We developed a methodology to assess whether Australia’s National Broadband Network should be declared built and fully operational

The problem

• The Australian Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications (DITRDC) required support in assessing whether the National Broadband Network (NBN) should be treated as built and fully operational
• Analysys Mason was commissioned to develop a methodology with a range of metrics and KPIs for the NBN to follow, to provide sufficient evidence on the status of the network for the DITRDC Minister’s consideration

The solution

• Our assessment methodology set out the evidence required from the NBN to demonstrate that the network was built and fully operational across three main areas:
  • build extent, including: addressable locations, build status, ability of service providers to connect, and processes for premises new and awaiting coverage
  • operational extent, including: ability to operate under reasonable circumstances, processes to address future needs of users, risk mitigation and management, and quality processes
  • performance extent, including: the capability of the network to achieve certain download speeds and the actual performance delivered
• We also provided a complementary report which summarised the available information in the public domain on the status of the NBN

Figure: Our methodology and the NBN’s subsequent report

The result

• As a result of our work, the NBN responded to the DITRDC  Minister with a report which provided evidence addressing the assessment methodology
• The DITRDC Minister subsequently declared that the NBN should be treated as built and fully operational¹

¹ https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/sites/default/files/declaration-that-the-nbn-should-be-treated-as-built-and-fully-operational.pdf