The fifth and final National Broadband Network (NBN) first release site located in Willunga, South Australia was today launched by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, and the Minister for Finance and Deregulation, Senator Penny Wong.
The Gillard Governments world class National Broadband Network will enhance the lives of all Australians and todays launch in Willunga, the first site in SA, is a key achievement in the rollout of the NBN, Senator Conroy said.
All Australians deserve to be connected to the NBN. It will bring economic growth but it will also enhance the way we care for our families and ourselves, the way we share knowledge and information, and the way we trade our goods and services.
The residents of Willunga have clearly recognised the benefits of high speed broadband, with the highest take up rate of any first release site on the mainland. More than 90per cent of residents have signed up for a free fibre connection.
This is an impressive result and shows just how high demand is across Australia communities for enhanced broadband.
To date, more than 650 trial users have been connected on the mainland. In total, there are now more than 1800 end-users on mainland Australia and in Tasmania who are receiving services over the NBN and via the NBN Co Interim Satellite Service.
Senator Wong said the number of connections showed NBN Co had exceeded the target set in its 2011-13 Corporate Plan of attracting 400 homes and businesses on mainland Australia to the NBN trials.
NBN is a sound investment, even before taking into account the vast productivity, economic or social benefits that will be directly attributable to it, Senator Wong said.
The NBN will enable businesses in Willunga and eventually right across Australia to improve their efficiency, productivity and access new opportunities to expand their markets nationally and internationally by overcoming the tyranny of distance.
The NBN will enable businesses to develop data rich websites, show videos and send high-resolution images of products and services to extend their business activities to new markets.
Member for Kingston, Amanda Rishworth said residents in Willunga will now be able to start working on realising the opportunities the NBN will enable in education, healthcare, business and government services delivery.
As we have seen today, the NBN will change the way schools and studentsparticularly those in regional areas, like Willunga, access information, collaborate and communicate with each other, Amanda Rishworth said.
The local community understands the opportunities that the NBN will provide, including facilitating easier access to information and services as well as providing enhanced remote learning opportunities to participate in interactive online tutorials.
Senator Conroy said that with customer trials now underway in all five first release sites work has started on second release sites in NSW, Queensland and the ACT.
Preliminary site works have started in Armidale and Coffs Harbour (NSW), with Townsville (Qld) and Kiama/Jamberoo (NSW) due to start in September 2011, he said.
NBN Co has signed construction contracts for the rollout of the NBN in Victoria and Western Australia, with work to start in Geraldton (WA) in October 2011.
NBN Co is also negotiating construction contracts for South Australia and the Northern Territory and expects to finalise arrangements in the near future. The first and second release sites will test network design and construction methods and provide crucial information to assist the NBN rollout.
The rural town of Willunga, about 47 kilometres south of Adelaide, was chosen as one of the five release sites for the NBN to demonstrate archetypal fibre to the home deployment in a regional area with dispersed housing.