NBN Co awards field service, fibre maintenance deals

NBN Co has awarded contracts collectively worth at least $142 million for the maintenance of its fibre network and activation of NBN equipment in homes and businesses.

The company handed Service Stream a two-year deal worth an estimated $64 million for work in Victoria, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and South Australia.

Service Stream said in an ASX filling that it expected the deal to generate revenues of $80 million, including $16 million to come from "specified materials".

The same work in Queensland, NSW and the ACT will be handled by Silcar in a deal worth up to $78 million over two years.

Both contracts come with two one-year extension options, NBN Co said.

"We already have contracts in place for the physical construction of the fibre optic network," NBN Co's head of operations Steve Christian said.

"Now we also have contracts for the maintenance of the network an the installation and activation of NBN boxes in homes and businesses across the country."

The contracts awarded today officially cover field services delivery (FSD) and network augmentation and restoration activities (NARA), according to Service Stream.

"Under the FSD contract, Service Stream will install Network Termination Devices and Power Supply Units within end users' premises," Service Stream said in an ASX filing.

"In addition, Service Stream will install underground and aerial fibre lead-ins to premises.

"Under the NARA contract, Service Stream will provide services ... relating to the repair and relocation of infrastructure, including the fibre between points of interconnect and end users' premises."

Visionstream is already handling similar responsibilities in Tasmania as part of a wider $300 million contract awarded back in March.

Christian believed the new contracts would be a boon for technicians and installers, with up to 2000 jobs set to be created.