Over the next three years, construction of the fibre optic component of the network will be underway or completed in areas containing 3.5 million premises in 1500 communities in every state and territory in Australia – up to one third of the nation’s homes and businesses.

The latest communities to benefit from the vital upgrade to Australia’s communications infrastructure were announced by Prime Minister Julia Gillard at an event in Sydney this morning.

The full list of localities where the network is up and running, where work is underway and where work is scheduled to begin before mid-2015 can be viewed on the communities in the rollout page. Communities can also check the progress of the rollout by typing in their location or postcode into the interactive NBN rollout map.

The figures include the three quarters of a million premises where construction work is underway or set to begin this year, including the eight early locations where the fibre network is already in service.

Landmark agreement paves way for volume rollout

The expansion of construction follows the coming into force at the start of the month the milestone definitive agreements between NBN Co and Telstra.

The deal delivers value to taxpayers by enabling NBN Co to build the network faster and more efficiently than would otherwise have been the case. Access to Telstra’s existing infrastructure, such as its underground ducts and exchanges, will also reduce disruption to communities.

NBN Co chief executive Mike Quigley says, “This is a significant day for Australia’s digital future.

“Construction contracts are in place and the major commercial and regulatory hurdles have been cleared, giving us the momentum we need to deliver better broadband to every Australian no matter where they live.

“The NBN is not just about faster internet – it’s about an upgrade to the infrastructure that will underpin the delivery of vital applications that Australians will need over the coming decades. This is a great step forward in preparing our country for the future and helping to address some of its biggest challenges in healthcare, education and business.”

Connecting Australia

The rollout of the NBN follows a series of design principles that aim to deliver a high-speed broadband network in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

These principles includes first extending the network in areas where work has already begun; balancing construction across states and territories and between metropolitan and regional locations; and making use of available exchange and transit infrastructure as it becomes available.

The entire construction project is expected to take around a decade to complete, with 93% of premises receiving broadband via fibre optic cable, 4% via fixed-wireless and the remaining 3% by satellite.

On average it is estimated to take around 12 months from the release by NBN Co of detailed maps of each location to the time when householders and businesses can order broadband services from their telephone or internet service provider.

NBN Co does not charge consumers for a standard installation of the NBN to a home or business. All Australian homes and businesses within the fibre footprint will be given access to voice and internet services over the NBN as the copper telephone lines and cable telecommunications networks are progressively switched off.