Optic Fibre

On 7 April 2009, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that the Australian Government would invest up to $43 billion to build and operate a National Broadband Network delivering superfast broadband to Australian homes and workplaces.

As part of that announcement it was also announced that the Australian Government would fast-track negotiations with the Tasmanian Government to build upon the State’s National Broadband Network proposal and begin the rollout of a FTTP network and next generation wireless services in Tasmania as early as July.

The Australian and Tasmanian Governments are currently finalising arrangements for an initial rollout of a fibre to the premise network in Tasmania, with a view to reaching up to 200,000 premises, with the rest of Tasmanian covered by high speed wireless and satellite services.

The announcement by the Prime Minister that Tasmania will be the first to commence the roll out of the NBN, is the culmination of this Government’s commitment to bringing competitive telecommunications to Tasmania.

The Prime Minister’s announcement follows the signing on10 November 2008 of the historic agreement between Aurora and Basslink signed to bring nationally-competitive broadband prices to Tasmania.

Since the signing of the commercial agreement between Aurora and Basslink there have been a number of significant achievements in Tasmania’s telecommunications market that will deliver real benefits to both business and individuals.

0n 30 March 2009, Internode announced that it had purchased additional capacity over Basslink and would enable it to improve its coverage of high speed broadband services in Tasmania.

This was followed on 19 May 2009 by Netspace announcing it would enable up 12 exchanges in Tasmania with ADSL 2+, bringing further competition in high speed internet services for Tasmania.

Mr Bartlett said the introduction of real competition into the Tasmanian market was the modern equivalent of the commencement of hydro-industrialisation almost a century ago in terms of its ability to drive new investment and development.

He said the agreement to ‘light-up” the Basslink optic fibre cable was evidence of the State Government delivering on its plan to improve broadband competition in order to unlock a new wave of economic growth.

I anticipate that Basslink and Aurora will commence interstate wholesale services between Melbourne and the main Tasmanian population centres in July 2009.

“I have consistently said as Premier bringing competitive broadband to Tasmania is of the highest priority. I am very pleased to be able to tick that box and say we have delivered, but this is only the beginning.”
We can now take full advantage of the Government-owned $30 million fibre backbone that we have strategically installed with the gas pipeline.”

The construction over the next five years of a fibre to the premise network reaching up to 200,000 Tasmanian premises  and the rest of Tasmania been serviced by high speed wireless services will dramatically improve Tasmania’s economic and job growth, improve service delivery in vital areas such as health and education and assist rural and regional areas overcome the challenges of distance.