Mr Kelvin Thomson MP
Federal Member for Wills

Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister on Digital Productivity

Local Brunswick business takes advantage of the NBN

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and the Member for Wills, Kelvin Thomson, today visited the designed in brunswick pop-up shop in Brunswick, Victoria to see how the business is benefiting from the National Broadband Network.

Aisling Gallagher and Neil Hargreaves run the business, designing, manufacturing and marketing hand-printed textiles; as well as a specialty design and food publishing house.

Ms Gallagher and Mr Hargreaves were NBN trial customers and have been connected to the NBN ever since.

"The NBN has been particularly great for the publishing side of our business," Ms Gallagher said.

"Before we were on the NBN, we had to courier DVDs of design files and photographs around –they were just too big to email. Now we can upload or download them instantly."

"We're paying about the same as we were before but for a much faster, more reliable service – it's fantastic," Mr Hargreaves said.

designed in brunswick is currently trialling a PayPal innovation, PayPal Here. It uses a small card reader and a smartphone app that processes payments and deposits the money directly into the company's PayPal account. This technology represents the next step in payments processing.

"Customers have been really interested in PayPal Here. It's cheaper and more convenient for ourbusiness than using EFTPOS," Mr Hargreaves said.

Senator Conroy said the NBN is creating opportunities for small businesses to innovate.

"It's great to see small businesses like designed in brunswick being able to improve their productivity, sell more and take advantage of the latest technology, thanks to the NBN."

Mr Thomson said more than 2,800 homes and businesses in Brunswick can now connect to the NBNand get the benefits of the fast, reliable and affordable broadband it provides.

"I encourage other local businesses to get connected to the NBN and get the benefits of faster, morereliable broadband, like designed in brunswick has," Mr Thomson said.

Date: 13 December 2012
Contact: Adam Sims (Senator Conroy's Office) 0408 258 457
Anthony Cianflone (Mr Thomson's Office) 0419 386 950

NOTE TO EDITORS

NBN fibre construction is complete for more than 2,800 homes and businesses in Brunswick, with20 per cent of premises signed up to the NBN.

NBN construction has commenced for another 14,500 homes and businesses in Brunswick, Brunswick East, Princes Hill, Parkville, and Carlton North.

The NBN is also rolling out fibre in the electorate of Wills to 13,500 homes and businesses inTullamarine.

By mid-2015, NBN fibre construction will commence or be complete for 33,500 local homes and businesses in:

• 19,700 homes and businesses including Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Carlton North, Parkville and Princes Hill.
• 13,800 homes and businesses including Airport West, Gladstone Park, Gowanbrae, Strathmore Heights, Tullamarine, and Westmeadows.

Across Victoria, by the end of this year, NBN fibre work will have commenced for 114,300 premises including in: Bacchus Marsh, Darley, Ballarat Central, Newington, Lake Wendouree,Ballarat Central, Parkville, South Morang, Mill Park, Tullamarine, Gladstone Park, Airport West, Gowanbrae, and Strathmore Heights.

NBN fibre construction in Victoria will have commenced or be completed for 691,000 homes and businesses by mid-2015.

NBN stock photos are available at: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/photos