Residents in large areas of Wyndham will have to wait until 2018 to be connected to the National Broadband Network, even though it was promised by next year.
According to the latest NBN roll-out plan, 5100 premises in Werribee and 15,200 in Hoppers Crossing will be connected to the NBN by 2016.
Those connections will be made using hybrid fibre coaxial network technology developed by the cable television industry.
A further 6300 premises in Laverton, Truganina and Williams Landing and 10,700 in Tarneit will be connected by fibre to the node (FTTN) by 2017. But Point Cook (11,300 premises) and Wyndham Vale (4200) won’t be connected until 2018.
Taken off the map
The section of Wyndham Vale that was expected to see NBN construction start this year – but later disappeared from the roll-out map – will now be connected by 2018.
Lalor MP Joanne Ryan has hit out at former communications minister Malcolm Turnbull for spending too much time trying to be Prime Minister and not enough focusing on his portfolio.
“So much for the ‘end of 2016’ promise made by Turnbull,” she said after the latest plan was released last week. “Homes and businesses will now be waiting until after the next election.
“A region like ours, hit by manufacturing closures and transition, needs this technology to create new businesses and grow existing ones. This abjectly fails our community.”
Asked why the Wyndham region was receiving limited connection to the network in the immediate future, NBN’s manager of state corporate affairs, Michael Moore, said the construction plan was designed to ensure all Australians had access as soon as possible.
“While NBN would like to connect everyone at the same time, we’re constrained by both economic and physical resources,” he said.
“Ultimately, our plan is for no premises to miss out as the NBN network is scheduled to be available across Australia by 2020.”
