nnb is on track to deliver the rollout of Australia’s national broadband network, according to its 2018 half year results.
As at 31 December 2017, nbn declared 6.1 million premises are ready to connect, meaning more than one in two homes and businesses across Australia can now order a service over the NBN.
The company also declared a total of 7.1 million premises ready for service.
Activations continued to grow with more than 940,000 new premises signing up to services over the NBN, with almost 3.4 million activated in total.
As activations grew across the network, revenue surged by 121 per cent from $403 million at 31 December 2016 to $891 million at 31 December 2017.
Average revenue per user (ARPU) also grew two per cent to $44, up from $43.
nbn also reported positive results from the first Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC) customer trials, the release of new satellite broadband packages and an increase in wholesale Sky Muster data limits.
Other highlights outlined in the report include signing a new wholesale broadband agreement with retail service providers to improve wholesale service quality, and announcing the future launch of G.fast technology to enable faster speeds through the multi-technology mix.
The company also launched a number of customer focused initiatives during the 2018 half year.
Two significant decisions were made to improve experience for end users who are active on the NBN.
nbn announced discounts on its top-tier wholesale internet access plans in a move to encourage retailers to provide speeds to meet the needs and expectations of end users.
The company is already seeing less congestion on the network and increased take-up of wholesale plans based on the 50/20 Mpbs speed tier.
In November 2017, the company also paused all activations on the HFC network to conduct necessary upgrades to improve quality of service. The pause on sales will be in effect until this fieldwork is complete.
nbn said it remains on track to complete the initial build by 2020 and the peak funding forecast continues to be consistent with guidance provided in the Corporate Plan 2018.
nbn CEO, Bill Morrow, said, “In the six months, we’ve delivered on some of our most ambitious targets that bring us closer to our 2020 goals. As at 31 December 2017, more than 95 per cent of households and businesses are in design, construction or are already able to order a service over the NBN access network.
“We have a strong program of activity in place, and we made some significant decisions last year (2017) to prioritise the experience of end users on the network. In partnership with retail providers, we are confident that we will get this right.
“We have shown our ability to deliver on the build side. We are applying that same focus to ensuring we work with industry to deliver a better internet experience for all Australians.”
