Swift NBN rolling out

A CAIRNS upgrade of NBN infrastructure worth $3.5bn nationally is set to unlock super-fast connection speeds of up to 1 gigabit per second – but some of the fastest internet you can get won’t be available in all areas.

Lendlease and Ventia, formally Visionstream, have been awarded contracts to convert the fibre to the node (FTTN) network to fibre to the premises (FTTP).

Contracts are expected to create up to 10,000 jobs in a range of professions nationally.

The upgrade will benefit residents and businesses in Bayview Heights, Bentley Park, Brinsmead, Clifton Beach, Craiglie, Earlville, Edmonton, Freshwater, Kewarra Beach, Manoora, Manunda, Mooroobool, Mount Sheridan, Port Douglas, Redlynch, Stratford, Trinity Beach, White Rock and Woree.

At the completion of the upgrade Cairns homes and businesses will be able to access wholesale speed plans of close to 1 Gbps on demand.

“Contracts for construction in the Cairns area have been awarded and planning and engineering activities are under way ahead of this construction, and this includes communication with communities about what they will see, when construction will be taking place in their neighbourhood, and when they will be able to place an order,” an NBN Co spokesman said.

“We anticipate customers will be able to place orders with internet retailers for fibre lead-ins and higher speed services in eligible areas from November 2021.”

NBN Co area selection criteria for the FTTN to FTTP upgrade program is based on areas in which strong future speed demand is expected, where it can be rolled out with “speed and agility” and where it can provide “maximum benefit to the most customers,” the spokesman said.

“We are very pleased to work with these delivery partners to continue to evolve the NBN network and ensure more Australian homes and businesses can access the broadband services they need to remain productive while working and studying from home, and also to enjoy all of the entertainment and social benefits that high-speed broadband delivers,” NBN Co chief operations officer Kathrine Dyer said.

Customers can visit the “check your address” tool on the nbnco.com.au website to find out if a property is eligible for the FTTP upgrade.