THE developer of Dubbo's Keswick Estate has pursued high-speed internet connection in anticipation of market demand.
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The latest release in its subdivision would provide residents with some of the first access within the city to the national broadband network (NBN), Dubbo City Council confirmed.
It went out of its way to secure the communications technology ahead of schedule with a conviction people would in "months not years" expect it.
Council commercial facilities manager Simon Tratt said it was of great importance the NBN should be installed and that it would compare favourably with properties that could offer ADSL 2 or less.
"As time goes by, in months not years... I think it will be an expectation of people in the near future that a house has the NBN available," he said.
Mr Tratt acknowledged internet connection was just one selling point, but hoped it would help achieve results as the first of 33 lots in the latest release went on the market on Monday.
It will be available "as houses are constructed or just prior to construction".
"It's a factor people will give consideration to," Mr Tratt said.
"It may not be the only factor but it may get people over the line.
"We've had people comment on it - both potential buyers and the broader community."
The council was able to take advantage of an offer from the NBN Co to bring broadband to the fourth stage of Keswick irrespective of dates set in the rollout.
It entered into a master developer agreement, available to those doing a subdivision of more than 100 lots within three years, Mr Tratt said.
Under the agreement the NBN Co would install the optical fibre through the empty pipes after the construction works were complete.
The agreement will stand despite expected changes to government policy on the NBN.
The coalition went to the September election with a plan to deliver a fibre-to-the-node NBN, a much slower but less expensive version of Labor's fibre-to-the-home plan.
Mr Tratt said the timing of the Keswick release meant it had entered into the agreement to ensure it gained the fibre-to-the-home model.
"If there was any chance we could get NBN installed we were going to pursue it to the nth degree," he said.
Seven of the first 15 lots in the latest Keswick release were sold within two hours of coming on to the market on Monday.
