NBN Co has joined forces with RMIT University to establish an exploratory laboratory through a three-year project collaboration.
Under the Advancing STEM, Technology, Research, Innovation and Deployment (ASTRID) agreement, the pair will create the R-NEX Lab to provide the National Broadband Network (NBN) builder with access to academic staff, students, and postdoctoral researchers.
This marks the second Australian university to join ASTRID, with the first being the University of Technology Sydney which entered the agreement in August 2023.
“NBN Co and RMIT are close collaborative partners, and we’ve achieved some great research outcomes so far,” said NBN Co CTO Guy Scott. “Through this exciting new ASTRID agreement, we expect to take things to a whole new level.
“Our focus will be the development of innovative technological advancement, with a common aim of advancing broadband technologies for households, businesses and communities across Australia.”
Opportunities to be explored by the lab include the development of a digital twin capacity to model the NBN work for scenario planning and options analysis, as well as NBN Co’s AI and robotics programs.
