October 16, 2015
Work will start on connecting nearly 12,000 homes and businesses in Traralgon to fixed line high speed internet by the first half of next year, Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says.
NBN Co. has today released its three year roll-out plan, which shows Traralgon and Traralgon East will start to be connected to fibre to the node technology by the second quarter of 2016.
The rollout will then continue to Morwell, Sale, Maffra, Stratford and Heyfield in the second half of next year, followed by Yarram, Bairnsdale, Lakes Entrance, Loch Sport in the first half of 2017.
Mr Chester said the new three-year schedule would give clarity for residents who have been waiting for the new fast internet technology.
“Today’s announcement means most people in Gippsland will know when to expect the NBN in their town,” Mr Chester said.
“The rollout will use the existing copper and cable infrastructure running into homes, which means NBN can complete the network far sooner and at dramatically lower cost to taxpayers.
“Importantly, the Coalition is rolling out the NBN faster than what was planned under the previous government. If we had stuck with the old approach, people in Gippsland would have been waiting far longer to access faster internet speeds.”
Remaining towns in Mallacoota, Paynesville and Raymond Island and Orbost can expect to see fixed wireless technology start to be rolled out by the second half of 2017.
Meanwhile, work will start next month on building the fixed-wireless NBN rollout in Omeo, Benambra, Buchan, Marlo and Nambrok, along with towers on Mt Raymond and Mount Sam. This will connect about 1180 premises.
Work is already underway on the fixed wireless rollout to Briagolong, Bairnsdale East, Bruthen, Johnsonville North, Kalimna, Metung, Mt Taylor, Nungurner, Nicholson, Sarsfield and Swan Reach.
NBN Co is targeting 2020 as its completion date for the rollout – at least six years faster than under the previous Labor government’s plans, which would have been finished by 2026 at the earliest.
CAPTION: Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester says work will start in 2016 on the fixed line rollout of the NBN.
