As the optic fibre cable is laid in more and more streets in the northern suburbs, residents and business owners are keen to be connected to high-speed broadband.

The trend in Canberra's north was revealed on Tuesday by Communication Minister Stephen Conroy.

He posed for the cameras with Labor member for Fraser Andrew Leigh to usher a few metres of cable into a duct.

''The NBN in this area has already been switched on for over 4000 homes and businesses here in Gungahlin and, let me tell you, this is the record-breaking area,'' Senator Conroy said.

''After just two months, 33 per pent - one third - have ordered the NBN, which is absolutely the best take-up rate anywhere in Australia so far.

''Work on the fibre network is also under way in around 2500 premises in nearby Palmerston and we expect these homes to be ready to be switched on in June. Across the ACT, work on the fibre network has commenced to more than 20,000 homes and businesses.''

Dr Leigh, recently appointed as parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister, smiled broadly as Senator Conroy described Canberra as a smart city, full of opportunity.

''It's home to world-class universities and research facilities, it's where some of the nation's greatest minds come together to find innovative solutions to our biggest challenges,'' Senator Conroy said. ''Not bad for a city that's just celebrated its 100th birthday.

''It's great to see the progress of the NBN here in Gungahlin. Canberrans get why we need high-speed broadband, they understand that's it going to make a smart city even smarter.''

Senator Conroy, who is expected to release national figures for NBN take up next week, labelled as dumb the Coalition's plan for proposing to use Telstra's ageing copper wire network for broadband.

He said the Coalition's policy was a miserable failure and would mean millions of Australians will not have high-speed internet connections.

''I can't find a dumber piece of public policy than buying the copper off Telstra,'' he said.

''I mean, come on down, Alan Bond. Kerry Packer would be laughing all the way to the bank if he found a mug willing to buy Telstra's copper network.''

Under Telstra's current agreement with NBN Co, the copper network will progressively be retired as NBN Co's fibre optic cable is rolled out.

Senator Conroy accused Coalition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull of displaying ignorance about how the needs of broadband would evolve.

''Customers using the NBN are also connecting more devices to the NBN and this is where Malcolm Turnbull and their version of a broadband network fails miserably,'' he said.

''If you understand broadband, if you understand that it is being used for more applications that require more bandwidth every single day, then you know that Malcolm Turnbull's network is a fail.

''Malcolm Turnbull is going to build a one-lane Sydney Harbour Bridge because he says he can do it cheaper and faster.''

Senator Conroy said the Telstra copper network was old and decaying and would not be able to deliver the internet speeds proposed by Mr Turnbull.

''The speeds he is going to claim today are defying the laws of physics and the quality of the copper in the ground,'' Senator Conroy said.