The NBN project is well and truly underway and the latest eventuation has witnessed a NBN CEO and now an NBN Board take shape, so where are we at and what’s next? The answer to this question is definitely not straight forward, but I’ll make an attempt to summarise the current status quo of the Australian National Broadband Network.
- Michael Quigley has been named the Executive Chair (CEO) of the Australian NBN (NBNco).
- Doug Campbell has been appointed Chair of Tasmanian NBN Company Limited (TNBNCo).
- Doug Campbell, Peter Hay, Siobhan McKenna, Diane Smith-Gander and Gene Tilbrook have all been named as NBN Board Directors.
- NBNco headquarters is still up for grabs. Queensland, NSW and Victoria are all front runners, however location might be split among all three states.
- Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy states that Implementation Study underway and hopes to be completed in February 2010.
- Tasmanian Roll underway in October 2009 and will be overseen by Aurora Energy.
- Winning Bidders to be announced and construction expected to commence in Regional Backbone areas of Wonthaggi, Leongatha, Korumburra, Inverloch, Foster, Yarram, Victor Harbor, Broken Hill, Darwin, Geraldton, Emerald and Longreach in September 2009.
- NBN legislation expected to be introduced into Parliament by Senator Conroy later this year in a bid to ensure NBN’s legitimacy and procession.
As you can see, the NBN project is still in its infancy and if this past years progress is anything to go by, I’m expecting that the entire NBN roll out period will be significantly longer than the stated 8 year duration that the government had previously forecast.
