Go to www.gcc.asn.au for the latest atempt to survey for broadband problems in Gungahlin, ACT.
Sending me an email senator.lundy@aph.gov.au about your problems provides me with an insight into the level of impairment Telstra’s extensive use of ‘pair gains’ have on blocking broadband or limiting dial-up internet connection speeds.
Thankyou to everyone supporting this campaign. The support has been inspiring. I am hoping that continuing pressure on Telstra will force them to be honest with their customers about the capacity of their network and the internet connection speeds customers can expect. The ABC’s current affairs show, ’7.30 Report’ investigated this issue on May 29, 2002. Click here for the transcript.
Update: Please note the Senator did a Pair Gains 2009 update blog post for more recent information.
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I too am on a Pair Gain System in Tarneit, I’ve tried contacting all the major ISPs only to be rejected because of “Incompatible infrastructure” also a lack of ports on my RIM means that is basically impossible to get ADSL as a port only frees up when people move away and my area is actually gaining in population so it’s unlikely to get ports. Quite shameful really, I was on 1TB plan with 20mbps Cable (with optus) prior to moving here now am unable to even get the most basic ADSL.
I spoke to Telstra wholesale managers and they all said that upgrades will cost substantially and they aren’t sure if they will get their Return in Investment due to the impending National Broadband Network which may cause them to repalce the current infrastructure anyway. Well, the NBN is currently getting tested in only a few areas in Australia and is definitely a number of years away still, looks like no net for a while to come, hoorah!
Hi Kate,
My comment is in regards to trying to obtain internet access for my home. It is November 2011. I originally had my phone line connected to my house in December 2006 for the purpose of wanting an ADSL internet connection. I outlined this purpose to Telstra at the time and they were very accommodating in arranging for my phone line connection. Once the connection finally occurred, I contacted my selected ISP to arrange ADSL connection. The application was rejected due to there not being a port available at my exchange. I learnt this fact after having spending around $300 for the physical line connection, signing up to a Phone Line Monthly Plan. Telstra failed to tell me from the onset that a port would not be available. I would not have connected my phone up had i known. I was proactive when I learnt this news, so wrote TELSTRA a letter (via thier website) outlining the issue. I kept a copy of the letter sent on the 8/12/2006. I did not receive a response to my complaint / enquiry. However recently (perhaps within the last year), I did get a call from Telstra in regards to a port becoming available. Evidently I was on thier priority list. They offerred me an internet connection, however I had no choice in selecting an ISP. The port was available to me if I signed up to Telstra Bigpond only. I told them i was not interested as I wanted to select my own ISP. This is were the conversation ended. It is now November 2011. Here I go again trying to get an ADSL connection and again my ISP has been unable to arrange a connection due to ‘Pair Gains System’ line issues. I am about to tackle this issue again to see if my phone line can be ‘unlocked / moved’ to an ADSL capable line, however I am not holding my breath. You have probably received numerous contact in regards to similar complaints. I thought I would write so that my name could be included with all the other unhappy telecommunications customers. I was very disapointed that the only way for me to get the ADSL connectionm (at the time a port became available) was to join Telstra Bigpond.
Regards
Ben
Thanks for sharing your experience Ben. It all helps build a compelling picture and please let us know how your situation progresses. We have many people in a similar situation in Gungahlin here in the ACT and the NBN rollout there will deal with their issues once and for all.
Cheers,
Pia Waugh
IT Policy Advisor
Office of Senator Kate Lundy
I am writing to express my immense frustration, in regards to the
current sub-par internet situation that plagues Caroline Springs, Victoria.
High speed internet access is not available to all homes that comprise
of Caroline Springs. In my opinion, this is totally unacceptable and
there must be accountability.
As I have painfully learned over the past week, Caroline Springs is
surely not built for 2011. The agencies involved in the estate
planning and construction of Caroline Springs, lacked some serious
foresight when it came to providing high speed internet services, to
an area that is now home to a demographic with the average age of
about 35 (not 95).
I, a future resident of Caroline Springs, may or may not have high
speed internet access when I move in to my new home. To me, and most
30-somethings, this is a massive failure. How can a suburb, marketed
to young families and professionals, not offer high speed internet to
it’s residents? This is like saying, some Caroline Springs residents
get a clear phone line, while other’s have to wait in a massive queue
to be able to make a call (which by the way, may or may not be full of
static).
After speaking with multiple ISPs, it is clear that there is simply no
infrastructure in place to support high speed internet for every
household in Caroline Springs at any one time. More specifically,
there are not enough ‘ports’ available. A house needs a port to attain
high speed internet service. One may ask, what if there is no port
available for my home? Well, if that’s the case, then you must put
your account on a waiting list, where wait times could potentially
exceed one year, for high speed internet access! What gives?!
