NBN Co signs Daly deal for apartment fibre

UK and Australian company Daly International has won a deal with NBN Co worth up to AU$27.7 million to prepare to connect units in Queensland and Western Australia to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Daly International previously completed design work for the NBN with NBN construction companies Silcar and Transfield services, the Electricity Trust of South Australia for underground fibre network design, and Ericsson for the planning of 450 new base stations for the NBN fixed wireless network.

Daly will take on a project development role, ensuring that residents and owners' corporations are notified, as well as conducting surveys, design, and construction of the network into multi-dwelling units (MDUs) on the Gold Coast, as well as in Brisbane and Western Australia.

NBN Co's chief operations officer Ralph Steffens said that Daly will take a "proactive approach" to engage with residents prior to the construction of the NBN in apartment buildings.

"The rollout to MDUs requires special attention because of the variety of buildings we need to design and build for, and because we need to engage with owners of existing buildings in order to undertake survey and installation activities," he said.

Universal Communications Group and Downer EDI secured the first contracts late last year to roll out fibre into MDUs in Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, and New South Wales.

NBN Co is also testing out a partnership with Strata Community Australia to make it easier for the network company to get in contact with residents in apartment complexes in order to gain permission to install fibre into each building.

The two-year deal has the option of two one-year extensions.