Under a Gillard Labor Government towns all across the Ballarat electorate are set to join the digital revolution with internet speeds up to 100 times faster than they are now.
Work has commenced on the National Broadband Network (NBN), which will deliver affordable, world class broadband services to all Australian homes, businesses, schools and hospitals, and support an estimated 25,000 jobs per year on average during the rollout.
The Gillard Labor Government recently released maps outlining the path the NBN will take as it is rolled out across Australia. These maps show that every house, school and business in Australia will have access to high speed broadband under the NBN, and that optical fibre will be extended to 93 per cent of homes and businesses in more than 1,000 cities and towns by the end of the roll-out.
Within the Ballarat electorate, cities and towns set to be connected to the optical fibre network are listed below, with Bacchus Marsh set to be included in the next phase of the NBN rollout:
- Bacchus Marsh
- Ballan
- Ballarat
- Clunes
- Creswick
- Daylesford
- Malmsbury
- Myrniong
- Trentham
The rollout of the NBN will result in a widening of health and education services, encourage the further development of high-tech small businesses and assist local organisations such as the Shires of Moorabool, Ballarat, Golden Plains and Hepburn deliver more services and communicate more quickly and effectively with local residents.
Catherine King said that “local families, businesses and schools will enjoy the benefits of faster, modern technology – sharing the same advantages as the cities.”
“It will make regional economies more competitive, ensure our students have the best quality education and put an end to download delays at home", she said.
The Gillard Labor Government has also announced that NBN Co will deliver Next Generation Wireless and satellite services with speeds of 12 megabits per second. This would provide average data rates more than 20 times higher than most users experience today.
High speed broadband will mean a song can be downloaded almost immediately and a two hour high definition movie can be downloaded in around five minutes.
Ballarat electorate towns named to receive Next General Wireless include:
- Blackwood
- Cardigan Village
- Dales Creek
- Enfield
- Gordon
- Learmonth
- Mt Egerton
- Smythesdale
- Tylden
Rural centres not named above in the electorate will receive Next Generation satellite-enabled broadband.