NBN’s digital twin marks a turning point for intelligent infrastructure

A virtual model of the national broadband network is reshaping how Australia thinks about planning, resilience and critical infrastructure, writes Paul Budde.

NBN CO’S partnership with RMIT to create a digital twin of the national broadband network marks an important shift in how Australia approaches critical infrastructure.

Rather than treating telecom networks as static assets that react to faults when they occur, a digital twin allows engineers to model conditions before problems arise. It is a forward-looking tool that aligns with what many of us in the smart cities and smart energy sectors have been arguing for years: infrastructure needs to become predictive, data-driven and adaptive.

The digital twin will mirror the real network using operational data from fibre, HFC, fixed wireless and satellite systems. It allows NBN Co to test upgrade strategies, forecast congestion, model outages and assess resilience in extreme weather.

This is not simply a technical enhancement. It reflects a broader transition from reactive management to proactive planning. In many ways, it is the natural continuation of the “intelligent pipes” discussion I have been involved in for two decades, where networks evolve from passive transport mechanisms to dynamic platforms capable of learning from their own data.

Digital twins getting real boost from AI

The relationship between AI and digital twins can reshape urban management paradigms, leveraging innovative research and interdisciplinary collaborations.

What a digital twin actually is

A digital twin is a virtual representation of a physical system that updates continuously through live data. Aerospace and advanced manufacturing were early adopters: jet engines, turbines and production lines have been modelled this way for years.

The principle is straightforward. Instead of experimenting on the real asset, operators test scenarios on the virtual one. They can model failures, optimise performance and understand the consequences of changes long before they impact users.

When applied to telecom networks, energy grids or cities, the potential expands significantly. These are complex, interdependent systems where unexpected interactions can produce costly or dangerous outcomes. A digital twin provides the environment to explore these interactions safely and to guide evidence-based decision making.

As I mentioned last year, digital twins are getting an extra boost with the use of AI.

Why my interest moved to cities and energy

Given my long-standing work on smart cities and smart energy networks, I took this NBN announcement as an opportunity to revisit how digital twins are being deployed elsewhere. Several Australian and international examples stand out and illustrate the broader relevance of this technology.

In New South Wales, the Spatial Digital Twin brings together 3D city models, infrastructure layers and real-time spatial data. It is already being used for planning transport corridors, visualising new developments, analysing flood impacts and coordinating agencies. It shows how a digital twin can improve transparency for communities while streamlining government processes.

Victoria has taken a similar path with Digital Twin Victoria, which builds on an open-source platform and integrates environmental, planning and engineering data. Both state initiatives are early but promising demonstrations of how digital twins help turn fragmented datasets into shared planning intelligence.

Internationally, Singapore’s digital twin is one of the most advanced. Virtual Singapore is a data-rich 3D model with behavioural and environmental simulation capabilities that allow planners to test urban design, crowd movement, energy use and emergency scenarios. The key strength is that the model is tied directly to policy needs such as heat-mitigation strategies, accessibility and infrastructure optimisation.

Online but outpaced: Australia’s digital drift

Australia may be online, but a growing gap in speed, skills and strategy shows we’re losing pace with global digital leaders.

Helsinki’s 3D city twin performs a similar role, particularly in the context of energy efficiency and climate goals. By modelling shading, solar potential and building massing, the city uses the twin as a tool to support its carbon-neutral ambitions.

Digital twins work best when they serve a defined purpose rather than acting as general visualisation projects.

What this means for smart cities

Smart cities have long promised integrated planning, sustainability and better engagement with citizens. The reality often fell short because projects were implemented in silos: a transport dashboard here, an IoT pilot there, none of them truly interacting.

Digital twins finally offer a mechanism to overcome this fragmentation. They allow us to see how transport affects emissions, how land use affects flooding and how population growth affects the energy network. In other words, they support the systems thinking approach that should have underpinned smart cities from the beginning.

If we want to avoid another cycle of smart city hype, digital twins must be tied to explicit policy outcomes. In the successful examples, the benefits are practical: shorter planning cycles, fewer design errors, reduced duplication across agencies and a clearer view of climate and infrastructure risks. They do not replace planners or policymakers. They give them better tools.

The energy dimension

Digital twins are also proving vital in the shift to renewable energy. Smart grids increasingly depend on high penetration of rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles, which make the network more decentralised and more dynamic.

I recently mentioned a couple of projects in Europe that show how grid operators use digital twins to test scenarios such as dynamic export limits, voltage fluctuations and extreme weather responses. These models help identify when and where to reinforce the network, how to integrate more renewables and how to avoid unnecessary capital expenditure.

When I was closely involved with Smart Grid Australia more than a decade ago, these capabilities were largely aspirational. Today, they are becoming operational requirements. The transition to a flexible, high renewables grid simply cannot work without sophisticated modelling tools.

Why the NBN move matters

NBN Co’s digital twin should be viewed not in isolation but as part of a broader transformation across infrastructure sectors. Australia has often struggled to coordinate urban planning, energy transition and digital investment. Digital twins will not solve that by themselves, but they create the foundation for more coherent decision-making. They also bring academia, industry and government into a shared environment, something we desperately need as our infrastructure becomes more complex and more interdependent.

This is not just an engineering story. It is about building the planning intelligence required for a resilient, sustainable and equitable Australia. The NBN twin is a welcome step and, if handled well, could be a catalyst for a more integrated national approach to digital and physical infrastructure.

Paul Budde is an IA columnist and managing director of independent telecommunications research and consultancy, Paul Budde Consulting. You can follow Paul on Twitter @PaulBudde.