Telstra Countrywide is on the verge of completing an $14.7 million infrastructure investment, following the installation of several high-speed optical fibre cabling projects throughout the New England north west.
The investment is part of Telstra Country Wide’s ongoing rollout of improved infrastructure into regional Australia.
In a project costing more than $5 million, optic fibre cable and equipment has been installed to increase network capacity between Tamworth, Armidale and Coffs Harbour.
Additionally, this project will also provide increased data capacity between local telephone exchanges in the region back to Sydney and beyond.
Other local projects include:
- A $10.6 million project to supply high capacity links from the Armidale and Tamworth region to national and international networks;
- A $1.8 million project to link Glen Innes, Tenterfield, Casino and Woolgoola as well as Inverell, Delungra, Moree, Narrabri and Gunnedah to Tamworth and Armidale;
- About $800,000 invested at Armidale Airport and Acacia Park Industrial Estate to cater for future growth; and
- Technology upgrades to regional networks to improve services to local schools as part of a NSW Department of Education and Training contract.
Telstra Countrywide’s area general manager for North West NSW Richard Bourne said the investment demonstrated Telstra’s commitment to improving telecommunications by investing in regional and remote areas such as Tamworth, Armidale, Burren Junction and Rowena.
“With the completion of these upgrades, local residents and businesses in the region will also enjoy more reliable phone and internet services and faster data speeds than they may have experienced previously,” he said.
Mr Bourne said the optic fibre cabling would also form part of the infrastructure for Telstra’s new Next IPTM network, which together with Telstra’s Next GTM network, will create a powerful single integrated platform - the largest integrated national network in the world.
Optical fibre differs from copper technology because it allows a vast amount of data to be transferred using pulses of light carried along a glass tube that is only slightly thicker then a single strand of hair.
© 2010 Armidale Express
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