The HFC network is the primary component in NBN Co’s newest multi-technology mix approach. After having finalised the acquisition of these networks from Telstra and Optus, the company now has a more accurate timeline for the scheduled availability of services on that network.
NBN Co’s latest product roadmap has the fourth quarter of 2015 as the targeted date for a pilot for HFC customers. This will be followed by a product launch in the first quarter of 2016. The scope of the launch is to be determined as the date draws nearer, but based on previous NBN trends, it will not cover the entire HFC network in one go.
This should be welcome news for those living in areas where pay TV cabling is already available – there is no real competition to buy on those networks for now, so there are some limited relatively cheap deals (e.g. Optus’ $90/month unlimited plan) available today. But since NBN Co only sells wholesale access, there could be greater competition among NBN retailers in the future – something that would lead to more affordable and flexible plans.