Nearly 190,000 premises in Tasmania should be ready for the NBN service by the end of 2016, with the network now reaching more than 65 per cent of the state.
All eligible premises in Tasmania are now either finished, under construction or in advanced planning, with the rollout in Tasmania anticipated to be finished by mid 2018.
nbn delivery partners are working to make around 2,000 more connections ready for service by Christmas 2016 – before continuing the construction into 2017.
During 2016, approximately 70,000 premises in Tasmania were added to the footprint, taking the grand total of the state’s premises ready for service to around 188,000, or approximately 67 per cent of the state.
nbn Corporate Affairs Manager Tasmania, Russell Kelly, said, “This year we promised to ramp up the construction rollout and we have delivered.
“It is a credit to all at nbn, our delivery partners and the many subcontractors who have been out there in streets every day connecting Tasmania house-by-house.”
Construction occurred this year in parts of Hobart, Launceston, Evandale, Devonport, Burnie, Ulverstone, Penguin, Westbury, Tranmere, Howrah, Bicheno, Cambridge, Dodges Ferry, Exeter, Legana and New Norfolk.
“One of the year’s highlights was finishing the rollout in Launceston – it’s now 100 ready for service. Hobart is now around 90 per cent ready for service, and our delivery partner crews are now working solidly in the major population centres of the North West Coast,” Mr Kelly said.
“Last week nbn also announced that we have begun planning for fixed line rollout to the West Coast towns of Queenstown, Zeehan and Rosebery, and fixed wireless to Strahan.
“This is the final piece of the puzzle for Tasmania – the rollout is now fully known and locked in.”
During 2016, nbn’s delivery partners added an average of more than 1,300 premises to the footprint every week – up from 271 average per week in late 2014.
Of all states, Tasmania has the highest signup rate for the nbn network in Australia.
nbn has continued to rollout fixed wireless coverage via a string of towers in regional areas.
In 2016, nbn launched its commercial Sky Muster satellite service – providing access to fast broadband to remote and isolated Tasmanian premises.
nbn’s national goal is to connect eight million premises to the NBN by 2020.
