The inner Melbourne suburb of Brunswick today became the first location in Victoria to benefit from the National Broadband Network (NBN).
Prime Minister Julia Gillard was joined by Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, to launch the NBN in Brunswick, making it the third mainland Australian site to go live.
Switching on the NBN in Brunswick is the beginning of unprecedented opportunities for Victorians as we rollout the super-fast broadband network. The NBN will create jobs, boost productivity, provide new and improved online health and education services and improve government service delivery.
It will provide new opportunities for small and medium businesses, opening up gateways into interstate and global markets that previously may not have been accessible. The NBN will also enable more people to work from home - which equals less time travelling to and from work and more time with family and friends.
As with the other first release sites, Brunswick residents will participate in a trial phase ahead of delivery of commercial services.
The testing phase is an important part of the rollout. The first release sites, including Brunswick, will provide crucial information to assist the NBN rollout.
Brunswick joins Armidale (NSW) and Kiama (NSW) as the third mainland site to be switched on to the NBN as part of customer trials.
The other first release sites of Townsville (QLD) and Willunga (SA) will commence customer trials shortly.