The Darwin fibre optic backbone link that stretches more than 3800km from Darwin to Toowoomba, passing through more than 30 towns to service160,000 people across Queensland and the NT, has been opened, marking the completion of the entire network construction phase of the Government’s $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program (RBBP).

 

Backbone links are the broadband highways that connect cities, towns and rural areas to the wider world. The program has addressed broadband backbone blackspots across regional Australia.

 

The RBBP has now delivered over 6 000 kilometres of fibre backbone across regional Australia, reaching around 400 000 people and more than 100 regional locations.

 

The Darwin to Toowoomba link is the fifth and final RBBP link to be opened, in addition to links:

  1. To Broken Hill, extending from Gawler in South Australia to Broken Hill, NSW, and Shepparton, Victoria. 
  2. From Perth to Geraldton link in WA.
  3. From McLaren Vale to Victor Harbor and Mt Barker (including Adelaide Hills) in SA.
  4. Through South West Gippsland in Victoria.

Nextgen Networks is responsible for the rollout of approximately 6000 km of backbone infrastructure, as well as operating and maintaining the backbone transmission links for an initial five-year period.

Towns connected to the Darwin to Toowoomba RBBP link include:

NT

  • Darwin (NT)
  • Berrimah (NT)
  • Casuarina (NT)
  • Howard Springs (NT)
  • Nightcliff (NT)
  • Noonamah (NT)
  • Palmerston (NT)
  • Pine Creek (NT)
  • Adelaide River (NT)
  • Katherine (NT)
  • Tennant Creek (NT)

QLD

  • Mount Isa (QLD)
  • Cloncurry (QLD)
  • Marathon (QLD)
  • Corfield North (QLD)
  • Winton (QLD)
  • Morella (QLD)
  • Longreach (QLD)
  • Barcaldine (QLD)
  • Jehrico (QLD)
  • Boguntungan (QLD)
  • Emerald (QLD)
  • Blackwater (QLD)
  • Chinchilla
  • Gunnewin (QLD)
  • Roma (QLD)
  • Miles (QLD)
  • Chinchilla (QLD)
  • Dalby (QLD)
  • Oakey (QLD)
  • Toowoomba (QLD)

More information on the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program, including maps of all routes, is available at www.dbcde.gov.au/blackspots_program.