The installation of the NBN network to our islands still has us almost last cab on the rank; but the outcomes may be better than we expected.
The Friendly Bay Islander was able to sit down with NBN people recently at the Gold Coast Show and we followed it up with confirmation from NBN media.
The dateline for installation of the NBN has not changed; and the only good news here involves Coochiemudlo Island.
Coochie will be getting the NBN network over a year before the rest of the Bay Islands and North Stradbroke Island, obviously aided by their close proximity to Victoria Point.
Coochiemudlo Island is scheduled to have the NBN installed between July and September next year, 2018.
North Stradbroke, Macleay, Russell, Lamb and Karragarra Islands are scheduled to have the new high tech network installed between July and December 2019; which would mean it would be 2020 before the NBN is operational on these islands.
The surprising good news from the NBN installations on the islands is in the manner of those installations.
The NBN is a little over the half way mark right across Australia.
The one benefit from being at the back of the pack is that the installation process has ‘improved’ due to growing installation experience and new technologies that have been introduced since the start of the process.
Thanks to the adoption of the Multi Technology Mix, the speed of installations picked up with introduction of fibre to the node FTTN and fibre to the building FTTB. The very latest in this development is fibre to the curb FTTC.
It was fibre to the node that we have been previously been advised was being installed on our islands.
With the help of a friendly Telstra technician working on our islands, were were told that there are approximately 9 nodes on Russell Island, six on Macleay, and one each of Karragarra and Lamb Islands; and on North Stradbroke Island - three at Point Lookout and three and Dunwich and none at Amity. He did not know how many nodes are on Coochiemudlo.
The NBN have confirmed that all of our bigger islands will be getting a mix of Fibre to the Node and Fibre to the Curb.
Lamb and Karragarra Islands will be receiving fibre to the node installation only.
Macleay, Russell, Coochiemudlo and North Stradbroke islands will be receiving a mix of FTTN and FTTC.
Some North Stradbroke Island homes also have the benefit of satellite connection to the NBN, depending on the remoteness of their location.
What we have not been able to confirm, however, is which streets and roads will be receiving fibre to the curb and which will receive fibre to the node.
The NBN people at the Gold Coast Show told us that any installations to the NODE beyond 1km will see a drop off in performance.
NBN will not make any premises ready for service that does not meet a minimum wholesale speed requirement of 25/5Mbps.
By contacting the NBN residents can find out which form of NBN they will be receiving.
Residents and businesses can find out more information on their individual premise by logging on to www.nbnco.com.au
and checking their address.