The Tasmanian arm of the National Broadband Network Company, NBN Tasmania, has selected the company that will provide the fibre-optic cable for the new backhaul network in the island state.
NBN Tasmania's logo
(Credit: NBN Tasmania)
Corning Cable Systems was chosen to provide the cable requested in the very first tender to go out for the whole National Broadband Network project, which closed in August.
This fibre will go to the first stage of the roll-out, to be completed in the second quarter of 2010, which involves extension of the state's existing fibre backbone from Cambridge via Midway Point to Triabunna, from Port Latta to Smithton, and from George Tow via Scottsdale to St Helens.
Deliveries of the fibre are expected this month and next. The fibre will see 5000 homes in Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point communities linked to the network, according to the company.
The first leg of the roll-out
(Credit: NBN Tasmania)
The contract was, according to an addendum to the tender documents, only worth around $3 million, which industry sources had said would only deliver 400km to 500km of fibre, although Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett had said thousands of kilometres of cable would be rolled out for the entire build. Corning Cable Systems will supply 292km of fibre.
NBN Tasmania executive chairman Doug Campbell was pleased with the speed the contract had been settled. "Today's announcement again shows NBN Tasmania and Aurora Energy are able to mobilise resources quickly to ensure the roll-out of what will be a landmark development for Tasmania and Australia as a whole," he said in a statement.
Another Tasmanian tender, for termination systems to link pre-determined lengths of fibre cable, closes today.
"margin="15px">The NBN cable
(Credit: NBN Tasmania)