Wollongong City Council has welcomed an announcement by the Prime Minister Julia Gillard confirming the initial roll out of the National Broadband Network in Wollongong city over the next 12 months.

Several thousand premises in Wollongong and Dapto will be connected at first, with more detailed plans to be released over coming months. Infrastructure built as part of the initial phase will support later expansion of high-speed broadband across the city. The network will see connection speeds up to 100 times faster than existing internet connections.

Wollongong City Lord Mayor Councillor Gordon Bradbery OAM said the network would bring significant benefits to households, businesses and the community.

"Council welcomes today's announcement that the National Broadband Network will soon be connected to homes and businesses in Wollongong and Dapto," Cr Bradbery said.

“This paves the way for the city to benefit from high-speed broadband. The roll out of the NBN will provide new opportunities in areas like commerce, health and education.”
“The NBN will also allow Council to provide better communication and e-government tools for the people of the city. The roll out of the NBN will support the expansion of e-government services by using new technologies allowing Council to connect with the community.”

Cr Bradbery said the inclusion of Wollongong would also increase opportunities for graduates.
“The NBN will encourage growth in the region’s technology sector. It will provide opportunities for the University of Wollongong’s Information Technology graduates as well as local business.”