NICTA provides TV service in New South Wales broadband network trial

Friday, June 25th, 2010

NICTA takes part in NSW NBN testbed launch

NICTA (National ICT Australia), Australia’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Centre of Excellence, is taking part in the launch of the New South Wales National Broadband Network (NBN) technology trial. As part of the trial, NICTA is utilising the capabilities of the NBN with an on-demand service to residents which delivers online television content.

The NICTA trial package includes free-to-air television channels and the ABC iView catch-up service, along with a new NICTA-developed application that personalises television viewing and adapts to user preferences.

The quality of the Internet video content has been upgraded to suit a large-screen television set rather than a PC screen. “The first fifty Parkbridge Estate residents who sign up for the trial will receive a set-top box from NICTA that will let them use their high-speed NBN connection to view programs at a much higher quality than is normally possible over standard ADSL lines,” said NICTA Researcher Sebastien Ardon. As it becomes available, high-definition content will also be supported.

“With this high-speed network, users will be able to get a better television experience, with higher quality TV that is personalised,” said Rob Fitzpatrick, NICTA’s Director of Commercialisation and Markets.

“We have begun trialling new applications that will take advantage of unprecedented broadband speeds in the areas of health and disability care, education, energy consumption and home entertainment,” said New South Wales Minister for Commerce Paul Lynch. “Parkbridge Estate is an ideal site for this trial because it comes with fibre-to-the-home capacity, which will be a feature of the National Broadband Network,” Mr Lynch said. He said the trial would run until the end of the year and would help inform a more comprehensive series of trials across the State in the future. Parkbridge Estate at Middleton Grange is located near Liverpool in Sydney’s Southwest.