AARNet connects its first customer to the National Broadband Network

Queensland, AUSTRALIA – 1 September 2011– AARNet, Australia's Academic and Research Network, has connected its first National Broadband Network (NBN) customer. The Cathedral School in Townsville was officially connected to the high speed network as part of the official NBN launch event that took place today.

The AARNet network has traditionally provided high capacity internet services to the tertiary education and research community. However, as one of the official access seekers of the NBN, AARNet can now extend its services to selected schools that are not serviced by the existing AARNet network. This is done by using the NBN’s fibre optic infrastructure to connect Research and Education institutions to AARNet. The 100/40 Mbps link to the Cathedral School marks the first NBN customer to be connected to the AARNet network in this way.

Chris Hancock, CEO of AARNet said, “The connection of our first NBN customer signifies an important step in expanding AARNet’s reach. We can now deliver high-speed broadband services to schools in areas serviced by the NBN, providing a real opportunity for Australian students to access technologies and content that bring the curriculum to life. This will benefit our university shareholders enormously and it opens the opportunities for James Cook University to collaborate in real time with institutions like The Cathedral School.”

Hancock commented, “For those doubting the capabilities of the technology the speed test captured below is proof that the bandwidth promise is available.

“AARNet has already partnered with researchers including NASA to develop a broad range of interactive content which students in Townsville can now access via high speed networks. We are very excited to deliver AARNet’s services to a growing number of schools over the NBN and look forward to seeing how they utilise high capacity networks to enrich the learning experience.”

- ENDS -

About AARNetAARNet Pty Ltd (APL) is the company that operates Australia's Academic and Research Network (AARNet). It is a not-for-profit company limited by shares. The shareholders are 37 Australian universities and the CSIRO. AARNet provides high-capacity leading edge Internet services for the tertiary education and research sector communities and their research partners. AARNet serves more than one million end users who access the network through local area networks at member institutions. For further information, please visit: www.aarnet.edu.au.