of the Tasmanian rollout went live on 12 August 2010. On 28 April 2011, NBN Co announced the commencement of the next phase of construction in seven communities in Tasmania including Deloraine, Kingston Beach, George Town, Sorell, South Hobart, St Helens and Triabunna.

    Website: External sitewww.nbntasmania.com.au

  • Nextgen Networks is constructing 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. The program will 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.

    See more details, including maps, on the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program page

  • On 29 November 2010, the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Act 2010 (the Act) was passed by Parliament. The Act provides a framework to improve competition in the telecommunications sector, including during the transition to the full NBN rollout. On 24 June 2011, the Minister made five key regulatory instruments which provide the framework for Telstra's structural separation.

    See the Telecommunications regulatory reform - seperation framework page.

  • On 27 September 2011, the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Fibre Deployment) Act 2011 came into effect. The legislation requires developers to install fibre-ready pit and pipe to pave the way for the installation of fibre in new developments.

    See more about Fibre in new developments

  • In April 2011, legislation was enacted to ensure NBN Co, now and into the future, operates on a wholesale-only basis, offering open and equivalent access to all access seekers.

    See more about the NBN legislative framework
 
 
 

Related Links

 

Related archived material

 
 
Document ID: 80649 | Last modified: 16 December 2011, 4:25pm