A contingent from Cairns Regional Council's Economic Development team and representatives of NBN Co will be in Port Douglas this Friday to discuss high speed broadband services in the area.

The meeting will involve "key stakeholders" and is one of a number to be held across the region this week with Babinda, Edmonton, Gordonvale and Redlynch also hosting sessions.

Fiona Wilson, Council's Economic Development Manager, said that while briefings for the wider community will be held at a later date, Friday's meeting would be a good opportunity for invitees to learn more about the delivery plans of high speed internet to Douglas from NBN Co's fixed wireless team.

"They want to talk about what it's going to do for the area and what the services mean. It's a really good starting point," she said.

While no timeline for the project was disclosed, Ms Wilson hinted that the region could receive fixed wireless broadband prior to those areas earmarked for fibre optics.

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Work to install fibre optic networks are due to commence in the Cairns suburbs of Bungalow, Cairns City, Cairns North, Manunda, Mount Sheridan, Parramatta Park, Portsmith, Westcourt and White Rock within 12 months.

Between December 2013 and December 2014 the network will then roll out to Bayview Heights, Bentley Park, Brinsmead, Clifton Beach, Earlville, Edge Hill, Edmonton, Freshwater, Gordonvale, Holloways Beach, Kewarra Beach, Machans Beach, Palm Cove, Redlynch, Smithfield, Stratford, Trinity Beach, Trinity Park, Whitfield and Woree.

It is widely accepted that high speed broadband is essential for businesses to be able to compete into the future, and to enhance the prospect of industry diversification within the region.

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