There's more than 150 of them, operating at different price points and quality levels, and plenty of reports in the media about disgruntled customers finding their problems falling between the cracks, with NBNCo and RSPs each pointing the finger at one another.

At a Bellingen Coworking Group forum on Wednesday designed to help demystify the choice, there was a surprise announcement about a new player.

A small group of local techies, some of whom were presenting at the forum, have started up a not-for-profit, community-based RSP called BelloBroadband.

Courtesy of Donovan Craig, whose idea it initially was, it has been given the technical framework it needs to get off the ground, and will be the base level for a three-tier structure involving Donovan's own commercial offering, SnapFrozen, which focuses on business-level NBN.

Donovan explained that BellbBroadband will be primarily aimed at residents rather than businesses, and it will have a unique "invitation" model that seeks to harness the enthusiasm and skills of IT-savvy people in our community who are already helping their relatives and family friends.

Known as "brains trust members", they will receive support from the BelloBroadband committee and a discount on their own NBN service for referring and helping other people.

"Eventually they'll have the opportunity to get a free internet service, once they support enough members," he said.

Ordinary customers who sign up will need to select an existing "brains trust member" who has agreed to refer them.

Donovan, who has also been involved in setting up other not-for-profit associations like the Bello Food Box and the Bellingen Bee Sanctuary, said his aim was to have a model where people in the community support each other and where young people in particular can develop valuable skills.

"Once we've got it built up and we've got some revenue rolling in, we can use that revenue to hire a proper administrator and also hopefully work with the high school [for vocational training of young brains trust members]," he said.

Local hi-tech business owners and campaigners for a better NBN service in Bellingen, Jason Errey and Arne Hansen, have signed up to be on the BelloBroadband volunteer committee.

For more information about what they're offering, see www.bellobroadband.com.au

To check out some of the other information presented at the Coworking forum, see Andrew Woodward's presentation 'NBN for home and home office' at https://bellingencoworking.files.wordpress.com/2019/02/190210-choosing-your-nbn-service-in-bellingen-presentation.pdf