NBN gives RSPs alternate path to manage bandwidth with NNI link

NBN Co is giving retail service providers an alternate pathway to improve their access to the NBN network with the launch of NNI link.

Announced in January, The infrastructure provider said the product allowed RSPs to acquire access virtual circuit (AVC) and connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) directly from NBN Co without needing a physical connection to all 121 of the network provider’s points of interconnect (POIs).

Acquiring additional AVC and CVC should improve the bandwidth allocated to each end user as well as the ability to take in more customers without risking network bottlenecks, NBN said.

AVC accounts for the bandwidth allocated to end-user premises while CVC determines the capacity required to service an area, or an aggregation of AVCs from end-user premises back to a point of interconnect.

NBN said RSPs would also be able to take advantage of competitive backhaul offers from wholesale providers to rapidly build scale, while maintaining the ability to manage their own CVC contention and contact NBN Co directly for connection and assurance requests.

“The NNI link product, in concert with backhaul products from wholesale providers, offers a quick and easy way for retailers to increase their footprint,” NBN Co general manager of new business Streicher Louw said.

“Being able to buy AVC and CVC directly from NBN Co gives retailers access to the latest pricing bundles and direct access to NBN Co for support.”

He added that NNI link made it easier for RSPs to offer an improved customer experience and that co-developing the product with them has “strengthened” NBN’s partnership with RSPs.

“NNI link is a great example of collaborative development between NBN Co and its customers: using NBN Co’s innovative early market deployment process, we were able to take an idea proposed by our customers, consult with industry, and launch a fully functional product within nine months,” Louw added.