Telecom and Vodafone today announced they have submitted a joint response to the Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI), in which the companies will combine their resources to build new, open access network infrastructure for the provision of broadband in rural areas using a range of technologies.
The RBI seeks to provide fibre to 97 percent of rural schools and a minimum 5Mbps broadband service to 80 percent of rural households within six years. It also aims to provide priority users with access to fibre-based broadband services.

The proposed solution announced today will meet the requirements of the scheme through the extension of Telecom’s existing fibre infrastructure to key rural organisations, including schools and hospitals, and an expanded Telecom XT and Vodafone wireless infrastructure that harnesses the power of this fibre to deliver high speed broadband services wirelessly.

At the heart of the proposal is the principle of open access. Both fibre and wireless components will be available on an equivalent basis to access seekers and wholesale customers, allowing any party to offer a retail service over the new infrastructure. This means that rural customers will have not only faster data services but also a much wider choice of technologies and suppliers for these services.

Both Telecom and Vodafone will also be making additional investments in their networks in the areas covered by the RBI scheme to offer broadband services to their customers.

The Ministry of Economic Development is running the bid process for the RBI, and a decision by the Minister is expected to be made by Christmas.