BBNC claims it can save NBN Co $10 billion

Stephen Withers
Monday, 26 July 2010 14:32

IT Industry - Strategy

An Australian company says it can offer fibre deployment technology capable of reducing the cost of the NBN rollout by around $10 billion.

Broadband Network Communications (BBNC) claims that the combination of micro-ducting and micro-slot/trench technology it offers  in conjunction with Lite Access Technologies could save NBN Co around $10 billion of the $43 billion that the Nation Broadband Network rollout is expected to cost.

According to company officials, this is the methodology being tested by Google in its Fiber for Communities project in the US.

"If NBN are true to their word, they will be testing different and innovative ways of laying fibre in different parts of the country and we are ready to be part of that," said BBNC managing director Joe Tokarczuk.

"Our solution cuts the cost of broadband deployment dramatically, is extremely fast and provides minimal disturbance to the environment, There is no other underground deployment method that is as clean, green, speedy, future-proof and affordable," claimed Tokarczuk.

Microtrenching involves cutting a very narrow trench in which cable can be laid. The addition of a microduct (ducting that's narrow enough to fit into a microtrench) allows fibre to be subsequently blown through.

The company claims this method has multiple advantages - see page 2.