NBN Geraldton
Geraldton is located 424km north of Perth on Australia’s west coast and is the fourth-largest city in Western Australia. The city is known for mining, fishing, wheat, sheep and tourism, and is one of the locations nominated by the Federal Government for the rollout of fibre as part of its Regional Broadband Blackspots Program.
Geraldton is a regional backbone 'black spot’, which is being provided as part of a national project by fibre provider, NextGen Network. As part of the tender, regional communities that may be addressed on proposed routes could include Dongara and Port Denison.
The blackspot fibre rollout will span from Perth to Geraldton and Dongara/Port Denison. The fibre will ultimately reach to the Murchison area too, which is the location of one of the satellites involved in Australia and New Zealand’s joint bid for the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) astronomical project.
Geraldton is one of 14 second release sites planned for the mainland. Announced on 8 July 2010 by NBN Co, construction is set to begin in the second quarter of 2011 for 3,000 premises.