A Western Australian Council is set to partner with NBN Co to create a Business Fibre Zone, which will provide local businesses with better internet speeds.
The new zone – located in Cockburn Central – has been made possible through co-investment between NBN Co and the City of Cockburn.
More than 1,200 businesses will benefit from the new agreement, supporting greater productivity and driving innovation in Perth’s southern suburbs.
The new zone is set to allow eligible customers to access NBN Co’s premium business product with no upfront build costs.
There are currently 321 NBN Business Fibre Zones across Australia, where customers can access NBN Co’s Enterprise Ethernet and its faster upload and download speeds, data options that can scale up to close to 10Gbps, and a 24/7 local support centre.
NBN Business Fibre Zones are available in 142 regional centres across Australia, including 30 in Western Australia covering almost 83,000 businesses.
These zones are designed to help businesses grow and support jobs growth – with recent research by the Bureau of Communications, Arts and Regional Research showing the productivity benefits of the NBN to businesses across Australia.
Additional construction work will be undertaken by NBN Co to roll out fibre, with local businesses able to access the super-fast, world-class fibre broadband from early August 2023.
The Federal Government’s October Budget invested $2.4 billion to expand full-fibre NBN access to an additional 1.5 million premises – 660,000 of which will be in rural and regional communities across Australia.
Federal Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said reliable, quality, high speed internet is not a luxury or nice-to-have, it is essential 21st century infrastructure.
“That’s why I’m so excited by this partnership between NBN Co and the City of Cockburn to establish a new Business Fibre Zone right here in Perth,” Ms Rowland said.
“These zones will play a vital role in empowering businesses with the infrastructure they need to thrive and reach their full potential.
“The Federal Government is committed to delivering faster and more reliable broadband to businesses across Australia, and the new Cockburn Business Fibre Zone is a great example of what we can achieve through collaboration with local councils and communities.”
Member for Fremantle, Josh Wilson, said this announcement means businesses in Cockburn will be able to enjoy the benefits of a faster, more reliable fibre connection, which will help the region reach its potential.
“This new zone will provide our local businesses with the infrastructure they need to compete in the global marketplace, attract new investments, and foster economic growth within the region of Cockburn,” Mr Wilson said.
“I welcome NBN Co and the City of Cockburn’s commitment to supporting local businesses in Cockburn, and encourage the community to check the NBN website to see whether they would benefit from an upgrade.”