NBN signs landmark deal with Vodafone

The National Broadband Network will soon connect its first wholesale mobile site, with a small town in country NSW chosen for the launch.

NBN Co, the company responsible for overseeing the network, said it had signed its first agreement for its Cell Site Access Service (CSAS) product.

The deal has been struck with Vodafone Hutchison, which will switch on new coverage in Molong by using tower sharing and fibre services supplied by the NBN.

Vodafone Hutchison has installed an extra set of antennae on the Molong NBN fixed-wireless tower. It will use the CSAS product to carry mobile voice and data signals back to the NBN point of interconnection in Dubbo.

Phase one of the Federal government’s Mobile Blackspot Program identified Molong as a place needing improved mobile coverage. It will be the first black spot area to be addressed directly with the help of NBN infrastructure and products.

NBN chief customer officer John Simon said this was exciting for both Molong and the national network.

“The good thing about this is not just that we're helping to deliver a new service for end-users, but also that we're offering customers new products to help them extend their portfolio and spread their networks,” he said.

“The NBN CSAS product also offers additional potential for operators, including other wireless applications such as deployment of wi-fi or small-cell coverage.”

NBN Co announced last month that the network would reach 50 percent completion in 2017 and should be completed by 2020.