Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) has selected Alcatel-Lucent’s GPON solution for its forthcoming FTTH deployment. The initial contract is worth Aus$70M and NBN Co has committed to spend up to $1.5 billion on this network equipment during the lifetime of the project. In addition to its GPON platform, Alcatel-Lucent will supply aggregation equipment and engineering assistance.
NBN Co was established in April 2009 to design, build and operate a wholesale-only national high-speed broadband network for all Australians. In the fibre footprint, the network will deliver broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps, subject to the retail plan chosen. The goal is to cover 90% of the Australian population in eight years.
Alcatel-Lucent’s CEO, Ben Verwaayen said, “The Australian NBN is one of the most important initiatives in our industry. The world is watching.” He added, “Infrastructure projects of this scale demand and command leading edge technology and smart solutions. We are committed to delivering both.”
Separately, NBN Co. issued an RFP for the design and construction of the Fibre Access Network. The RFP was issued to 21 Australian firms seeking tenders to begin the rollout.
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- Earlier this week, NBN Co Limited (NBN Co) reached an agreement with Telstra that would provide access to Telstra facilities and the progressive migration of Telstra traffic onto the National Broadband Network, subject to regulatory approval. The agreement for these terms will have an approximate value of $9 billion and would enable Telstra to participate in the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN). Separately, the Australian federal government has agreed to progress public policy reforms with an attributed value of approximately $2 billion to Telstra. The Heads of Agreement covers the migration of subscriber traffic and the decommissioning of Telstra’s copper network and its cable broadband service. NBN Co will pay Telstra for migration of traffic on to the NBN and the decommissioning of its network.
- In July 2009, the Australian government appointed Mike Quigley as the Executive Chairman of the National Broadband Network (NBNCo). Previously, Quigley served as President and Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel-Lucent.