Pressure builds on NBN Co

That was the message from federal opposition communications spokesman Jason Clare to central Victorians fed up with poor internet access as National Broadband Network towers stand idle across the region.

The towers are yet to be switched on after the key piece of the puzzle, a final tower at Mount Camel, was rejected on appeal by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal last year.

“With this tower which seems to be a no-brainer, the NBN Co has got to put that final tower in to connect it up and make it work,” Mr Clare said.

“We've just got to put enough pressure on them to make it a priority.”

The issue was just one of many raised by local community members at a forum to discuss concerns over the roll-out of the NBN at the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre on Thursday.

Among the most pressing issues for many attendees – including Redesdale and District Association secretary Kathy Hall – was the lack of satellite coverage for areas not earmarked to receive fibre-to-the-node.

“We have massive problems where we are,” she said.

“The divide between the haves and the have-nots is getting worse and worse, those who have technology and we who have not.”

Mr Clare echoed Ms Hall’s concerns that satellite services would be over-subscribed under the NBN, compromising access in bushfire prone areas like Redesdale.

“The original plan for the satellite was that it was going to be restricted to people who had no alternative solution,” he said.

“Now I am concerned that if too many places that were supposed to be on fibre get put on satellite that’ll have a detrimental affect on you.”

NBN Co general manager Christopher Willcox said regions would only be added to the satellite service where there was existing capacity.

“NBN has carefully designed and planned the satellite network so that each beam has the capacity to service the residents in that area,” he said.

Communications Minister Mitch Fifield said Labor’s fibre-to-the-premises NBN plan would leave Bendigo residents waiting even longer for reliable internet services.

“Continuing with an all-fibre build to completion would require funding of between $74 billion and $84 billion, and could not be completed until at least 2026,” he said.