Region gets more Business Fibre Zones for NBN

MORE than 3,560 businesses in the Geelong region can potentially tap into cheaper and faster broadband internet following NBN Co’s establishment of more Business Fibre Zones.

First revealed by the company in charge of rolling out the National Broadband Network in September 2020, Geelong and surrounds were in the first tranche of the zones, which offer businesses reduced-price Enterprise Ethernet – NBN Co’s fastest wholesale product, with symmetrical upload and download speeds of up to 1 gigabyte per second.

According to the rollout map, the local Business Zone already covers central Geelong, extends north to Corio (and the town of Lara), south to Grovedale and part of Waurn Ponds, and east to Newcomb.

It now includes a separate zone covering Torquay and another covering Barwon Heads, Ocean Grove, Point Lonsdale and Queenscliff.

The new Business Fibre Zones will be available to eligible businesses from September 1.

If the business customer signs up to a three-year plan from their internet retailer, NBN Co will not charge the retailer an upfront connection cost.

NBN Co chief customer officer Brad Whitcomb said businesses were increasingly using Enterprise Ethernet to support cloud-based business operations, remote file storage, content hosting, unified communications and large file distribution, and to connect head office locations.

“However, for decades the location of a business – whether it’s in the city or outer metropolitan area, peri-urban fringe, regional city, town or rural area – has been the determining factor in the price they pay for business-grade fibre,” he said.

“For Enterprise Ethernet customers, we are helping to level the playing field and ensuring that more businesses throughout Australia can participate in the digital economy on an equal footing, with greater parity on recurring monthly wholesale charges in more locations.”

Victorian Senator Sarah Henderson said the new zones would enable a range of new business opportunities that previously were not possible.

“This has the potential to revitalise and reshape our region, from the services locals are able to access, to industries like manufacturing, food production, tourism and hospitality which are all major employers in their own right.

“Access to high speed internet will allow local businesses to grow and thrive, break into new markets, and secure our long-term growth potential.

“With no upfront build costs and discounts of up to 60 per cent on NBN Co’s exisiting wholesale plans, many local businesses will be able to take advantage of these zones.”

Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Paul Fletcher said the 44 new zones would bring the total number of Business Fibre Zones to 284.

“As we manage and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, investment in local business communications infrastructure will ensure that businesses can recover quickly, while taking advantage of domestic and international markets,” he said.

For more information about the NBN Business Fibre Zones initiative, including the new pricing options, head to the NBN Co website.