A HIGH-speed fibre-optic network built specifically for the south-west, delivering speeds ten times faster than the National Broadband Network, has been unveiled in a surprise announcement by the state government.
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The $10 million fibre line, funded under he government’s Victorian Fibre Strategy, has been built along rail land between Geelong and Warrnambool and is ready to come online — with potentially massive benefits for businesses and homes.
Premier and South West Coast MP Denis Napthine made the announcment yesterday at South West TAFE, which is set to become the first customer of the network.
“The economic spin offs are infinite. This is one the greatest investments for south-west Victoria in many decades, I would say since the Second World War,’’ Dr Napthine said.
The service runs at one gigabit per second (1000 megabits per second), or “ten times the maximum capacity of the NBN top tier”.
“Businesses can start applying now. The fibre optic cables are in place.”
VicTrack and Department of Business and Innovation have been handed the reigns on managing the 204km link.
The news came out of nowhere for Warrnambool businesses, which are eager for details on the massive infrastructure project.
Large organisations including TAFE and Deakin University are first in line to be connected and are anticipating more courses and resources for south-west students.
It’s less clear how many homes could benefit from the announcement, but Mr Napthine said a private supplier was already in talks with the government to buy into the fibre line to supply its customers.
“This really does provide opportunity in this region to have access to the sort of speeds in broadband that we could only dream of ten years ago.”
Dr Napthine said the scheme had superseded the federal NBN rollout.
“We are well down the track for the current NBN schedule,” Dr Napthine said.
‘‘That’s why the current Victorian government are making sure that regional Victoria is not left behind by the ICT revolution across the world.
“It also provides a back-up service.
‘‘Having a back-up fibre optic link will also provide a back-up for Telstra and that will be explored as part of these opportunities.”
Both TAFE and Deakin University told The Standard the new service would save them money but neither was able to provide a figure on what they would be paying.
“We’re still working it out but we do know its going to increase our savings,” Deakin University Enterprise Vice President Kean Selway said yesterday.
Mr Selway said the Warrnambool campus had been “the poorer cousin” for technology compared to Geelong and Burwood sites.
At the moment huge research data gathered by marine academics in Warrnambool has to be loaded onto hard drives and physically trucked to other facilities.
South West TAFE chief executive officer Peter Heilbuth said he was now working closely with RMIT University to bring online health and business courses to Hamilton and Portland campuses.
“Having this type of infrastructure is enormously important for us to enable us to get the best teachers, the best support and information to our students,” Mr Heilbuth said.
“Often there might only be one or two students who want to do a course and to make that economically viable is a challenge — but using such technology it is possible to offer these courses.”