Adelaide 10Gbps fibre network begins building connections
Currie Street is the site of the first connection to Ten Gigabit Adelaide, with the Australian Institute of Business being the initial building on the network.
Due to hit 1,000 buildings in two years, the network is currently attempting to offer services to 40 buildings, with another 140 to follow thereafter, the City of Adelaide said in a statement on Monday.
"We have been inundated by registrations from businesses wanting to plug into Ten Gigabit Adelaide and, from today, businesses are being connected and will immediately reap the benefits," Lord Mayor Martin Haese said.
"Ten Gigabit Adelaide is all about helping Adelaide retain, grow, and attract new businesses, creating jobs, driving innovation, and delivering economic and social returns for our city."
The city has previously said the network could create up to 2,500 jobs over the next six years.
In December, the city announced TPG would be responsible for rolling out the network, with access points to be installed in buildings free of charge.
On Monday, it was announced that access to the network would begin from AU$440 a month for a 1Gbps service on a 48-month contract. TPG said its customers on the Ten Gigabit network would be able to add a further 9Gbps of bandwidth for an extra AU$120 a month. The telco claimed its deal was "considerably" lower than other plans on the market.
Last month, the South Australian Labor government said it would invest AU$35 million in expanding its GigCity fibre broadband network if it is re-elected at the state election this weekend.
GigCity is based on the South Australian Broadband Research and Education Network, a state-owned high-speed backbone that connects a dozen designated key innovation precincts, with another 16 planned.
Orders on for connections on the network are sold to businesses through EscapeNet, with plans ranging from AU$50-a-month plan that offers 200GB of data, to AU$180-a-month plan that has a 1TB monthly cap, with excess data sold at AU$55 for 500GB. All plans offer 1Gbps speeds.
The SA Labor party claimed the GigCity extension would create around 3,000 new jobs across digital products and services, mining, agriculture, tourism, and advanced manufacturing.
The GigCity network was launched in August, and had AU$2.9 million allocated over four years in the state Budget to extend the network into more areas.
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