Credit: NBN Co
NBN Co has launched four wholesale discount bundles over the fixed line NBN broadband access network, as well as a new online tool called the business NBN solution finder.
The wholesale discount bundles offer service providers a mix of access to high speeds, committed bandwidth and "premium" service levels at a discounted wholesale charge.
The wholesale discount bundles include, at the lower end, the Business NBN Basic Bundle with wholesale speeds of 50/20Mbps or 100/40Mbps optimised for smaller businesses.
Following this is the Premium Bundle S, which has wholesale speeds of 50/20Mbps or 100/40Mbps, designed for multiple phone lines in medium-sized businesses. The Premium Bundle M forms the next tier, boasting wholesale symmetrical committed speeds of 20/20Mbps with a minimum of 100/40Mbps peak information rate for medium to large businesses.
At the top very end is the Premium Bundle L, which features wholesale committed speeds of 50/50Mbps and a minimum of 250/100Mbps peak information rate for data-intensive and multi-site organisations.
On top of this, the wholesale discount bundles will provide businesses with a minimum 12-hour enhanced service level agreement with 24/7 support between NBN Co and the retailer. The service will provided via a new operations centre that will contain more than 100 specialist technical staff.
Selected wholesale discount bundles will also include the option to install a subsequent line to test critical applications before connecting to the NBN access network.
The new business solution finder tool aims to help businesses understand the type of solution they should discuss with their retail service provider.
“For businesses of all sizes, it’s important that they select the appropriate business NBN solution to meet their needs, including the right speeds, committed bandwidth and service level assurance,” NBN Co chief customer officer Paul Tyler said.
Earlier in June, NBN Co launched an industry consultation on wholesale pricing, with the network operator indicating it wants to encourage the uptake of higher speed plans as well as make NBN services more attractive to lower-income households.
The company said that its Pricing Review Consultation Paper was seeking input from telcos in five main areas, including boosting take-up in segments including low-income earners and elderly Australians.
The number of households with entry-level services that use NBN Co’s 12Mbps speed tier has been declining, according to NBN Co data released by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
In December, NBN Co said it was abandoning one of its legacy wireless products in its latest overhaul of the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The company is set to launch Fixed Wireless Plus, a wholesale service that will provide up to 75 Mbps downloads by 2020.
As part of the overhaul, NBN Co will stop selling its 25-50/5-20 Mbps speed tier and launch a service initially supporting maximum network download speeds of up to 60Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps.
