Over the past few years, there has been a lot of talk about the practicalities of rolling out a national network of fibre optic cabling and the technology that will be used. Here, Paul Skelton speaks to one sub-contractor in regional NSW who has hands-on experience.

As Australia’s largest ever infrastructure project, the National Broadband Network (NBN) is an ambitious plan to deliver high-speed broadband to all Australians via a wholesale-only, open access, highspeed network. On completion, the NBN should provide broadband speeds of up to 100Mbps, up to 100 times faster than most Australians have ready access to today.

At ground level, the installation involves the laying of fibre optic cable to 93% of Australian homes, schools and businesses – with remaining areas to be connected via a combination of next-generation high speed wireless and satellite technologies.

The physical construction of the NBN infrastructure involves building networks in public streets, as well as connecting individual premises. Public street works include all activities required to install fibre optic cables and related equipment, be it underground or overhead. Connection to individual premises includes the installation of optical fibre cable – again, either underground or overhead – from the street to the equipment fixed on the outside of each home. Each area will work off a number of fibre distribution hubs, all connected to one central RSP backhaul.

Since the project commenced there has been an incredible injection of funds into the industry that has resulted in hundreds of new jobs in manufacturing and installation companies all around the nation.

David Relf and his Armidale, NSWbased company, Network Infrastructure Services (NIS), were among the first subcontractors to benefit from the rollout.

In May 2011, seven residents of Armidale were the first in mainland Australia to connect to the NBN.

“When Armidale was announced as one of the first release sites, NIS was in a strong position to offer its services. All we needed to do was organise equipment and personnel,” David says.

“Then, when Silcar was announced as the contractor in charge of the rollout in this region, we were able to help.”

In the initial stages of the project, NIS connected the street infrastructure to houses. Then, after several months constructing and installing underground infrastructure, the company was asked to provide aerial services and infrastructure to multi-dwelling units (MDUs).

“People need to understand that the NBN is a retrofit installation, the scale of which has never been done anywhere else in the world. As such, there are some quite unique challenges we have to face, particularly those that are under the ground.

“In our region there is a lot of rock and granite underground. There are big floaters. The guys that have been drilling have often hit them, so there’s a big requirement for them to be precise so they can stay online.

“Then when you get out into areas that have been around for a number of years – old subdivisions or older parts of town – there are power cables, telephone lines, gas pipes, stormwater drains and mains water pipes everywhere, which create a lot of challenges.

“In newer towns and subdivisions it’s a lot easier. In a lot of areas we’ve installed aerial cabling because there are power poles everywhere, which make installation quicker and cheaper, but just like everything else, these present their own challenges to work through.”

To excavate the trenches needed to lay the hundreds of kilometres of fibre optic cable throughout the region, NIS invested in several new machines.

“As we are digging into public footpaths and private property, the choice of machinery was essential. We needed something that was fast and had a light footprint to minimise potential damage to the land along which we were travelling,” David says.

With so many options available to cablers, the team at NIS had to do their homework to select the right trencher for the job. It was an exhaustive process that ever contractor will have to go through as they become familiar with their individual sets of circumstances.

“In late 2011 we purchased five Toro trenchers with back fi ll blades. We chose two wide-track mini-loaders and three trenchers. As we have to work in a variety of conditions and locations, we thought the sit down mini-loader would be perfect for working in wide spaces and the walk-behind trenchers more suited for the often tight spaces of front yards.

“Toro trenchers cut a fine trench and provide a very neat finish on lawns. Also, having tools with a track system rather than wheels allows for a much tighter turning area, increased stability and eliminates tyre ruts. And the control system doesn’t require jerk-style steering like handle bar trenchers. Three simple controls operate all traction and trenching functions, which make it easy for our crews to use.”

With the rollout now in full swing, in any particular week NIS has between 15 and 20 workers out in the fi eld boring, trenching, excavating and vacuum excavating.

“My son is working up in Coffs Harbour, running a team of people there. We’ve got a number of workers in Armidale, including a lot of local indigenous guys, who have been absolutely fantastic. We also really try to encourage the training of guys who have been long-term unemployed and hope they’ll stay with us as we move to different regions,” David says.

“We’ve also been busy making sure we have all of the necessary skills in-house to offer scoping, design, rollout, hauling and connection.

“Ultimately, we want to become a one-stop shop for fibre installation. I also want to make sure that our company is prepared and able to, say, connect a complete town to the NBN from skills we have on staff.”

The upgrade to Australia’s ageing communications infrastructure project is expected to take around a decade to complete. At 30 June 2012, construction had already commenced or was complete for approximately 305,000 premises across the country, with activity in every state and territory.

By the end of December 2012, that number is forecast to rise to approximately 758,000 premises. By mid- 2015, construction will have commenced or be completed for approximately 3.5 million premises.