It’s not long now. At least, that’s what we’ve been told for years now; not long before Australia is equipped with a game-changing National Broadband Network (NBN) that will put us on par with the fastest internet speeds in the world. Right now, we place 50th globally, having been set back by political disputes, plan pivots and infrastructure issues.
Slowly but surely, homes and businesses all over the country are finally receiving the NBN. And now, the NBN website has released a tool that allows you to type in your address and find out fairly specifically when your time will come. Although the site previously had a similar tool, this one is more detailed. Not only does the site specify a time frame, but it also indicates the planned technology that will be installed, including fibre-to-the-premise, fibre-to-the-node or hybrid fibre coaxial. You can register your details to be kept up to date with progress in your area, and once the NBN is installed, it is up to you to contact a retailer of your choice to connect.
So far, pockets of Sydney and regions throughout New South Wales are already part of ‘gen NBN’. Wollongong, for instance, is an NBN paradise. Anywhere north of Newport on the Northern Beaches is already hooked up, as are huge chunks of the Hills District, plus Balmain, Darling Point and much of Woollahra (posh!), in the West, Liverpool, Lidcombe and Strathfield are on the network too.
NBN building is already underway in Macquarie Park, Mosman, Alexandria and Erskineville, while newly built apartment complexes across Sydney are often NBN equipped.
The good news is that all households should have access to the network by 2020; the bad news is that if you live in South and Eastern suburbs like Clovelly, Matraville, and Cronulla then you could be waiting until well into 2019. Currently, approximately 25,000 homes and businesses are being connected to the NBN every week across the country.
Still stumped by the NBN? Check out the website’s handy infographic to learn exactly what it’s all about.
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