Work associated with the NBN rollout on the corner of Wellington and Paterson streets yesterday.
LAUNCESTON already has extensive lengths of optical fibre laid under the streets and footpaths of the city centre as the National Broadband Network rollout gathers pace.
It is understood that NBN Co contractors have laid the new optic fibre cable along Wellington Street and other areas in the city centre and have connected it to the main exchange in St John Street.
The work is literally happening day and night _ some work is being done in the dark hours to minimise traffic disruption.
But workers say the task is being slowed by the poor state of the Telstra pits, which need extensive remediation.
An NBN Co spokeswoman said yesterday the target was to have the network _ via fibre, fixed wireless and satellite _ rolled out Leg 1to every home and business in Tasmania by 2015 and the work was on track.
But NBN Co will not give a date for services starting in Launceston, only saying it will happen ``in the first half of the year''.
She said there were around 4000 Tasmanian families and businesses using the NBN, and 34,500 homes and businesses using the service nationally.
She said the average take-up rate across the country on the fibre service after 12 months was around one in four premises.
This was about three times the take-up of the equivalent service in Britain.
Up to 800 construction jobs will be created in Tasmania by the rollout, plus there will be a permanent workforce to maintain the network.
Leg 2
