Bunbury's NBN to go live April 29

Areas of Bunbury will become connected to the National Broadband Network later this month.

Dalyellup and South Bunbury are scheduled to be the first suburbs to go live on April 29 with the rollout schedule incorporating nearly all of Bunbury by the end of September.

NBN's community affairs senior manager Rachael McIntyre addressed a business lunch in Bunbury last week and explained the plans for the high-speed broadband network.

Mrs McIntyre said about 5000 premises would be NBN ready in the first stage when the network went live but said it was still up to consumers and businesses to organise a retail plan that would enable them to connect.

"NBN is only a door that is opening," she told the _South Western Times _.

"People need to walk through it to take advantage.

"It is a great opportunity for businesses in Bunbury to start taking advantage of fast broadband and doing more with it."

Mrs McIntyre said a key message from her address was that businesses would be affected by phone lines and internet as the NBN network covered both of these.

There would be an 18-month changeover period, she said, and as NBN did not sell directly to the public it was important for businesses and consumers to consider which retail service provider they chose.

Bunbury Chamber of Commerce and Industries hosted the event and chief executive officer Ray Philp said there would be a number of things for businesses to factor in.

It was important to check the compatibility of devices like EFTPOS and fax machines, lifts and security alarms to ensure they would work with the NBN.

Mr Philip said the faster internet would provide "efficiency and flexibility gains for businesses".

He said consumers would get what they paid for.

There are already about 1.8 million homes and businesses connected to the NBN across Australia, including about 150,000 in WA.

The network will add about 30,000 extra homes per week with a goal of having eight million homes and businesses connected by 2020.