Australia - National Broadband Network - Overview of major contracts

Synopsis

Soon after its inception NBN Co started a pre-tender process that resulted in a list of approved suppliers. The project is divided into relatively large sub-projects. The approved suppliers are basically in charge of those subsections and they are responsible for their own subcontractors and other suppliers that need to be involved in these projects.

This level of outsourcing first of all was needed to overcome the start-up phase of NBN Co – it simply did not have the resources to become involved in more detail. The outsourcing was also needed to enable concentration on the management of the projects rather than on the detailed execution.

In the running up to the 2013 federal election there was a rush of investments aimed at securing as much as possible FTTH connections before the likely loss of these elections for the ruling Labor Party, the instigators of the project. After the election the new government dramatically changed the NBN from a FTTH to one based on a mix of multiple technologies. Telstra emerged as the major beneficiary of new contracts based on existing infrastructure, which is mainly owned by the company.

This report tracks the various contracts. We obviously do not claim to cover 100% of those contracts, and in some cases it is difficult to track possible changes made to these contracts once they have been awarded.

Furthermore, the report provides strategic peer reviews from overseas and we also discuss issues around technologies such as the Network Operation Centre, the Optical Network Terminal, Points-of-Interconnect and IPTV versus RF Video.

Companies mentioned in this report:

NBN Co, Warren & Brown Technologies, Corning, Alcatel-Lucent, Prysmian, ETSA Utilities, Ergon Energy, Silcar, Transfield Services, Telstra, Nokia Siemens, Global Switch, Polaris Data Centre, IBM, VisionStream Australia, Madison Technologies, Optimal, OFS, 3M, TE Connectivity, Emerson Network Power, Service Stream, Syntheo, Lend Lease Group, Cisco, Verizon, Geomatic Technologies, Via Sat, Prysmian, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens, AccessTel Kentrox, Oracle, Perkins (WA) Pty Ltd, Cockram Corp.