Deputy Premier, Minister for Economic Development and Resources, and Minister for Sport and Recreation

(27 June 2006)

Minister for Economic Development and Resources Bryan Green says delays to the Tascolt ultra broadband project have been overcome and the project is back on track. For details refer to the media release.

• Media release from the State Government of Tasmania (PDF 104kB)

Minister for Economic Development, Lara Giddings

(25 September 2005)

New Town, South Hobart and Devonport were announced by the Minister for Economic Development, Lara Giddings, as the three sites earmarked for the ground-breaking TasCOLT optic fibre ultra-broadband trial.

“These areas were chosen for the trial for their mix of health and education facilities, and because the demographics of the residential population closely fitted the profile for likely broadband customers,” Ms Giddings said.

“The trial will be open to 850 houses in New Town, and 200 each for South Hobart and Devonport. The Devonport footprint will include the Council Chambers and Reece High School.

“The trial has the potential to provide a range of next generation communication services, such as ultra high speed internet access, multiple simultaneous voice lines, high definition television, interactive television, home security, and power and gas metering.

Ms Giddings, along with world information technology expert Professor Ken Sakamura, today visited St Ann’s Nursing Home in Davey Street, Hobart, to discuss with them how they are planning to use TasCOLT.

“St Ann’s, in association with After Hours Doctors, is looking at using the TasCOLT technology to better manage and monitor its residents who become unwell particularly outside of normal working hours,” Ms Giddings said.

“Doctors and other health care providers will also be able to use this technology for video conferencing, sharing information and for quickly and easily discussing diagnostic images such as x-rays,” she said.

• News articles from the Examiner and the Advocate (PDF 724kB)
• Media release from the State Government of Tasmania (PDF 72kB)

Pictured: Kobsak Chinawongwatana, CEO of Freeinternet presenting the opening address at the Freeinternet FTTH ceremony in Bangkok.

(9 September 2005)

At a lavish ceremony today, Thailand company Freeinternet unveilled a Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH) project that will be modelled on the Collaborative Optical Leading Testbed (COLT) project initiated by the State Government of Victoria. Called ThaiCOLT, it will use the same fibre optic technology that was put together by an Australian consortium that includes Senko Advanced Components Australia, CEOS, Redcentre and the Victoria Photonics Network (VPN). The FTTH networks will be rolled out in five provincial cities and will utilise the fibre optic network of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), which has one of the most extensive fibre networks in the country. The goal is to reach some 50,000 homes by the end of next year.

Australian company CEOS provided the FTTH triple play demonstration system used by Freeinternet at the ceremony to display ultra-broadband services being delivered over an FTTH network and Senko Advanced Components Australia provided the advanced photonic components used in the demonstration system.

• News articles from Communication Day(PDF 119kB)

Pictured L-R: Dr Jonathan Spring, MD of CEOS Pty Ltd; Minister for Economic Development, Lara Giddings; Minister's Advisor, Kerry O'Leary.

(3 August 2005)

During a visit to Melbourne to promote Tasmania, Minister Lara Giddings dropped in to the CEOS office in Heidelberg with her Adviser Kerry O'Leary to get a feel for what will sit at the "Head End" of the TasCOLT FTTP network to deliver such wonderful services as Voice-over-IP (VOIP), Video-on-Demand (VOD), Broadcast Digital TV, Ultra-High Speed Internet Access, On-line Interactive Games, Real Time Video Conferencing, High Resolution Medical Image Transfer and many other ultra-broadband services.

CEOS has constructed a fully featured end-to-end FTTP network at its offices in Heidelberg to demonstrate the benefits of an FTTP ultra-broadband network.

Pictured is Dr Jonathan Spring, MD of CEOS, demonstrating the services that will be provided over TasCOLT to the Minister and her Adviser and explaining the nuances of the "Head End" equipment that will deliver these services for TasCOLT.

Pictured L-R: Puttapong Somjal, MD, SCI Corp; Perry Head, Charge d’Affairs, Australian Embassy Bangkok; Kobsak Chinawongwatana, CEO of Freeinternet; Surasak Chinawongwatana, President of the President Country Club and Chairman of Freeinternet in Bangkok; Minister for State & Regional Development John Brumby; Frank Jaffer, MD Senko AC Australia.

(7 February 2005)

The local IT company Freeinternet and the Australian state of Victoria announced an agreement to develop a world-class broadband communications network in Thailand.

The Thailand Collaborative Optical Leading Testbed (Thai Colt), promises to offer content delivered 400 times faster than currently available broadband services.

Freeinternet hopes the project will help it achieve its goal to become the country's first operator of fibre-optic services to the home. Kobsak Chiniawongwatana, the Freeinternet chief executive, and Frank Jaffer, the managing director of Senko Australia, signed the Thai Colt agreement yesterday at a ceremony witnessed by John Brumby, the Victoria state treasurer and regional development minister.

Companies involved in the Thai Colt programme include Scion Photonics, Senko, Viva Photonics, CEOS, Redcentre, the VPN-Victoria Photonics Network and other telecom companies.

• News article from the Bangkok Post(PDF 92kB)

Rene Korevaar (L-Rear) and Joop van Bergen (Front) with Casper Murtonen (R-Rear), CEOS' Technical Director.

