Live in Brunswick: NBN's first mainland metro site

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 04 August 2011 14:03

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The first mainland metropolitan NBN 'first release' site went live this morning. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy participated in the ceremony in Brunswick.

The NBN first release site in Brunswick, an inner suburb of Melbourne, officially went live this morning. The ceremonial button was pushed by Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy, and NBN Co chairman Harrison Young.

At this stage, 14 households have been invited to join the trial. Mr Young notes that the various first release sites were chosen as representatives of different environments, and Brunswick was an established urban area with a diverse population and a high proportion of flats and rental properties.

Recognising the added complexity caused by having to get permission from building owners as well as residents, Mr Conroy said the Government "would welcome" an 'opt-out' system as advocated by the Real Estate Institute of Victoria.

As for the duration of the 'free connection' period in the area, Mr Young said it was "not clear yet" when that would end. The basic principle is that free connections will be provided while NBN Co's contractors were in an area, and anyone that subsequently changed their mind or moved into a property that wasn't connected would have to pay for the hook-up.

The network rollout was performed by Telstra, and the owners of just over half of the premises in the area had consented to an NBN connection, Mr Young said, stressing that the trial was not of the technology but of the relationships and mechanisms between NBN Co and service providers.

"Open slather" competition for Brunswick residents' business starts in October - see page 2.