FED:Armidale to become first mainland NBN site

AAP General News (Australia)
05-18-2011
FED:Armidale to become first mainland NBN site

SYDNEY, May 18 AAP - The northern NSW town of Armidale will become the first mainland
Australian site to be connected to the national broadband network (NBN).

Prime Minister Julia Gillard will flick the switch shortly before noon (AEST) on Wednesday.

This will make homes and businesses in Armidale the first on mainland Australia to
receive super-fast optical fibre internet connections.

A ceremony is due to be held at Presbyterian Ladies College to mark a key milestone
in the $36 billion NBN rollout.

Customers will initially have access to internet speeds of 100 megabits a second, which
is five times faster than existing ADSL2 copper connections.

Armidale lies within the electorate of federal independent MP Tony Windsor, who is
backing Labor in minority government.

The New England town was one of five NBN first-release sites on mainland Australia,
along with Townsville, Kiama, Willunga and Brunswick in Melbourne.

In August 2010, the Tasmanian towns of Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point became
the first places in Australia to be hooked up to the NBN.

AAP saj/tr/apm

KEYWORD: NBN NSW

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