And what of the NBN on the plateau? The situation in Dorrigo has the added complication of lightning strikes, which are a common occurence. And copper phone lines are particularly vulnerable.
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To this end the Dorrigo Chamber of Commerce, while pleased the town has been included in the proposed Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) model, is keen to see the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) option made available.
“Fibre optic cables are fibre glass and don’t conduct electricity,” Chamber spokesman Peter Lynch said.
“When we met with NBN Co last month we discussed the option of people being able to access FTTP for a nominal sum, possibly around $1000 when FTTC is rolled out.
“We also discussed having community meetings with NBN Co when the roll-out begins (in 2018) because it is important that people understand what they are getting and where to turn when they have problems.
“This should not be about being tech-savvy … the social aspects of this massive shift need to be considered and it needs to be made easy for people.”
He said he was aware of people being connected to fixed wireless without proper information about the effect of vegetation and the importance of clear sight lines.
“We have also noticed that there is no NBN technical support available on the plateau – hopefully that will change.”
Mr Lynch highlighted the massive fibre optic capacity of Dorrigo’s central phone exchange that feeds the three towers on the plateau.
“We are right on this internet highway and we should be able to access it … increasing upload speeds is really the key to putting rural communities on the map.
“The chamber wants to see the best outcomes for our community.”
