nbn co teams up with unis on R&D

nbn co has formed collaborative partnerships with the University of Melbourne (UoM) and University of Technology Sydney (UTS) to focus on research and development.

The areas of focus for these agreements will include research and development (R&D) of technologies such as robotics, Internet of Things, technology for social good, programmable networks, data analytics and visualisation for customer experience, artificial intelligence, wireless technologies and smart cities.

“These two new relationships will help nbn co double down on our strong focus on technology innovation for customer experience and operational excellence,” nbn chief technology officer Dr Ray Owen said.

“With these innovative institutions — UoM and UTS — we saw a natural fit in helping nbn co further enable the digital economy.

“We are committed to supporting the higher-education sector and are excited about scoping out the opportunities for R&D in the coming months.”

In addition to R&D, the agreements are expected to cover additional opportunities for collaboration such as postdoctoral research opportunities and student exchanges.

Each of these focus areas align under the goal of collaboration to adapt new ideas and translate innovation into a commercial reality.

The deployment of the nbn broadband access network is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the history of Australia and nbn co is continuously developing new technologies that will help enable better services on the network for Australians.

In addition, allowing UTS and UoM access to nbn co’s substantial technical resources will also be hugely beneficial to these universities and their students in terms of gaining access to real-world telecoms network operational data.

“We are delighted to be working with nbn co to undertake innovative research that shapes our connected future,” said Professor Mark Hargreaves, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research Collaboration and Partnerships) at the University of Melbourne.

“The relationship, driven by the University of Melbourne’s Networked Society Institute, connects nbn co to the outstanding research talent of the university.

“We are excited to see our researchers and students work closely with nbn co to create positive social and economic impact.”

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/peshkova

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