NBN rollout unsatisfactory, says O'Neill

The rollout of the National Broadband Network has been less than satisfactory, according to Senator Deborah O'Neill.

"The overall process is flawed and needs urgent review," she said.

Senator O'Neill said her office had received many complaints with some people finding the service so poor they wanted their old ADSL broadband back.

She said issues raised by Peninsula residents have included: NBN modems not being delivered on time, residents left without phone or internet services, conflicting information from service providers, NBN switchover appointments being cancelled or postponed at short-notice, and slower NBN download speeds compared with previous ADSL download speeds.

Umina resident, Ms Felicity Chivers, contacted the Senator's office after she was left without the internet or telephone line for 12 days.

She had finished chemotherapy just last year and understandably needed a functioning telephone line.

"Ms Chivers was bounced between Telstra and the NBN Co after problems with her modem," Sen O'Neill said.

"Telstra said it was actually a problem with the node outside her house and referred her to NBN Co.

"It's a mess," Senator O'Neill said.

"The speeds are low.

"Much of the copper wiring is proving faulty.

"It's costing double what Malcolm Turnbull said it would," she said.

"Local residents who are having problems with Malcolm Turnbull's fibre-to-the-node rollout, which uses the outdated and unreliable copper technology, are talking to me about their concerns," she said.

"People are confused and frustrated with the response they are getting from both NBN and their service provider.

"I feel that the service's men and women out in the community are the meat in the sandwich dealing with these frustrations at the grassroots level.

"They are often left scrabbling to fix individual customer problems, but clearly the overall process is flawed and needs urgent review."

NBN Co has stated that demand has been very high since the Peninsula's roll out was completed in February.

It confirmed that some users had experienced "issues" with the reliability of their connections and speeds.

Media release, 3 Mar 2016

Scot Coombes, Office of Deborah O'Neill

Media statement, 1 Mar 2016

Kelly Stevens, NBN Co