Media Release

$100 million injected into NBN Tas as Stage 3 roll out is announced

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced the Rudd Government would make an equity injection of $100 million into NBN Tasmania, to facilitate the further roll out of fibre-to-the-home broadband in the State.

Senator Conroy said Stage 3 of the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout would extend to 90,000 premises in the major population centres of Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie.

“In total, the first three stages of the NBN will target 100,000 premises in Tasmania, including homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, which will receive high speed broadband,” Senator Conroy said.

“Detailed design work is now underway for Stage 3 with 40,000 premises in Hobart, 30,000 in Launceston and 10,000 in each of Burnie and Devonport to have access to superfast broadband via optic fibre.”

The rollout of the NBN in Tasmania is being delivered by the Australian and Tasmanian governments through their publicly owned entities, NBN Tasmania and Aurora Energy. NBN Tasmania chose the sites in conjunction with Aurora Energy.

Senator Conroy said the focus for the Stage 3 urban-based rollout would be on delivering strong commercial outcomes and leveraging off the economies of scale that a large rollout would bring.

“This is about more than just high-speed telecommunications, it is about better access to health services for Tasmanian families and better education opportunities for Tasmanian kids.

“It’s about creating and keeping jobs in Tasmania.”

The first two stages of the rollout are focused on extending the Tasmanian optic fibre backbone network and delivering better telecommunication services into regional Tasmanian communities.

“The rollout started in regional and outer suburban communities to provide support for those regions that have poor telecommunications infrastructure,” Senator Conroy said.

“Stage 1 of the rollout to the townships of Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point is well underway and those communities are on track to start receiving services from July this year.

“NBN Tasmania will soon invite residents of these communities to attend community forums, to provide information on the NBN and how it will benefit them.”
As design and construction work for stages 1, 2 and 3 progress, details of further stages will be released.

“Ultimately, 200,000 homes, businesses, schools and hospitals in Tasmania will have access to optic fibre and superfast broadband speeds of up to 100 megabits per second.

“Other premises outside the footprint will have the benefit of next-generation wireless and satellite services, which will deliver faster and cheaper broadband.
“From a position of having the worst broadband penetration in the nation, Tasmania will become a global leader with the delivery of the NBN,” Senator Conroy said.

Date: 1 March 2010
Contact: Suzie Brady 0408 258 457