The NBN Co and the NSW Government have announced a co-investment deal that will rollout enhanced broadband services to Coonabarabran, Baradine and Binnaway.

The partnership will see an upgrade to full fibre for eligible Coonabarabran residents and the installation of fixed wireless through the construction or co-location of new fixed wireless towers in Baradine and Binnaway that will utilise 5G millimetre wave technology to help deliver faster internet speeds.

Additional premises in Coonabarabran will be able to have fibre connected to their house or business by ordering a suitable wholesale speed tier and the towns of Baradine and Binnaway will be able to connect to the internet using high speed 5G fixed wireless.

“The program will enable homes and businesses currently in the NBN satellite footprint, such as the area around Coonabarabran and the towns of Binnaway and Baradine, to access NBN fixed wireless services for the first time,” a spokesperson for the NBN Co said.

“This is the next step in the evolution of the network. In order to upgrade the NBN fixed wireless network, we are using a combination of existing technology, new software and integrating the latest 5G technology to vastly extend the range, speed and capacity of our existing fixed wireless network.

“Homes and businesses within the fixed line footprint in Coonabarabran will be able to benefit from the full fibre upgrade program.”

NBN Co says that this project means that people who benefit from the new fixed wireless towers will also experience the advantages of the parallel upgrade program including busy period speeds of 50Mbps (download), by the end of 2024.

“Over the next few months, we will commence detailed planning and engage with the community as to when the upgrades will occur.  The whole project will be completed by end of December 2025.

“We encourage people to register their address on our website to find out more information about which upgrade program they may be eligible for.”

A new mobile tower is on the cards for Baradine to receive NBN fixed wireless broadband.

Background

Background information provided by the NBN Co states that the integration of next generation 5G technology will help extend the range, speed and capacity of the NBN fixed wireless network, while reducing latency to deliver the best possible customer experience.

The user’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved, depend on the NBN access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to the premises and some factors, such as equipment quality, software, broadband plan, signal reception, and how the service provider designs its network.

Speeds may also be impacted by the number of concurrent users on the NBN fixed wireless network, including during busy periods.

Coonabarabran technical expert, Rob Deans says that 5G provides better and faster internet speeds and should be more reliable.

“5G is more applicable to the mobile phone side of things and will give better access to the internet when using your phone,” explained Rob.

“As far as a home desktop computer goes, it depends on how you connect to the internet. Whether you use your phone as a hotspot or using an ordinary modem/ADSL; that’s where fibre technology comes in. 

“As I understand it from the information on fixed wireless currently available, you have to have a wireless access point and a modem in the house that can it pick up by using an aerial connection on the roof.   Fixed wireless will most benefit those currently getting 4G.  To get the faster speed, you will need a phone with 5G capabilities.

“It is a big change, but it will be a newer technology and there will no longer be the need for ADSL, which is old and slow.

“Questions I would be asking are what will the cost of installing a fixed wireless receiver be, and if you would need an up-to-date modem with a special sim card on a data plan.

“As yet, we don’t know what the costs will be, if any, but overall, it is good news.”

More information on all aspects of this NBN upgrade should be available after the NSW Government election at the end of this month.