NBN Co released its 12-month rollout plan last week, with Melton, Ballarat, Tullamarine and the Melbourne CBD to be added to existing sites across Australia including Bacchus Marsh, which was part of the early rollout.

The network will provide speeds of up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to 2600 Melton residents and businesses, which will be able to buy broadband packages from one of 28 providers.

Construction of the fibre-optic network required for the high-speed internet connection will start in the next 12 months.

NBN chief executive Mike Quigley said the latest rollout represented the start of national construction that would see the company offer connection to all of Australia's 13 million premises.

"Public education activity, to launch next year, will also explain what the rollout will mean, how to connect to the network and why it is important that the nation upgrades its telecommunications infrastructure," he said.

A detailed map of the Melton area covered by the NBN will be released next June.

Prime Minister and Lalor MP Julia Gillard said it was a major investment in Melton's future.

"Investment in the NBN is essential for Australia to be an innovative knowledge-based economy of the 21st century. It will enhance many aspects of our lives, from the way we care for our families to how we trade in goods and services," she said.

Melton is one of 49 sites in the rollout plan, adding to the 81,700 premises already connected or where connection work is under way.

Mayor Justin Mammarella said he was extremely pleased by the announcement.

"Given the scale of the project, this is a significant coup for our fast-growing municipality," he said.

"But we have quite a few areas in our municipality that still have poor access to the internet and we are very keen to see that shortfall addressed."