Parts of Ballarat’s most populated suburbs, including some of Wendouree, Sebastopol, Alfredton and Delacombe, have been excluded from NBN Co’s three-year national broadband network rollout.
Work to lay fibre will commence by June 2013 for the majority of suburbs east of the city.
But for a significant proportion of Ballarat’s west there will be no early arrival to the NBN.
An NBN Co spokesperson said some parts of Wendouree, Sebastopol, Alfredton and Delacombe were not included in the three-year rollout announcement.
However, they would eventually be connected as the NBN was progressively rolled out.
The three-year rollout plan shows suburbs to connect to the NBN as part of the current schedule are Ballarat East, Lake Wendouree, Mount Helen, Mount Pleasant, Newington, Soldiers Hill, Invermay Park, Ballarat North, Golden Point, Bakery Hill, Ballarat Central, Black Hill, Canadian and Eureka.
These areas were selected according to “a series of design principles” that aim to “deliver a high-speed broadband network as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible”.
NBN Co’s lead community account manager Lalla Mackenzie said work has already commenced to deliver the fibre network to more than 5,400 homes and businesses in the Ballarat area, with a further 17,500 due to be connected in the next three years.
Work has also begun to deliver high-speed broadband to a further 11,200 residents via fixed wireless.
Those homes and businesses outside the fibre and wireless coverage areas will be serviced by the current Interim Satellite Service and the Long Term Satellite Service, to be launched in 2015.
Meanwhile, NBN Co is visiting Ballarat on Saturday, August 11, as party of its community information schedule.
Residents have been invited to attend Central Square Shopping Centre, between 10.30am and 2pm to get the latest information on the NBN rollout.
“Our team from NBN Co have been visiting local communities all over Australia and answering all kinds of questions from residents about the rollout,” Ms Mackenzie said.
“The NBN is Australia’s largest infrastructure project, so it’s understandable there’s a lot to ask and learn about and we’re here to answer any questions residents may have.
“Residents who are set to receive fibre, fixed wireless or satellite technologies are encouraged to come by to learn more about the rollout in Ballarat.
“We’re already witnessing in a number of communities how the technology is changing the way businesses operate and how it’s improving the lives of local residents.”
