A greenfield site in South Australia is edging towards becomingthe location du jour for Australia’s most innovative broadbandservices.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) in developing and implementing”innovative” broadband services within the nearly-developed SeafordMeadows, a proposed 131 hectare development site near the SouthAustralian suburb of Onkaparinga, terminates on May 12, 2006.
Work is slated to commence this July. According to the EOIreleased by the South Australian government, the project’sobjective is to ensure the Seaford Meadows development offerresidents modern telecommunication services, including broadband.Customers are to have a choice of broadband providers, as well asaccess to broadband services equal to or better than what is onoffer in metropolitan Adelaide, in terms of both price andperformance.
While wireless infrastructure will be considered as part of theservice delivery, the tender requires infrastructure to provide thebroadband service, further infrastructure provision may includemetallic or optical fibre cable in ducts in common servicetrenches, backhaul connection and the ability to support voice overInternet protocol applications.
Adrian de Brenni, managing director of Information andCommunications Technology (ICT) consultancy de Brenni Associates,is the ICT consultant for the EOI. De Brenni said the importantfactor in the EOI is that it will offer residents broadbandservices from multiple providers.
“The key to the project is it will involve solutions that buildon the cooperation between the council, developers and possibleinfrastructure and service providers,” de Brenni said.
“Cabling can include copper or optical fibre, but the importantfactor will be the provision for all residents to access broadbandservices, but more importantly from multiple providers.”
Seaford Meadows will feature mostly residential homes, as wellas a retirement village and nursing home, primary schools, offices,shops and cafes, eventually growing to a community of more than4000 people.
The community will be subdivided into 1890 allotments over sixstages. The first stage of the development, 217 allotments, will beapproved in June 2006. For more information go to www.tenders.sa.gov.au.
