Nextgen awarded high-speed broadband project worth $250 million

It has been announced recently that Nextgen have now been awarded a project by the government that could see a large proportion of Australian residents getting super-fast broadband access over the next 18 months thanks to the implementation of the new ‘blackspot scheme.’

A contract for a $250 million ‘blackspot scheme’ from the federal government that will see the provision of high-speed broadband services to more than 100 towns and regions in just 18 months has now been awarded to Nextgen according to officials involved.

The communications minister, Stephen Conroy has award this latest deal to the Sydney-based company saying that more than 395 000 homeowners in more than 100 communities throughout the region would benefit from more than 6000 kilometers of fibre-optic cabling that was to be laid to allow for high-speed broadband access and called it a ‘priority investment’

One of the biggest factors for Nexgen being awarded this new project was due to the ‘overall package in terms of where they were able to reach’ according to comments from Minister Conroy. A much higher number of regions throughout Australia that would now benefit from this project than was originally expected because of the involvement of Nextgen he said.

A spokesperson for Nextgen said “The two areas that will take longer are Emerald/Longreach to Darwin and Broken Hill-Mildura-Shepparton,” whilst sharing that  Victor Harbor, Geraldton, Gippsland and Darwin would be the first of the locations completed in the early stages of the deployment.

Up to 1000 new direct employment opportunities would be created as a result of the construction requirements for the project said Conroy who advised that all current estimates point towards the completion of the links within the 18 month timeframe that had been allocated for the project.

Source – Top News