NBN Co Crams for Rollout Target, Failed to Deliver Services
The NBN Co crammed to meet its targeted June 30 rollout as it resulted to low sign-up rate.
In as much as it had successfully passed 163, 500 existing homes and businesses 44, 000 new housing estates with the national Broadband Network, only 33, 600 homes and businesses have taken advantage of the service. Out of this figure, there was a noticeable 55, 000 premises included in the "service class zero."
"Service class zero" is a service rendered that already contained fibre footprint BUT can only be utilized by subscribers for another 12-18 months.
Apartments, town houses and shopping centres were still under the "service class zero."
In an interview with The Australian, NBN Co spokesman Andrew Sholl, explained that the NBN Co rollout statistics always has "service class zero" as an inclusion.
The spokesman said, "We use the accepted industry definition of 'Premises Passed' - that is homes and businesses passed by an active telecommunications network. That standard measure includes those complex premises that will receive services over the NBN outside standard order lead times."
However, NBN Co's rollout reported figures was already questioned by Opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull. He said that these figures were dubious. "The fact that almost a quarter of houses included in the NBN Co's 'ready for service' list can't actually access an active service shows the depths that Labor would go to in its attempt to convince the public that this project is still on track. These are not long range targets the NBN Co has to meet they were targets announced three months ago, having been revised down for the third time."
NBN June 30 Rollout:
In summary the rollout achieved:
- Construction of the National Broadband Network ramping up across Australia
- 207,500 fibre premises passed
- More than 70,000 homes and businesses using NBN services
- Fibre users up sevenfold over 12 months
Figures released by NBN Co released on July 4 2013 showed that as of June 30 the company had:
- Its revised target range of 190,000-220,000 premises passed by fibre optic cable in built-up areas and new housing development. The total number of fibre premises passed as of June 30 was 207, 500. The fibre rollout is the largest component of the NBN build, being delivered to 93 per cent of Australian premises by 2012.
- A more than fourfold increase in the total number of end users over the past 12 months and a sevenfold increase in fibre users. The total number of families and businesses with NBN services is now 70,100.
NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley expressed all positive thoughts about the rollout in an official statement from the company.
He said, "These results are pleasing because they demonstrate that the steps we put in place in March to accelerate the rollout have been successful. They provide us with confidence that NBN Co is on track to deliver fast, reliable and affordable broadband to every family and business in Australia over the remaining eight years of this decade-long build."
"They also show that NBN Co, together with its industry partners, has the capacity to overcome the challenges inherent in rolling out Australia's largest national infrastructure project."