NBN coming to Cairns, Mackay, Townsville, and other Queensland spots
NBN Co has announced that 16,600 homes and businesses in Northern Queensland will be connected up to the National Broadband Network (NBN) in the next 12 months.
The announcement was made by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communication, and the Digital Economy, and Jan McLucas, Labor Senator for Queensland.
Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville are among the towns to receive access, as new NBN fiber construction maps were released. These plans will span across 12 suburbs and approximately 16,600 premises in Queensland.
“The NBN is delivering fast, reliable, and affordable broadband to the people of northern Queensland,” Conroy said.
“The NBN is also providing fast broadband at the same wholesale price everywhere in Australia, meaning people in Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville will pay the same for NBN services as those living in Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.”
Senator McLucas said, “The NBN is on track to roll out to 429,000 homes and businesses in Queensland by the middle of 2015.”
NBN Co hopes to have 3.5 million premises hooked up to the NBN by 2015.
This announcement is part of the three-year rollout plan for the NBN with work planned for over 1,500 communities through to 30th June 2015.
Currently, there are 66 towns or localities within the rollout plan.
NBN Co has also announced the first of a series of product enhancements to the optic fiber to help businesses get connected and make full use of the high-speed broadband network. NBN for Business (the first of the product enhancements) will allegedly enable businesses to run up to 50 voice services over the network, provided they have the right software, equipment, and in-premises connection.
“NBN for Business offers service providers the tools to tailor packages for businesses, allowing them to make use of a host of new digital tools to increase productivity and maintain their competitive edge,” said Jim Hassell, head of product development and sales for NBN Co.
Prices vary between the service providers, with Optus’ monthly plans starting from $39.99 when bundled with an Optus postpaid mobile plan and TPG offering unlimited data usage for $69.99 per month.
NBN plans with Int
ernode starts from $49.95 per month, while Telstra offers a T-Bundle ‘connector starter’ for $80 per month for 24 months.
