NBN

National Broadband Network Project > Tasmania

Midway Point

Midway Point is an outer suburb of Hobart. It is in the local government area of Sorell Council, and is located on a small peninsula.

Tasmania has been chosen as an NBN test site for the National Broadband Network (NBN).

As part of formulating and testing construction techniques, the government plans to:

“fast-track negotiations with the Tasmanian Government, as suggested by the Panel of Experts, to build upon its National Broadband Network proposal to begin the rollout of a FTTP network and next generation wireless services in Tasmania as early as July.”

After a tender process, Aurora Energy, was chosen to roll-out backhaul fibre between points of interconnect in Tasmania, as well as fibre to the premises in conjunction with Tasmania NBN Co (TNBN Co).

The Tasmanian test sites will be rolled out in three stages. The first stage covers the towns of Midway Point, Scottsdale and Smithton, with intentions to deliver the first NBN services beginning July from Internet Service Providers (ISPs) Internode, iiNet and iPrimus.

Second stage towns include Sorell, Deloraine, George Town, St Helens, Triabunna, Kingston Beach and South Hobart.

90,000 premises will be connected in Hobart, Launceston, Devonport and Burnie, as part of the roll-out’s third stage.

Midway Point is an outer suburb of Hobart. It is in the local government area of Sorell Council, and is located on a small peninsula.

The town was one of three selected as part of the Stage 1 NBN rollout in the state. Under the construction stage, fibre backhaul was built from Cambridge to Midway Point and Midway Point to Triabunna. The network was rolled out by Leighton Holdings subsidiary John Holland.

The first customers were connected from July in 2010.

Though reportedly under the approximately $37 million budget, the rollout received poor response from residents, with less than 600 premises signing up to the cable across the three stage 1 sites as of early 2011.