NBN to be made available to outskirts of Mylor
Posted April 27, 2020
Federal Member for Mayo Rebekha Sharkie has welcomed the news that nearly 500 residents on the outskirts of Mylor will be able to connect to satellite NBN in the next fortnight while NBN Co explores options for a new wireless tower site.
"While I support NBN Co's investigation of a potential new NBN wireless tower site after the negotiations for the original location fell through, it did seem unfair that some 495 premises would have to wait another 18 months before connecting to the NBN while planning and approval processes went ahead," Rebekha said.
"This is an area where many residents cannot get an ADSL connection and mobile data reception is poor so some people cannot access broadband at all.
"That's why I wrote to NBN Chief Executive Stephen Rue last month asking him to allow these residents to sign up to NBN satellite in the interim. The COVID-19 pandemic and the pressures to work and educate at home made this request even more urgent.
"So I was pleased to recently receive a letter from the head of NBN Government Relations, Joe Dennis, saying that not only could residents order a Sky Muster satellite service, they could also make the switch to fixed wireless, without additional connection charges, if the new tower site eventually goes ahead.
"I have been advised residents can start ordering satellite connections within the next fortnight as NBN Co updates its systems."
The township of Mylor has fixed-line Fibre To The Node NBN.
Premises on the outskirts of Mylor have been waiting for promised wireless NBN for two years.
Late last year NBN Co told residents they would be allocated Sky Muster satellite NBN instead of wireless NBN after negotiations with a local landowner to build a tower fell through.
A few local residents approached Rebekha's office with suggestions for alternative sites.
NBN Co has subsequently undertaken a detailed investigation into one of the sites but has warned that the lead-in time for engineering, planning and approvals to build the tower could take 18 months.
A small number of the 495 premises in the affected footprint will be able to connect to neighbouring fixed wireless towers after infrastructure upgrades.