It truly baffles me a how a metropolitan suburb like Caroline Springs,
just 25km from Melbourne’s (second most populous city in Australia)
CBD, cannot provide high speed internet access to all it’s population
at any given time.
I work from home. I earn my living working online. I will be paying my
mortgage from the money earned from working via the internet (that is,
if I can connect). I cannot work from a wireless (3G) connection. I
will not be able to make a living by moving to Caroline Springs. This
is a serious problem, and one, that I feel, needed to be resolved
before a shovel was lunged into the earth to commence the development
of Caroline Springs.
I have asked multiple ISPs, when can all of Caroline Springs expect
equal acces to high speed internet. Most individuals answer, “maybe in
10 years.” That’s not very comforting, to say the least.
For now, if I do get internet access, then I can expect, at most,
ADSL1 speeds (if that). That is, while other areas of Caroline Springs have
ADSL2+ access and no one has cable access. Why? Because the
technological infrastructure of Caroline Springs cannot
support it OR does not want to invest funds into supporting it.
However, this is another issue altogether.
In writing this email, I am highly concerned that I will lose my home,
because I cannot have access to high speed internet from day 1.
Everyday I do not have internet access, I cannot earn a living.
Michael, I can relate. Sure, my house may be a little older – built in 2006, a whole five years ago – but I am in Parkville, less than 5km from the CBD and even closer to Melbourne Uni, and I am getting the same story from ISPs.
I have been chasing this issue for the 8 months. The best offer I’ve got is from Telstra who will put in another phoneline for a non-refundable $299, but that may or may not support ADSL. They can’t tell me why though – apparently front-of-house and back-of-house at Telstra aren’t allowed to talk about these things to each other.
It’s a joke, it really is.
Don’t bother with an ombudsman – as long as you have a working phone line, Telstra’s job is done and an ombudsman can’t help.
As far as I can tell, no one is accountable for this. There is no one responsible, and no one does anything to change it. If you find out something different, by all means do post it up here.
Otherwise, to quote the Telstra call centre sales reps, “don’t worry, the NBN is coming over the next 10 years!”
Thanks, Evelyn.
Hundreds of thousands of Australians are dealing with this massive headache — unnecessarily, if you ask me. There seems to be ZERO pressure on Telstra to act now, unfortunately (I hope someone can tell my I am wrong regarding this point).
Before moving here from the States, I read numerous articles about the excellence of Australian’s internet connectivity; what a crock.
I too got the same response from Telstra regarding the NBN. I would be shocked if some form of this NBN is completed in 20 years!
There needs to be accountability and action, now.
Hi Evelyn — my reply is below.
Another American in Australia, how nice. My family back in Texas thought it was so strange when I first moved to Australia and told them there were download limits here, but the thought of having to wait for a port is unfathomable to them. I don’t even attempt to explain how my house has a phone line that’s can’t do DSL – they’ve had cable internet since 2002.
What infuriates me the most is that in a society where an increasing number of opportunities and resources are exclusively available online, they are still building houses that are incompatible. In 2006, while the houses in my neighborhood were being built without internet capability, I was at Uni, less than 5km away, and even then ALL my course materials required either downloding or online portal access. The inconsistency is appalling.
Evelyn — I too have experienced moments of confusion on my friends’ faces when I explained to them that not all individuals in Australia get equal access to the internet — truly appalling. They simply didn’t understand.
You can’t get a port in Parkville!!! That is just ridiculous. Apart from being less than 5km from the cbd it is the biotechnology hub of Melbourne and some would say Australia. Another phone line won’t help because you still won’t have access to a port.
its just ridiculous that nothing can be done. I have been looking at these complaints for over a year now and despite all the complaints nothing changes. I know NBN is coming but why is it taking so long.
Come on Kate when will we see some action?
Here here!
Action must be taken now!
A National Broadband Network “promise” in 10 years is simply unacceptable!
C’mon Australia, it’s about time to catch up with rest of the modern world!
Kate, can you help push this cause now?
Hi Michael and all,
The Senator has been helping push this cause for 15 years, and continues to do so
All ISPs still have a minimum service they must deliver, so for some of your issues there are ways to escalate your concerns. The NBN has already started rollout and there are several areas that have poor Internet connectivity that were target in early rollouts, so I would suggest you approach NBN Co about your area and make the case that your area should be prioritised. Gungahlin, as the original blog post states, is an area riddled with Pair Gain tech and RIMs, and I’ve personally seen residents’ Internet speeds plunge to 3Kbits/s in peak traffic. Gungahlin is one of the second stage release sites.
Cheers,
Pia Waugh
Office of Senator Kate Lundy