The NBN Is Delayed



NBN Co has announced today that it is experiencing a three-month delay in its roll-out targets, meaning that you probably won’t get the NBN when you thought you did.

The company rolling out the National Broadband Network has officially now scaled back its forecast construction timetable to reflect a three-month delay.

It had aimed to hit 341,000 premises by June 30, but now it expects to hit those three months after the fact.

That means that NBN Co now is aiming to pass between 190,000 and 220,000 homes and businesses by June 30 rather than the 341,000 it had aimed for.

The cause of the delay has been attributed to NBN Co’s contract construction partners who have had trouble meeting their committments to the project.

NBN Co has now taken over management of the Northern Territory roll-out so that one of its construction partners, Syntheo, can focus on other sites.

NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley stressed today on a hastily organised conference call that it was a three-month delay in a decade-long roll-out, and added that it was a short-term issue that wouldn’t affect either the cost or the overall completion date of the NBN.

Federal Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has shamed NBN Co’s press announcement this afternoon, accusing the company of dumping negative news during a controversial leadership spill:

@j_hutch how cynical. #NBN uses Labor's leadership drama as cover to announce its rollout shortfall -news it has been sitting on for weeks. — Malcolm Turnbull (@TurnbullMalcolm) March 21, 2013

Quigley responded to that criticism however with this little gem: