NBN Co upgrades capacity to almost 200 wireless towers

NBN Co has spent the past week performing capacity upgrades for almost 200 fixed wireless towers in six states and territories.

The sizable portion of upgrades began on July 24 with most work expected to wrap up today, barring any extensions to maintenance windows.

The largest proportion of work focused on towers in Victoria (89) followed by NSW (66), based on analysis by iTnews.

NBN Co said in advisories sighted by iTnews that the “upgrade work is expected to improve the overall performance of the fixed wireless network in the areas”.

“However, not all users will necessarily notice an improvement to their service,” the network builder said.

“For example, this upgrade may be intended to improve other services in the area or may be one of several related upgrades planned for the area.”

An NBN Co spokesperson told iTnews the chunk of upgrades were part of the extra $800 million announced in last year’s corporate plan to remediate the fixed wireless network.

“In 2018 we committed an additional $800 million investment to improve the customer experience on the fixed wireless network,” the spokesperson said.

“Our upgrades have begun to show signs of improvement and we will keep working to further improve the fixed wireless network in the coming months and into the future, as we continue with our planned upgrade activity.”

NBN Co’s fixed wireless woes are the combination of legacy network provisioning decisions and issues that were not previously captured in internal reporting of congestion levels.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has previously raised the prospect of forcing NBN Co to pay rebates to users stuck in congested cells; unsurprisingly, the network builder is against the idea.

It is understood that retail service providers (RSPs) are given weekly updates by NBN Co on planned wireless infrastructure upgrades.

The upgrades over the past week have focused on towers in:

NSW

Brombin, Comboyne, Oxley Highway, Mount Cairncross, Beechwood North, Fernbank Creek, Hibbord, Lake Innes, Telegraph Point, Mt Gladstone, Mt Roberts, Adaminaby Town, Bunyan, Numeralla, Barraba, Bilborough Lookout, Uki, Chillingham, Zara, Woolomin, Lyeholme, Duri, Kingswood Reservoir, Calala Lane, Sugarloaf Mountain, Calala South, Mt Crawney, Nundle, Gulgong, Cooks Gap, Dunedoo, Cooyal, Eurunderee, Kains Flat, Yarrawonga, Broombee, Coolah, Coolah South, Culcairn, Loka, Jindera, Table Top, Albury North, Burrumbuttock, Walla Walla, Mt Crawney, Mt Gillamatong, Majors Creek, Rossi, Captains Flat, Sussex Inlet, Tomerong, Falls Creek East, Wandandian, Falls Creek West, Huskisson, Yoogali North, Mt Bingar, Lake Wyangan, Barellan, Yenda, Bilbul, Yenda North, Tharbogang, Hanwood North, Channon

QLD

Pittsworth, Southbrook, Brookstead, Glenvale, Kybong North, Qunaba, Elliott Heads, Coonarr, Aloomba, Gordonvale, Deeral, Green Hill, Greenmount East, Nobby, Clifton, Gilldora, Amamoor 

VIC

Bundalong, Yarrawonga Central, Brinkworth, Koolunga, Blyth, Snowtown, Crystal Brook, Redhill, Bunyip South, Longwarry, Tonimbuk, Heaths Hill, Hallora, Poowong Central, Loch South, Pomonal, One Tree Hill Ararat , Moyston, Great Western, Stawell, Mt William, Halls Gap, Willaura, Clare North, Sevenhill, Quarry Hill, Andrews, Farrell Flat, Spalding, Mintaro, Nungurner, Kalimna, Lake Bunga, Alfredton, Enfield, Haddon, Ross Creek, Sebastopol South, Haddon West, Smythesdale, Mount Helen University, Buninyong Golf Course, Mt Shadwell, Caramut, Lake Bolac, Streatham, Lemnos, Zeerust, Congupna, Katandra West, Tallygaroopna, Orrvale, Dookie, Morris Nook, Tungamah, Bendigo South, Emu Creek, Huntly North, Eppalock, Junortoun, Mandurang South, Sedgewick, Goornong, Ladys Pass, Lewiston East, Roseworthy, Wasleys, Virginia, Waterloo Corner, Port Gawler, Edinburgh, Gawler West, Hillier, Angle Vale, Evanston South, Two Wells, Longwarry, Bunyip South, Tonimbuk, Heaths Hill, Hallora, Poowong Central, Loch South, Mount Direction, Deviot, Lower Turners Marsh, Swan Bay North, Toongabbie, Toongabbie North

WA

Georgina, Walkaway, South Hedland

SA

Waterloo Corner, Edinburgh, Port Gawler, Virginia, Cape Jervis, American River, Penneshaw, Kingscote, Emu Bay South, Kingscote Central, Nepean Bay West, Winter Hill, Pearlah, Wanilla, Cummins, North Shields, Wangary, Coffin Bay, Port Lincoln South, Louth Bay

TAS

Lilydale, Lilydale Central, Mt Dismal