STUDENTS will be among the first Wyndham residents to benefit from the high-speed National Broadband Network as technicians prepare to install cabling to 2700 premises across Werribee.
A new rollout map, released this month by NBN Co, shows construction will begin within the next 12 months in the area between Railway Avenue and Ballan and Heaths roads.
St Andrews Primary School and Wyndham Central College (formerly Galvin Park) last week received confirmation that their schools would soon be plugged in to the fibre-optic network.
Wyndham Central IT manager Ian Harders said the promise of faster, more reliable internet would be a massive benefit to the school as it continued the move to digital education.
“At the moment, most of our textbooks are e-books, which are online lessons and some are interactive so it’s important that the internet is very quick,” he said.
“I can only see that everything is going to be pushed more and more towards the internet and how we use it, so a fast network will be needed to cope with that.”
Mr Harders said the school’s 740 students suffered slow internet speeds up to twice a week.
“Our internet is fairly fast, but there are times when, unexplainably, it can be at a snail’s pace, which is a bit of a worry,” he said.
“If they’re providing a fibre-optic backbone to all schools and houses and businesses, it’s going to be better than the old copper network – faster and more reliable.”
Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard said detailed planning and inspection work would begin soon.
“From being able to see your local GP from home to students being able to take a specialist class at another school, the NBN really will change the way we live, work and access services.”
Details: nbnco.com.au/Rollout
