NBN aiming to boost business speed

BUSINESSES could benefit from high-speed broadband internet, thanks to the NBN’s business fibre initiative.

Last year, Bendigo was announced as one of 85 regional Australian cities to become a business fibre zone.

Eligible businesses will now be able to request upgrade to business-grade fibre with no up-front build cost for the service provider and at the same price as Melbourne CBD.

General manager at NBN Local Chris Cusack said the initiative puts Bendigo businesses on a “level playing field” with those in metropolitan Melbourne.

“We’re able to offer on-demand enterprise grade services to business in Bendigo at the same price they would pay if those services were built in Collins Street in Melbourne,” he said.

“Prior to a business fibre zone, that type of service generally come with zoned or tiered pricing and essentially the further you got away from a capital city GPO, the higher pricing for those services has been in the past.

“If a business wants to expand in Bendigo or to set up businesses in Bendigo, they’re on the same footing they would be on if they wanted to expand in metropolitan Melbourne or the CBD of Melbourne.”

Mr Cusack said the initiative, which offers broadband speed of one-gigabyte per second, will also benefit the Bendigo in attracting businesses to the municipality.

Businesses are encouraged to check if their address is a part of the zone at the NBN website before consulting one of the 25 retailers offering the service.

“We’re not just talking about the centre of Bendigo, the business fibre zone in Bendigo goes right out to Epsom, it covers Long Gully, Golden Square, Flora Hill and out to Strathdale,” Mr Cusack said.

“We’re talking about quite a large area of Bendigo where businesses are able to get access to these services at CBD pricing.”

A Be.Bendigo After 5 event will take place at The National on Wednesday, 21 July to help businesses get more information about the initiative, with tickets are available at bit.ly/3AQUl67.