Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor today joined Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield on Cole Street to check progress of Goulburn’s nbn fibre rollout. Mr Taylor said Goulburn was the first of Hume’s major centres to receive nbn fibre.

“Technicians are right now running fibre through conduits along Cole Street in central Goulburn. The rollout started a couple of months ago in the city’s north and will cover 11 and a half thousand premises in Goulburn. It’s terrific to have the Minister here to see the progress being made,” Mr Taylor said.

Minister Fifield said Goulburn’s access to the NBN would be progressively switched on from July 2016.

“NBN fibre is arriving in Goulburn and local member Angus Taylor has been a strong campaigner in this space. Importantly there will be an NBN solution for everyone in Hume – fibre, fixed wireless towers or satellite,” Minister Fifield said.

“Residents can sign up on the nbnCo website to be notified when their address is serviceable and then contact their preferred phone or internet provider to order a connection.”

Mr Taylor said the nbn fibre would replace most landline and existing internet services in Goulburn, including all services that currently run on existing copper lines.

“Everyone receiving the fixed line nbn will need to switch their existing phone and internet services to the nbn within 18 months of the area going live. nbnCo is encouraging people to do this sooner rather than later to access faster broadband,” Mr Taylor said.

He said the major contracting firm Broadspectrum had been actively seeking to engage local employees and sub-contractors around Goulburn to carry out the civil works, which meant more local jobs.

Caption: Communications Minister Mitch Fifield joining Member for Hume Angus Taylor on Friday at a field inspection of NBN fibre being laid in Cole Street Goulburn.