NBN Co partners with Telstra for Fibre to the Node
Fibre to the Node technology for the NBN is one step closer as NBN Co and Telstra partner to launch 1,000 new node sites in QLD and NSW.
- Webby Award Winner (Best Video Host, 2021), Webby Nominee (Podcasts, 2021), Gold Telly (Documentary Series, 2021), Silver Telly (Video Writing, 2021), W3 Award (Best Host, 2020), Australian IT Journalism Awards (Best Journalist, Best News Journalist 2017)
After a pilot build of Fibre to the Node technology on the New South Wales Central Coast, NBN Co has partnered with Telstra to build a further 1,000 nodes for delivery of the NBN across Queensland and New South Wales.
Unlike Fibre to the Premises delivery which sees optical fibre extended all the way to your door, FttN "marries fibre optic cables with Telstra's copper lines in a streetside node cabinet to deliver fast broadband to homes and businesses" according to NBN Co.
In a statement announcing the partnership, NBN Co said it and Telstra had "agreed to pilot the planning, design and construction of 1,000 nodes across Queensland and New South Wales". The announcement follows a Statement of Expectations released by the Federal Government in April this year, confirming that the NBN would involved a "multi-technology approach" including FttN and FttP.
The FttN expansion will see nodes rolled out in Bribie Island, Warner, Caboolture, Bundaberg and Gympie in Queensland, and Belmont, Boolaroo, Morisset, Hamilton and Gorokan in New South Wales. NBN Co will also expand its pilot FttN build on the New South Wales Central Coast.
Speaking about the partnership with Australia's largest telco, NBN Co CEO Bill Morrow said it would allow the company to combine its resources with Telstra's design expertise on its copper network.
"This is a progressive step in the evolution of the NBN," said Morrow. "It shows we are determined to get on with the job of delivering fast and reliable broadband to Australians while wider negotiations with Telstra continue.
"The extensive pilot program we're announcing today will deliver valuable insights into how to build a sustainable and consistent program of work that allows the industry to ramp up and deploy the FTTN element of the NBN at scale."