Federal MPs hooked up with early cabling

GEELONG’S federal electorate offices have received fibre optic internet connections months before the National Broadband Network rollout arrives in the city.
Telstra has a $23 million government contract to upgrade telecommunications services to the offices of MPs, including Corio’s Richard Marles and Corangamite’s Darren Cheeseman.
Geelong’s NBN rollout of optic fibre to homes and businesses is scheduled to begin in June.
Mr Marles said Department of Parliamentary Services made the decision for MPs to have cabling earlier.
A briefing at City Hall this week updated businesses and stakeholders on the rollout.
Councillor Rod Macdonald said residents would see NBN trucks on the streets in June, starting in North Geelong.
“Planning is underway now and we’te ensuring there are opportunities for local jobs on the NBN rollout.”
Cr Macdonald said construction and telecommunications firm Transfield Services would contract local jobs as part of its $133 million contract to construct the NBN in Victoria.
Job opportunities would include technical and non-technical roles, including optic fibre splicing, cable hauling, customer cabling, civil construction and traffic management, he said.
“The job now is to let business and the community know what the NBN means for them. As an example, we had to spend $20,000 on extra phone lines in our regional libraries to cope with the increased internet demand.”
NBNCo has given Gordon TAFE a grant to train telecommunications workers in preparation for the rollout, according to the institute ICT program manager Steve Gale.
The subsidy would enable locals to train in fibre optics and gain a Certificate III in Telecommunications fibre splicer stream, he said.
“There’s been no demand for it before, so not many people have these skills but the NBN will need workers with the training.”
He said the subsidy would reduce the course fee for participants who failed to qualify for a government subsidised place.
The course begins on 1 March.