If you live in Windsor, South Windsor, Richmond or Bligh Park and have a fixed phone line that hasn’t been connected to the NBN, you must do so before April 17 or you will be disconnected.
About 25 residents att-ended an NBN information session hosted by Macquarie MP Louise Markus at Richmond Club on Wednesday, February 18.
“Unfortunately, Labor significantly underestimated the cost and complexity of this project and as a result, released rollout schedules that were unrealistic and inaccurate,’’ Mrs Markus said.
“Switching to a multi-technology construction approach will see the project finished four years sooner than under Labor’s all-fibre network approach and will save taxpayers tens of billions of dollars.
“There are challenges, but the NBN is an important step for the Hawkesbury towards obtaining superfast broadband services.’’
Some of the residents complained that the the NBN boxes had been installed in the wrong place at their homes. Others said that they had found the process of ‘‘hooking up’’ to the NBN one that had dragged on for months. A resident who said they were looking at moving to a house that may not be set up with NBN, was unimpressed when told by the NBN spokesperson that it could take weeks to get the services up and running.
Residents were also told by the NBN spokesperson that they could dictate where the box was positioned in their home, ‘‘within reason’’.
‘‘There needs to be access to a double powerpoint and access through a wall to outside the premises,’’ he said.
‘‘The middle of the house in a pantry with concrete walls is not a viable solution.’’
The spokesperson also said that if the NBN was the reason a household couldn’t connect, existing services wouldn’t be disconnected until the issue was resolved, but once installed, it was up to the household to connect through a service provider.
Labor spokesperson for Macquarie, Susan Temple-man said Labor’s vision of a national fibre optic network was effectively dead under the Liberals and is now a ‘‘complete hotch-potch of technologies that won’t stand the test of time’’.
“Only 24 per cent will get fibre to their premises, 31pc will get fibre only to the box on their street and have copper the rest of the way, and the rest will have a mix of coaxial cable, satellite or fixed wireless,’’ she said.
