When Tony Windsor supported the ALP Government, they in return offered to support the NBN project at a cost of 40 billion dollars including employing people to promote the project. Three years later — who has the NBN service? Armidale was chosen, but Uralla was left out. This would give everyone a faster Internet service, when Armidale had an efficient one already, yet Internet users in outlying areas would not benefit. He failed to explain that only some areas would get it in his electorate, and changing over to fibre optics would affect other services or products, dependent on the copper wire supplied telecommunications network.
A recent article in the media indicated that, if anyone did not sign up to NBN (that is free by all accounts) by November 2014, (another two years?), that present telephones, ATMs, alarm systems, public phone booths, etc, supplied by the present copper wire telecommunications network would be cut off. I mean to say, you cannot cut off thousands of home phones or business communications just because someone has not signed up for NBN. They should automatically receive the newer form of telecommunications with appropriate adjustments, free of charge.
Telstra confirmed that they would give adequate notice to customers before they changed over to fibre optic, as would present broadband service suppliers. No mention of having to sign up or being cut off. There’s more to this than an aggressive NBN promotion. I want to know more.
Pat Lightfoot
Armidale
