Realising our broadband future
Rollout of the National Broadband Network
42
futurebuilding
EDITION 1
Earlier this year, the Rudd Government’s $43 billion broadband plan made the first step towards unfurling its networks across Australia’s mainland with a call for tenders to form a partnership with NBN Co in the implementation and operation of the National Broadband Network. In February, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy visited Mt Isa in Queensland’s outback – the halfway point along an extensive broadband spine that will cover 3,835km between Darwin and Toowoomba – to inspect initial fieldwork at the site, where the first stages of the network’s development will begin. It is estimated that this fibre optic link will take approximately 18 months to complete, and will directly benefit 160,000 Australians living in rural and outback communities. The link will provide a ‘backbone’ for the national network, which Senator Conroy believes will drive down prices in remote areas, and provide essential information technology. “Once complete, this link will allow other broadband providers to enter the market and offer faster broadband speeds, cheaper prices and more choice for people and businesses across the region,” he said. The day after the minister’s visit to Mt Isa, NBN Co advertised for information technology organisations to put forward tenders for operations that will help to link the new wholesaler cabling system to retail networks. On 19th February 2010, NBN Co posted a Request for Capability statement on their website, calling for tenders for Business and Operational Support Systems and Services. The request appealed for “Capability Statements from experienced Business and Operational Support Systems and Services (BSS/OSS) software vendors, development houses and integrators to support the build, implementation and ongoing maintenance of the BSS/OSS required to operate the National Broadband Network.” The tender closed in March, and on 1st April 2010, NBN Co issued a statement to advise that it had selected IBM, Oracle and Accenture to deliver and operate critical software support for its core business functions.
A second Request for Capability Statement was released on the company’s website in late March, calling for tenders for the Design and Construction services for the fibre to the premises network. The tender specified that “potential construction partners will need to show they have the capability and capacity to design and deliver telecommunications infrastructure projects of significant size and complexity”. NBN Co intend to encourage mid tier and smaller contractors to register interest, who will then be assisted with offering assistance to the head contractors during construction. Senator Conroy emphasised the importance of the building stage, saying, “While the NBN will ensure Australia has a world-class broadband network for generations to come, it will also inject valuable investment into the economy and create jobs for Australians during the construction phase.” Senator Conroy’s visit to Mt Isa marked the transition from the testing phase of the National Broadband Network in Tasmania to the inception of the Australia-wide network, which will ultimately provide 100Mbps broadband coverage to 90 per cent of the population. In September 2009, work commenced on the project in Tasmania, where it is predicted that 5000 homes across three small towns will be connected to the broadband network by July this year. In February, Senator Conroy told the Senate that the Tasmania works were well underway. “The trenching and layout of the conduit for the transmission link between Cambridge to Midway Point has been completed. We are on track for the first services to be connected in Tasmania from July this year,” he said. The government is still working with NBN Co to cement details of the rollout and schedule of the mainland broadband program, and it is estimated that the entire National Broadband Network project will take approximately eight years to complete.
