Super-speed fibre network approved for Adelaide CBD

ADELAIDE CBD and North Adelaide ratepayers will contribute millions to help fund a new high-speed fibre network to commercial buildings under a plan approved by the city council.

ADELAIDE CBD and North Adelaide ratepayers will be contributing millions to help fund a new high-speed fibre network roll out to commercial buildings under a plan approved by the city council on Tuesday night.

The Adelaide City Council will spend $10 million over a “few years” under a partnership agreement with TPG Telecom, which will build a 10 gigabit fibre-optic data network and sell it to interested commercial building owners or managers across 1700 premises.

It will be the third major internet-related project currently in Adelaide.

The National Broadband Network is currently available around South Terrace and the group is due to roll out a fibre-to-the-kerb option in the new year to certain areas of the CBD.

The State Government’s GigCity rollout — using its high-speed one-gigabit SABRENet network — is being extended to some of the university buildings on North Tce and is available at the St Paul’s Creative Centre at the corner of Pulteney and Flinders streets.

Mayor Martin Haese said the city council-TPG network would complement the state and NBN projects, but is also competitive.

“It is going to deliver a product that is 100 times faster than the NBN. Adelaide will have infrastructure that is more robust and faster,” he said.

“This is foundational infrastructure — the start point, not the end point,” Mr Haese said.

Mr Haese said the network would help the city to set up smart traffic management systems, automate services and build a network of sensors across the city.

“The council will have 300 access points on the network,” Mr Haese said.

The total cost of building the new network and timeline for the complete rollout was not revealed, but services to some buildings will be offered in the new year.

Businesses can choose to use the network for private links, to connect to cloud data centres, undertake business to business file transfers, for voice and video communications, access the internet or tailor their connectivity.

It is part of the council’s plan to make Adelaide a “magnet” for businesses, said Mr Haese.

The city has 230,000sq m of vacant commercial space in buildings — equivalent to 11 Adelaide Ovals — Property Council SA executive director Daniel Gannon said, welcoming the council’s decision.

Business SA chief executive Nigel McBride said it was a “sensible” decision by the council, though he said there was an opportunity to improve its wi-fi services.

The cost for accessing the services is expected to be considerably less than what is on offer in the marketplace.

TPG Telecom group executive Mark Rafferty said possibilities for innovation and investment for Adelaide will be endless with the first of its kind network in Australia.

“This network will leverage TPG’s infrastructure expertise and provide some very exciting products and services to the Adelaide business community,” he said.

TPG will use the council’s existing pits and hubs to put the fibre in the ground and the council expects limited construction-related traffic and business disruptions.

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