WERRIBEE is one of six regional precincts to benefit in a broadband network touted to revolutionise Victoria’s academic research with the world.
Information and Communication Technology Minister Marsha Thomson last week announced details of the fibre optic network to be completed in early 2009.
Nine Victorian universities, CSIRO, state and federal governments collaborated to establish and fund the Victorian Education and Research Network (VERN).
It will link up to 200 research and education sites in the state via an optic fibre network delivering super-fast services up to 40,000 times faster than the average home broadband connection.
“It will also place researchers in isolated parts of the state on equal footing with their urban counterparts and colleagues around the world,” said Ms Thomson.
Transport Minister Peter Batchelor said the double use of the fibre optic network was a smart way of using of existing infrastructure.
VERN will cover much of Melbourne and key regional areas in Victoria, particularly East Gippsland, the Latrobe Valley, and, initially, six regional precincts: Ballarat, Bendigo, Shepparton, Geelong, Wodonga and Werribee.
