Point Cook stats reveal desire for fibre

More than 300 houses covered by a fibre-to-the-home trial network in Point Cook near Melbourne have traded their copper lines for superfast broadband, Telstra said.

The two-month trial sees Telstra, sub-wholesalers and high-profile ISPs competing to migrate locals to the telco's fibre network and related retail internet services.

Participating providers included Internode, Exetel, Dodo, ispONE, Platform Networks and Fortana.

There are about 1500 houses covered by the Telstra fibre network, which replaces pair-gain systems that had led to the suburb being listed as a ‘broadband blackspot'.

Telstra said late last week that it had signed a fifth of residents to its broadband plans.

It's unclear how many of the 1200 or so remaining residents opted for broadband service another ISP.

An Exetel spokesman told iTnews it had signed up 63 residents.

Internode managing director Simon Hackett didn't reveal figures but told iTnews: "We've certainly signed up enough customers to form a valid set of test cases".

ISPs were contacted for comment.

The trial results were expected to be handed to NBN Co as part of a deal brokered late last year. It was understood that results had not changed hands yet.