The age of content
June 26th, 2013, 08:00AM Written by Rachel Fenner, Mandurah Coastal Times Mandurah Coastal Times
Two-year-old Dylan Wilkins is a child of the high-speed digital age. Picture: Jon Hewson www.communitypix.com.au d403348
The National Broadband Network (NBN) is now available in parts of Mandurah.
More than 550 households and businesses in central Mandurah can connect to the NBN.
Telstra is currently the only company offering NBN services to customers but other companies are expected to begin offering the service in coming weeks.
The Wilkins household will be one of the first in Mandurah to reap the benefits of the NBN, which include faster speeds than ADSL internet and fibre optic cables, offering speeds of one gigabit per second.
Dylan's father Daniel said the NBN was the most exciting thing to happen to Mandurah since the Perth to Mandurah train was introduced.
'We are catching up to the rest of the world,' he said.
Mr Wilkins is a photographer and remembers a time when it would take all day to upload digital pictures to a server.
'The progression in internet speed is amazing,' he said.
'We have premium internet already, so it isn't about cost " the NBN is more about performance.'
Brand MLA Gary Gray said NBN expected that another 1700 premises will be able to connect within the week.
'The rollout of the NBN will transform the way people in Mandurah live, work and learn,' he said. 'People on the NBN will pay less or about the same as what they are paying currently for their regular internet service, but the NBN will provide a vastly superior service.'
'Live' streets in Mandurah include parts of Sholl Street, Mandurah Terrace, parts of Tuckey Street and Randall Street.
Live areas are in purple shading on the map at nbnco. com.au/when-do-i-get-it/|rollout-map.html?address=|Mandurah.