Today NBNCo revealed it continues to grapple with significant problems with the HFC deployment:

                “From 1 September 2017, NBN will only release new HFC footprint to market where there is a lead-in to the premises already in place.”

“Specialised construction crews will be deployed to complete the additional work required to connect these premises to the NBN broadband access network – much of this work will involve building these new lead-ins for premises where none currently exists.”

Chief Engineer, 4 September 2017. 

It’s remarkable that we are approaching 2018, and the company is conceding the HFC rollout still has them in knots. 

In orchestrating the 2013 NBN Strategic Review, Malcolm Turnbull thought he would roll out of bed one morning and switch on the HFC network like it was a toaster.

The Strategic Review indicated 2.6 million premises would have access NBN over HFC by the end of 2016. 

Yet by the end of 2016, the NBN half-year report indicated only 159,000 premises could access the NBN over HFC.

This abysmal result equates to only 6 per cent of the stated target.

The cost of the HFC rollout has blown out by 30 per cent to date, and the Government was subsequently forced to abandon the Optus HFC network.

A Fairfax investigation has also revealed the scope of HFC activation failures on the NBN which has left households without access to any broadband.

This isn’t a multi-technology-mix. It’s a multi-technology-mess.

MONDAY, 4 SEPTEMBER 2017

MEDIA CONTACT: LUKE HEFFERNAN 0409 818 001