NBN Co reveals future foray into smart buildings

NBN Co will launch a new internet service for connected systems in smart buildings, with individual homes and commercial facilities both appearing to be targets.

The company will call the new offering ‘smart connect’, which it describes as “a ‘modular’ wholesale Layer 2 product to be offered to facilities management [and/or] utilities as an ancillary service.”

Smart connect will be able to provide connectivity to “all non-broadband applications within the facility, such as intercom, metering, CCTV, health and safety alarms [and] building management systems.”

An NBN Co spokesperson confirmed the development of the product, which is currently intended to launch in the third quarter of 2022.

“We are always looking at ways of continuing to evolve our products, and this is no different,” the spokesperson told iTnews.

“The product aims to enable smart buildings and facilities by providing connectivity to in-home applications such as health and safety alarms, intercom, smart meters and building management systems on the same NBN Fibre network that delivers NBN Ethernet service.”

NBN Co is no stranger to connecting non-premises infrastructure, and in fact first revealed its intentions to move into effectively IoT-type services while attending a London conference in late 2016.

It launched a commercial IoT product in September 2019 after several trials, including providing connectivity to traffic lights.