CONSTRUCTION is expected to start within weeks to connect another 2700 Launceston homes and businesses to the NBN network through fibre-to-the-premises.
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Parts of Kings Meadows, Prospect, Summerhill and South Launceston are the latest to be included in NBN Co’s rollout plan.
Preliminary infrastructure works in the areas are now complete, with subcontractors expected to start rolling out fibre across the areas soon.
Construction is also under way to connect Swansea and Lilydale to the network using alternate NBN technologies.
Bass Liberal MHR Andrew Nikolic was yesterday excited by the announcement.
‘‘We now have 10,000 premises passed in Launceston and another 20,600 under construction,’’ he said.
‘‘There is no town in Australia of Launceston’s size that will be fully fibred up so quickly.’’
But the union representing Tasmanian subcontractors working on the NBN rollout did not share his enthusiasm.
The Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union’s Emma Gill said the rollout had become a confusing mess.
‘‘The problem is this contract work is too often subcontracted out two, three, four times down the line,’’ Ms Gill said.
‘‘They’re welcome to keep announcing new rollout areas but I don’t hold out hope the work will be done any faster than it has been,’’ she said. The federal government will not be drawn on a finish date in Tasmania, but Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the network would be completed nationwide by 2020.