(4 February 2005)

Rene Korevaar, Project Assistant, ITS Service Management in the AAV Transport Research Centre of the Netherlands Department of Transport became interested in TIRTL after seeing it demonstrated by CEOS at an ITS conference. He arranged a visit to CEOS last December with his colleague Joop van Bergen, a senior consultant in the ITS Service Management Group, to learn the theory and operation of TIRTL.

Their education included the set up of a temporary installation at the roadside and visits to a number of permanent installations around Melbourne including urban, bridge and solar powered freeway installations plus a visit to VicRoads' control centre in Kew to view how the major arterial roads in Melbourne are monitored and controlled.

The order for TIRTL is a reflection of the potential they see for TIRTL in the Netherlands, particularly in areas where magnetic detection systems will not operate such steel bridge decks. This is an exciting first step for growing the TIRTL sales in Holland and the European market.

Pictured L-R: Dr Jonathan Spring, Managing Director, CEOS Pty Ltd; Premier Paul Lennon; Mr Saito, Executive General Manager Hitachi Ltd; Minister for Economic Development, Lara Giddings, Mr Aoki, President and CEO, Hitachi Communication Technology Ltd; .

(31 January 2005)

Tasmania is to become the international testing site for a $10M telecommunications project that will deliver services 400 times quicker than conventional broadband networks.

Premier Paul Lennon launched the project, called tasCOLT (Tasmanian Collaborative Optical Leading Testbed), in Hobart today with Economic Development Minister Lara Giddings.

The project is to comprise a two year trial of a Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) network that will be constructed by CEOS supported by its international partners, Hitachi, Intel, Cisco Systems, Corning Cable and Senko and Tasmanian companies Aurora, TasTel, Protocol Information and the Tasmanian Electronic Commerce Centre.

The trial will connect 1000 premises comprising a mix of businesses, educational facilities, health care services, government departments and residences in Hobart and Devonport.

• News articles from the Examiner and the Advocate (PDF 724kB)
• Media release from the State Government of Tasmania (PDF 72kB)

Pictured L-R: Mr Takahasi, Managing Director, Hitachi Australia Ltd; Mr Miyano, Vice President and Director, Hitachi Communication Technologies Ltd; Minister Thomson; Dr Spring, Managing Director, CEOS Pty Ltd; Minister Brumby; Mr Kaku, Consul General of Japan.

(15 December 2004)

In another boost to Victorian innovation, 50 new jobs and $50M in exports are expected to flow from a $10M partnership announced on 15 December 2004 between Victorian company CEOS, and Hitachi, one of the world’s leading electronics firms.

The partnership – involving Passive Optical Network (PON) technology developed by Hitachi and CEOS - promises to deliver affordable high-end broadband services in Australia and overseas.

Making the announcement, the Minister for Innovation, John Brumby, said the partnership highlighted the world leading R&D being undertaken in Australia.

The Minister for Information and Communication Technology, Marsha Thompson, said the investment further entrenched Victoria’s position as Australia’s leader in ICT R&D.

• Media release from the State Government of Victoria (PDF 80kB)

Pictured L-R: Mr Cox, Chancellor University of Ballarat; Mr Saito, Executive General Manager Hitachi Ltd; Minister Brumby; Mr Takahasi, Managing Director, Hitachi Australia Ltd; Dr Spring, Managing Director, CEOS Pty Ltd.

(29 July 2004)

Affordable information delivery – 400 times faster than today's broadband services – is becoming a reality thanks to a $14.5 million project launched in Ballarat on 29 July 2004 by the Minister for Innovation, John Brumby.

Mr Brumby said the Collaborative Optical Leading Testbed (COLT) project was made possible with the help of $4 million from the Bracks Government's $620 million Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) Initiative.

• Media release from the Victorian Photonics Network (PDF 85kB)
• Media release from the State Government of Victoria (PDF 77kB)

Pictured L-R: Mr Koyama, Hitachi Communication Technologies; Mr Yasufuku, Managing Director, Hitachi Australia; Mr Dipak Kumar, Hitachi Australia; ICT Minister Thomson; Mr Taniguchi, Hitachi Ltd; Mr Miyano, Vice President and Director, Hitachi Communications Technologies; Dr Spring, Managing Director, CEOS; Mr Narita, Hitachi Ltd.

(15 October 2003)

Australia's leading optical communications company, CEOS Pty Ltd, this week announced a major partnership with global electronics giant Hitachi of Japan for the deployment of Passive Optical Network (PON) technology both in Australia and overseas.

The partnership will inject over $100 million into the Victorian photonics industry through the sales of PON technology. The Minister for Innovation, the Hon John Brumby, said technology that can deliver information up to 200 times faster than existing boadband will soon be available to Victorian households at affordable prices.

• Media release from the Victorian Photonics Network (PDF 34kB)
• Media release from the State Government of Victoria (PDF 77kB)

Pictured L-R: Tom Willis, MD, Optical Communications, Intel Capital (USA), Dr Adam Dickson, CEOS Pty Ltd, Dr Casper Murtonen, CEOS Pty Ltd, Dr Steven Duvall, Intel Fellow, Intel Capital (Australia).

(5 March 2003)

In his first visit to Australia and Melbourne, the head of Intel Capital's Optical Communications group, Tom Willis, paid a visit to REDlab and CEOS to discuss photonics in Victoria and the COLT Project. Tom was given a presentation on the vision for the COLT testbed project and shared his thoughts on a number of interesting broadband projects around the world.