December 23, 2016
More than 2000 homes and businesses in Churchill will soon have access to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester said construction of the new fixed-line network was underway, providing 2100 homes and businesses in Churchill with faster and more reliable internet access.
Mr Chester said the NBN would open up a range of new opportunities for locals.
“There will be benefits for small businesses, students who study online and people who rely on the internet to stay in touch with family and friends,” Mr Chester said.
Work building the NBN in Morwell and Heyfield is already well underway, giving another 8400 premises the ability to connect to the network.
Final network designs for Churchill have been completed, meaning that NBN subcontractors are now connecting the area with new high-speed broadband technology.
“Having reliable access to fast internet is becoming a basic requirement of our everyday lives and the NBN will deliver this to residents in regional areas,” Mr Chester said.
Homes and business in Churchill, Morwell and Heyfield will be connected to the NBN using fibre to the node (FTTN) technology.
FTTN offers average broadband speeds of around 70 megabits per second (Mbps), with many premises able to access speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
The NBN will ensure that at least 90 per cent of the fixed-line footprint will have access to download speeds of 50 Mbps – allowing at least 10 home devices to connect to the internet simultaneously.
“The Coalition Government’s mixed-technology roll-out of the NBN is being done in the fastest and most affordable way,” Mr Chester said.
“Already, there are more than 31,000 premises in the electorate of Gippsland ready to connect to the NBN. By September 2018, more than 60,000 homes and businesses in Gippsland will be ready for the NBN or their connection will be under construction.”
More information on how to connect to the NBN is available at www.nbnco.com.au.