NBN Co puts out 'shopping list' of consumables and services

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 08 December 2009 03:16

IT Industry - Strategy

In addition to its request for capability statements from FTTP equipment suppliers, issued on Monday, NBN Co is also seeking registration from potential suppliers of a wide range of equipment and services it will need to roll out its network.

It is using the Industry Capability Network (ICN) - a government funded web portal set up to put builders of major projects and buyers of industry goods and services in touch with potential suppliers - to call for registrations of interest from organisation that can supply a range of goods and services.

On the ICN portal,  NBN Co says the NBN "can be expected to be rolled-out, simultaneously, in metropolitan, regional, and rural areas; [with] a pilot rollout on mainland Australia from 2010.

Services it is seeking are listed as: fibre optic cable installation, horizontal directional drilling, underground asset locators, telecommunications technicians; fibre optic splicers/jointers and civil contractors with telecommunications cable laying experience.

It also wants companies able to supply Australian or New Zealand made consumables, installation hardware and equipment, including: underground ducting and joints; underground pits, installation hardware for aerial cables, racking for indoor telecommunications equipment, street-side cabinets for telecommunications equipment, trenching and cable laying machines suitable for telecommunications cabling, installation tools and equipment for fibre optic cable.

NBN Co says that, in addition to the goods and services listed, it will progressively issue requests for capability statement describing future project opportunities in more detail.

A separate ICN portal www.nbn.icn.org.au has been set up for the Tasmanian NBN and NBN Co says "A panel of contractors has already been established to build the initial $38 million rollout of the NBN in Tasmania." The Tasmanian NBN Co is looking for services providers that can offer cable installation (above and below ground), horizontal directional drilling, electrical installation (overhead and underground), qualified underground asset locators, civil contractors (ground works), trenching, telecommunications technicians, fibre optic splicer's/jointers and labour hire.