Tasmanian premier proposes NBN solution

A potential solution to the stalled NBN rollout in Tasmania has been proposed by the state's premier.

Tasmania Premier Lara Giddings

Lara Giddings (AAP)

Tasmania's premier is proposing overhead cables on power poles to revive the stalled National Broadband Network rollout around the island state.

Labor premier Lara Giddings has presented the plan to the new federal government and says she has received positive feedback.

Ms Giddings is asking state-owned power company Aurora to put a detailed proposal together.

Tasmania was to be one of the first locations to receive the NBN but the rollout has slowed amid asbestos fears and contractual wrangling.

Ms Giddings' plan would avoid the need to use the Telstra pits posing the asbestos problem and reportedly cut $100 million from the $300 million cost of the project.

Only about 30,000 of 200,000 premises in the state have been passed by the NBN, which was promised to Tasmania by the former federal Labor government by 2015.

Ms Giddings is concerned Tasmania's potential to become a digital hub will be jeopardised if delays continue.

"I am deeply concerned that Tasmania's first-mover advantage and the jobs and investment of the new digital economy could be lost under the coalition's second-rate fibre-to-the-node plan," the premier told local media.

"That is why I have asked Aurora to prepare a brief on using its existing power pole network to deliver optic fibre, which we will provide to the Australian government.

"This technique has the potential to ensure that the NBN can continue to be rolled out in a cheaper and more efficient way."

Federal communications minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he is awaiting the detailed plan.

The NBN rollout is being reviewed following the coalition's federal election win.


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Source: AAP


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