NSW mulls fibre for public housing

The NSW Government is examining the potential upgrade of internet infrastructure in multi-dwelling units (MDUs) owned by the state Department of Housing from copper to fibre.

Although nothing is confirmed, the chair of the state's NBN Taskforce Peter Duncan said today that the Government has looked at Department of Housing units "as an area we can trial" the retrofit of fibre to housing unit blocks that currently have ADSL infrastructure.

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Duncan was unwilling to disclose whether the state would fund its own fibre trial or whether it would tail into first-release sites for the national broadband network, two of which - Kiama Downs/Minnamurra and Armidale - fall in NSW.

The taskforce is examining ways the state can benefit from the fibre infrastructure to be deployed in these sites.

Duncan said the taskforce, in conjunction with the NSW Department of Health, is also "investigating options for e-health in first release sites."