New Connections - May 2012

NBN Co's facilities access service is now live and available for our service providers to order. The service is designed to allow you to establish and maintain a physical presence in each of our 121 points-of-interconnect around Australia as they become available. The service is designed to also be used by providers of long-distance transmission links to enable them to carry traffic to and from each of our points-of-interconnect.

The facilities access service is made up of three components:

• Optical Distribution Frame Termination Point: When a long-distance transmission link gets connected to one of our points-of-interconnect, it will plug into a piece of equipment called an 'Optical Distribution Frame'.
• Cross-Connect: This is a cable that physically connects the fibre, wireless and satellite networks that we are installing in Australian homes and business to the long-distance transmission links that connects the NBN to the internet.
• Co-Located Racks: Transmission link providers and customers of NBN Co also have the option to install equipment in our points-of-interconnect. For example, our customers may choose to install routers or servers to more efficiently manage their internet traffic. Customers who choose to do this can rent 'racks' in our points-of-interconnect where they can locate this equipment.

You can order a new facilities access service through the operations portal or contact your NBN Co account manager.

Find out more about the facilities access service.

Over the past few months, the NBN Co product team has been conducting research on our interim satellite service. The research focused on the overall experience of access seekers and end-users in using the service, and to uncover opportunities for improvement. Overall, NBN's interim satellite service is delivering to expectations, with 82% of end users surveyed satisfied with their overall experience which considers areas such as:

• speed and reliability,
• service and support from their provider,
• performance of applications,
• perceived value for money, and
• their installation experience.

Further, 68% of end users surveyed would recommend the service to a friend or neighbour, with another 7% of end users surveyed indicating they would be likely to recommend it when asked.

"It's changed everything, a whole new world has opened up and now there is no stopping me" "We feel very lucky to have it compared to the old internet - it's a privilege" "It makes us even more happy about our decision to live in this amazing part of the world - we are not missing out" "It is very fast and after having dial up for so many years, it is a God send"

Using their service?
55% of end users surveyed told us they were already doing more online, with most using the internet for functional tasks to 'make life easier (such as email, banking, shopping and general browsing for research or leisure).

A smaller percentage, around 33%, had started to take advantage of higher allowances and speeds to download or stream TV, videos or music, while 17% had tried something new since connecting (most popular of these: Skype, online shopping and social networking).

What could we do better?
Although a great overall experience and a big improvement on previous connections for most customers, there are still some opportunities to improve. Here is what we are now working on:

• Clearer guidelines around eligibility and simplifying the eligibility process: End users told us that the process to connect wasn't always clear, and that the eligibility process wasn't ideal; “Nobody likes filling out forms” was one user's comment. Users can check eligibility online, and we are working on a simpler process for existing ABG customers to check their eligibility and register. You can also register potential customers by checking eligibility on their behalf (with their consent).
• Building awareness and understanding of NBN interim satellite: New customers were looking for more information on the benefits of the NBN and Satellite technologies before they were ready to connect. NBN Co and DBCDE (Department of Broadband Communications and the Digital Economy) have now launched education campaigns in regional and remote areas to build awareness and understanding of the NBN's rollout and the benefits of high speed access through the interim satellite service, to help access seekers focus on getting customers connected and delivering exceptional customer experiences.
• Process improvements: Over the coming months we plan to improve the overall process, systems and escalation points across the various stakeholders, to ensure that you can deliver timely answers back to your customers. We are also planning to work with our vendors to simplify the processes and escalation points for end user queries and service issues.

to find out more about our customer design research program or speak to your NBN Co account manager.

The "Preparing for the NBN" booklets for fibre and fixed wireless are now available for you to co-brand. These end user guides are designed to provide your customers with important information they need after ordering a new service over the NBN such as what the installation process involves and where the in-premises equipment may be installed.

We recognise sending the booklet is an opportunity for you to re-enforce your relationship with your customers, so you may select from the following three options when creating your version of the booklet:

Option 1 Send the NBN Co version of Preparing for the NBN, with no changes or additions.
Option 2 Send a co-branded Preparing for the NBN booklet.
Option 3 Use the content from the NBN Co Preparing for the NBN booklet to create your own version.

If you choose option 2 or 3, we will provide you with editable files to allow you to customise the booklets. Remember, by using the Preparing for the NBN guide/s you agree to comply with our brand use terms and guidelines.

Your NBN Co account manager will be in contact soon with more information on how you can access these materials.

NBN Live showcases applications that could benefit from services provided over the National Broadband Network. In this month's NBN live we showcase T.H.E. Exchange, an event that has been developed by Regional Development Australia - Mid North Coast. It aims to showcase the benefits of higher broadband speeds and the use of technology to businesses, individuals and the entire community on the Mid North Coast of NSW.

Read more

Market Perspectives shares the latest trends and insights from around the world. In the May edition of Market Perspectives we focus on The Informa Telcoms and Media whitepaper, which investigates today's smartphone user and the active decisions they make about usage.

Read more

Our May ready for service plan is now available for download.

Based on industry feedback, the Monthly Ready for Service Rollout plan has been updated to include a place holder for the points of interconnect (POIs) rollout details. This should be populated over the next few months. A new Historical Rollout Region List has also been introduced which captures the details of all active brownfields, greenfields and fixed wireless areas once they transition off the Monthly Ready For Service Rollout plan. This file is emailed directly to access seekers via a distribution list with the Historical Footprint List. Please contact your NBN Co account manager to be added to this distribution list.

You can download the presentation and webinar from our recent Planning for the Rollout event held in Melbourne and Sydney.

Read more about our May ready for service plan.