Derby local's broadband battle
A Derby man has created a Facebook page - Internet Action Group Australia - to highlight what he says are long and expensive delays by Telstra to supply ADSL broadband connections in regional WA.
Kevin Sweeney said with internet providers reliant on Telstra's infrastructure, customers were being forced to wait, with no time frame for the arrival of services.
He said the only option was more expensive mobile broadband or satellite internet.
"It is an issue Telstra is keeping quiet on and is not making any real attempt in providing these services to their customers," he said.
"The situation is a total farce being largely ignored by Telstra and politicians alike."
Mr Sweeney applied for an ADSL broadband internet connection in late April to replace his more expensive and unreliable mobile broadband.
He was subsequently told he faced a wait of up to two years for a connection because of a lack of ADSL ports available at the exchange.
"I was shocked to find out that Telstra had not upgraded its infrastructure in Derby in order to keep up with demand, especially when the town experienced a significant population growth, which has left a number of people and businesses waiting for over five months and more for an internet connection," he said.
Mr Sweeney said his research had shown that in WA there were 292 ADSL enabled exchanges, of which up to 342 had no capacity in regional areas, including Cable Beach.
He said that of 28 exchanges in WA, only seven featured on Telstra's scheduled ADSL port capacity relief list, with some waiting until next year for upgrades.
Telstra spokesman Mark Thompson said the company was committed to supporting regional communities in WA and was investing millions of dollars in upgrading regional exchanges.
"We are aware of the frustrations and concerns of the community and can assure you that in the case of the Derby exchange, it is under investigation for increased ADSL capacity," he said.
Mr Thompson said the availability of ADSL ports in the Telstra network changed over time.
He said Telstra would continue to look at expanding coverage and capacity on a case-by-case basis where it made commercial sense.
"When an exchange is upgraded to provide ADSL broadband, Telstra installs equipment in the exchange that provides a certain number of ports," he said.
"Once the ports are taken up, additional investment - sometimes significant investment - is required to increase the number of ports again."
