NBN Co sets out 'big picture' of FTTH network design

Crown Fibre Holdings (CFH) - the New Zealand Government company set up to manage and invest in the country's FTTH network - has named three more bidders, including Telecom NZ, for 'priority negotiations' for the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative.

A survey of New Zealand businesses on their attitudes to the Ultrafast Broadband Network - the country's version of Australia's National Broadband Network - has found over 80 percent of respondents likely to take up the service in the first year it becomes available, but wanting more information about speed and pricing.

NBN Co has reached agreement with Siemens Theiss joint venture Silcar to roll out its FTTH network over the next two years in Queensland, NSW and the ACT in a deal worth $380m.

Thirteen telecommunications service providers have indicated their interest in selling services on New Zealand's Ultra Fast Broadband Network, the equivalent of NBN Co's FTTH network in Australia.Crown Fibre Holdings, the Government company set up to manage rollout of the UFB has released the name of companies that have signed letters of intent to retail UFB services.

NZ company Optical Network Engineering, in a submission to the Senate NBN enquiry, says the 100Mbps of the NBN's FTTH network won't be enough to satisfy future demand for 3D and HD video, and an RF channel should be added to the fibre.

NBN Co has released a shortlist of 21 Australian companies, including Telstra, that will be asked to tender for contracts to design and roll out some 200,000kms of cable for its fibre access network.

The Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network - which has been charged with ongoing oversight of the project - is to inquire into legislation governing the rollout of the NBN FTTH network in greenfield sites.

According to the FTTH Council fibre to the home networks now pass almost 20 million homes, and seven million of these have signed up for services delivered over FTTH.

Written by: Graeme Philipson | Published in: NetworkingISP iNet says it has connected more than 10,000 customers to fibre to the Home (FTTH) broadband across Australia, surpassing the total number of FTTH customers connected to the NBN.