NBN turns on Fibre-to-the-Node network

The company formerly known as NBN Co today switched on its commercial Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) network following over a year of trials. Residents in Newcastle suburb Belmont are the first to be able to connect to the National Broadband Network via FTTN technology.

FTTN technology is a cornerstone of the Coalition’s multi-technology mix (MTM) approach to the National Broadband Network rollout. Rather than run fibre directly to individual premises, fibre is run to a central cabinet service a neighbourhood. Customers then connect to the cabinet via copper.

NBN Co says customers connected to the National Broadband Network via FTTN will be able to achieve download speeds of 100Mbps provided they are within 400 metres of the exchange, and speeds of up 60Mbps if they're more than 700 metres from the cabinet.

In an address given at the National Press Club at the end of last week, NBN CEO Bill Morrow said that he expects 9 out 10 homes connected to the FTTN network to receive "lightning" fast speeds of between 50Mbps and 100Mbps.

Telstra, Optus, TPG, Exetel, TPG, iiNet and AAPT are among the twenty ISPs who have signed on to resell NBN Co's FTTN services.

NBN Co is aiming to have 500,000 premises "ready for service" via the FTTN network by mid-2016, and 3.7 million by mid-2018.

According to NBN Co's 2016 corporate plan, the company expects that 38% of premises will be connected via FTTN or fibre-to-the-building technology.