By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
THE NBN rollout in Corangamite is a “dud”, according to Labor candidate Libby Coker.
No “pre-existing” home or business had connected so far, she said.
But sitting Liberal MP Sarah Henderson hit back, saying the fixed-fibre rollout was continuing and the number of connections to the NBN through other technologies such as wireless far outstripped results under the former Labor federal government.
Ms Coker said a rollout assessment based on NBNCo information showed Corangamite was dudded then charged more for late second-rate services.
“The assessment shows not one single town or suburb, small or large, in the Corangamite region has pre-existing homes or businesses connected by fibre at this stage. Not one,” she said.
“Of the 24 towns and suburbs in Corangamite the only fibre connections made available are in a few greenfield sites.
“There are plans to start in only four pre-existing towns and suburbs and not one of these projects has got off the ground yet.
“Somewhere in the never never, if we do get connected, we’re going to get charged more for a second rate service. Under the Abbott Government’s policy, when this snail’s-pace rollout arrives we’ll have to either settle for a second-rate copper connection to the node or pay through the nose to get a superfast, reliable fibre connection.”
Ms Henderson said Labor would have delivered a “gold-plated NBN” costing taxpayers an extra $32 billion and householders $43 a month more.
She said fibre-to-the-node products would deliver speeds of up to 100 megabits a second without additional cost to householders over and above ordinary connection fees.
“Under Labor in Corangamite there were just 199 premises in greenfield areas connected and 140 on fixed wireless. Not one home was connected to the NBN’s fixed line network in established neighbourhoods in six years,” Ms Henderson said.
“We now have 1333 in greenfields and 777 connected on fixed wireless, with 2260 passed by fixed wireless and another 387 on the interim satellite service.”
