The National Broadband Network will start its first phase of commercialisation, allowing the 14,000 residents and business owners who have been connected to order a service provided over the NBN from participating telephone or internet service providers, following the conclusion of the trial.

 

To date, customers have had to be invited by their internet service provider to participate in the trial, but as of October 1, those connected to the NBN infrastructure will be able to purchase the service.

 

“The launch of commercial services over the fibre network in the mainland First Release Sites marks a significant milestone for the delivery of the NBN. It is the start of a new era of service and competition as providers begin to offer a range of different plans over our open-access wholesale network,” said NBN Co Head of Product Development and Sales Jim Hassell.

 

"It is also an important landmark for NBN Co as we start to generate our first revenue from fibre services. Not only is the NBN a project that will see our national infrastructure upgraded, it is an investment through which revenues are planned to eventually repay the initial outlay and deliver a return to taxpayers."

 

The announcement by NBN Co of the rollout of commercialised services comes as a number of retail service providers have announced broadband and telephone pricing plans.

 

"The one NBN connection is capable of supporting both a voice and a broadband service so users don't need to pay for separate phone line rental and broadband services,” Mr Hassell said.