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Broadband boost for South East

Posted on November 19, 2008, 5:05pm

The South East will benefit from better internet services with installation under way of a high-speed fibre optic cable and wireless technology connecting the region to Adelaide infrastructure.

A State Government project to connect 20 Mount Gambier government agencies to a high-speed broadband network will be finished by April as part of a strategy to improve bandwidth in regional centres.

The government’s chief information officer Andrew Mills said a key element of the project was not only extension of services to meet the needs of government, but also to leverage local business and community benefits.

“A similar development has been actioned at Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Port Augusta, where several government agencies and schools are connected into the state network, improving efficiency of government services and access to broadband services,” Mr Mills said.

“The local community in these towns can now access a wider range of commercial broadband services and have greater choice of internet service providers.”

Mr Mills said installations were nearing completion in Mount Gambier, with high speed switching technology now being added to form the network hub, delivering local area network speeds of up to 1000 Mbps.

Valued around $2m, the project involves government agencies and carrier partner Nextgen supplemented by a State Government Broadband Development Fund grant.

A 152kw microwave link will connect Mount Gambier to high-speed fibre and wireless broadband infrastructure through the inter-capital city national fibre grid at Bordertown.

A new commercial and government broadband wireless overlay using WiMAX technology will also extend about 20km from the town centre.

Contractors are currently strengthening communication towers before they connect the backhaul between Potters Point and Bordertown via microwave.

This work should be completed by the end of February.

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