More than 360,00 premises in Western Australia are now able to connect to the NBN, with this number expected to be doubled in 2017.
In 2016, more than 140,000 premises in the state were added to the ready-for-service footprint, averaging around 2,100 premises every week.
nbn Corporate Affairs Manager Western Australia, Ebony Aitken, said, “This year we promised to ramp up the construction rollout and that’s what we’ve done.
“Even in the lead up to Christmas our teams continue to roll out the nbn network with construction recently starting in parts of Gabbadah, Woodridge, Guilderton, parts of North Perth as well as in the town centres of Mount Barker, Margaret River, Denmark.”
nbn delivery partners continue working hard to declare an additional 20,000 more connections ready for service by 25 December 2016 – before continuing the construction in 2017.
In 2016, construction has occurred in parts of Cervantes, Lancelin, Northam, Wagin, Wongan Hills, Cunderdin, Forrestdale, Haynes, Seville Grove, Armadale, Parmelia, Wellard, Bertram, Champion Lakes, Kelmscott, Camillo, Willagee, O’Connor, Beaconsfield, Hamilton Hill, North Coogee, South Fremantle, Kelmscott, Rockingham, Safety Bay, Australind, Bridgetown, Manjimup, Busselton and many more.
Overall, construction throughout 2016 totalled around 250,000 premises.
“One of the highlights has been the progress throughout the South-West region – more than 70,000 premises are either under construction or able to connect to the NBN network. By this time next year the South West region will be fully connected,” Ms Aitken said.
“Next year the Kimberley and Pilbara regions will see a lot of activity with fixed line construction commencing in Derby, Broome, Kununurra, Karratha, Wickham, Point Samson, Roebourne, Port Hedland, Newman, Paraburdoo and Tom Price – totalling more than 30,000 premises across both regions.
“We have some pretty ambitious targets but we’re on our way to reaching our goal – by 2020, we’ll be the first country of our size to make broadband access universal – nbn will make Australia the world’s first fully-connected continent and that’s something to be proud of.”
With just over one million premises making up the total nbn footprint in the state, by the end of 2017, the roll out of the NBN is expected to surpass the halfway point.
