Darren Alexander
CENTRAL Launceston will be connected to the National Broadband Network in June with other suburbs coming on line in following months, says Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy.
Answering a Senate committee question about the rollout, Senator Conroy said partial switch-ons would begin in central Launceston to be followed by areas within South Launceston, Newstead, East Launceston. West Launceston and other parts of South Launceston would follow in August.
Trevallyn and Riverside are scheduled to be switched on in October; while Mowbray and Invermay are earmarked for November.
Waverley and Ravenswood will gain NBN service in December.
Information technology entrepreneur Darren Alexander is confident the NBN will arrive in Launceston during June and says he would personally lay the cables to his business if that helped.
Mr Alexander, the chief executive of the Launceston-based design business Autech, said despite past slippages with delivery dates for the NBN, he expected Senator Conroy's mid-year NBN arrival date would prove accurate.
Mr Alexander said some delay was almost inevitable with big infrastructure projects and it was worth waiting for and would be a huge boost to the city.
He said the NBN would allow his business to make customised presentations on colour design options to businesses across the country through video conferencing from his office, saving days of having to fly around the country.
``I am excited, I wish it was here tomorrow,'' Mr Alexander said.
``The good thing is that the roll-out is going very well (across Launceston).
``If I am going to get it in the next six months, I am excited.''
Autech is behind Henty House in Civic Square, just a few hundred metres from the main exchange for the NBN in St John Street.