With the introduction of the National Broadband Network (NBN) into Australian homes now underway, homeowners, renovators and new home builders are being encouraged to take practical steps to prepare their home to take full advantage of the benefits that the NBN will offer.

Clipsal by Schneider Electric data and integrated communications general manager Ashley Ralph says, “Australians love technology and our homes are filled with multiple technologies – tablets, home offices, smart TVs, game consoles, smartphones and more. So complex is the mix of technology used in the home that households need to start thinking about how their home is wired and cabled to do what they want to do now and what they’ll want to do in the future.

“Those looking to build or renovate need to be thinking about what they want their home to do technologically in five, ten or twenty years’ time – it’s much easier and more cost effective to implement these things now than to wait and retrofit later down the track. The NBN is going to offer homeowners opportunities in entertainment, healthcare and education, however to capitalise on these opportunities, it’s vital that wiring and cabling in the home is future proofed.”

There will be a need for both hard wired cabling and wireless technology in the home. To optimise Smart TV downloads and streaming will require wired cabling while, iPad and portable connectivity will required wireless configuration.

Some things homeowners should consider include:

· How much space the equipment and cables will require
· Compatibility for wireless devices
· How to make the installation safe
· How to protect the installation from accidental damage
· If technology may change how some larger or smaller equipment could be fitted over time
· Making the installation neat, matching the investment and look of the home
· Could other people buy the home later and have different needs to yours
· Easy access for people to make repairs or changes safely

“To date, cabling and equipment enclosures have not hit the mark aesthetically for house proud homeowners. Clipsal has taken this insight to develop an Enclosure Box that safely houses all the NBN cabling and equipment, and accommodates all the gear from a variety of network and service providers as well as home networking needs,” Ashley says.

“For homeowners looking to be NBN ready, it is important they provide space for networking equipment that can be upgraded over time and install quality data cabling to locations in the home where they think technology will be most used.

“There’s already high demand for our Enclosure Boxes – we’re currently selling over 2000 of the Australian designed and developed Boxes a month.”

The Enclosure Box provides:

Greater level of safety, storage for excess cordage, and protection from accidental damage
Be placed in the garage or on a low visibility wall cavity to blend in with the design and decor of the house
Materials made of a non-metallic material to allow for the fitting or wireless networking equipment
It allows for many connectivity options and allows customers to specify one enclosure for nearly all applications

“We are encouraging all homeowners to understand the long term value of the communications infrastructure and make it a real part of their home design, through options such as the Enclosure Box,“ Ashley says.