Tuesday, 14 June 2016

NBN rollout: from node to premises.

BY JESSICA ROUSE

HUNTER residents were assured yesterday that if they have already received the Coalition's fibre-to-the-node connection, they won't be left behind when Labor's fibre-to-the-premises connection is rolled out.

Labor's latest National Broadband Network policy pledges fibre-to-the-node connections will be stopped once contracts are completed, with all connections transitioning to fibre-to-the-premises.

Labor Candidate for Shortland Pat Conroy said HUNTER residents who need the connection will get it.

“We will be increasing the number of households who get fibre-to-the-premises by $2 million which means there’s a very good chance that Hunter residents will get fibre-to-the-premises. We can’t give a guarantee, some Hunter residents may be better off with a wireless solution”.

Labor is promising to deliver the initial NBN rollout by 2022 at a cost of $57 billion, a figure which has nearly doubled from an original estimate of $29.5 billion under the current government.

“To put it simply, under Malcom Turnbull the NBN has doubled in cost and has delivered a speed of less than a quarter of what was promised and that’s why fibre’s so important; you do it once, you do it to the home and you do it fibre and that’s Labor’s commitment”.

Mr Conroy said Labor currently has no timetable for the transition of node to premises for customers.