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Australian next-generation network operator dismisses media claims that it risks missing construction goals.
NBN on Monday insisted that it will meet its targets for the coming years, dismissing media reports that its network build is falling behind schedule.
The Australian company said it will meet its goals for 2020, and that it is on track to meet or exceed full-year targets; it aims to cover 2.6 million homes by the end of June, with around 1 million homes using its service, generating more than A$300 million in revenue.
"NBN rejects claims that the company is at risk of not meeting its targets," the firm said in a statement. "NBN has met or exceeded every key target for six quarters in a row."
The company reiterated its goals after the Sydney Morning Herald revealed it has seen internal documents that show NBN is not hitting "key internal targets" with regard to planning and designing its network rollout across Australia.
The paper said NBN is struggling in New South Wales, Western Australia and Victoria. NBN’s use of fibre-to-the-node technologies is in part to blame, it added, since it needs to bring dedicated electrical connections to tens of thousands of node cabinets across the country.
"If the NBN fails to rapidly increase the speed of its designs it will start to miss construction targets and may not be ready on time, which in turn could increase the project’s funding requirement by billions of dollars," the report read.
NBN denied the claims, to a certain extent.
"We will not be drawn on alleged internal documents, we report quarterly and our results are audited," NBN said.
It insisted that under its 14-step design and construction process, "power access applications don’t actually stop us from moving designs along the process and getting areas ready for construction."
It added that its overall progress towards ‘ready for service’ is on target. More homes are currently in construction than the company needs to hit its full-year target, NBN said.
