Broadband may come, despite Telstra snub

The Peninsula could receive broadband telecommunications facilities with cheaper phone calls and faster Internet access, despite Telstra turning its back on the area.

Soul Pattinson Telecommunications (SPT) and NBN Ltd will launch a Central Coast service this month after Telstra indicated that they would not provide broadband services to the Central Coast.

SPT business manager, Mr Rohan Green, said his company was using local consultants to assess the needs of various areas of the Central Coast, including the Peninsula.

He said the results of their work would be available some time next month.

"We have already committed the infrastructure at Gosford and are seeking to expand into other Central Coast areas such as the Peninsula," he said.

SPT will utilise NBN's infrastructure and resources to provide national and international voice, data, Internet, e-commerce and web hosting.

Corporate and Government users will be able to get broadband access to regional and metropolitan areas at an economical rate and access to capital cities at a local rate.

A subsidiary of SPT, Kooee Communications will concentrate on the delivery of mainstream products to residents and small business.

Products provided by Kooee include local, long distance and international voice services and dial-up and permanent connection Internet services.

Marketing manager, Ms Hanna White, said: "Some of SPT service will service the Peninsula."

IT&T project manager with the Central Coast Economic Development Board, Mr David Abrahams, said that broadband capacity in our region should be one of our major infrastructure concerns.

"We will be second-rate Internet citizens and businesses if we cannot address the issue of high speed Internet into homes and businesses in the Peninsula area," he said.

"We are now paying the price of having no significant cable network on the Coast and this has and will continue to impact on our ability to attract businesses who are dependent on this technology.

"Even though we are the fastest growing region in NSW, Telstra is giving other regions preference over us.

"This has made it particularly difficult to attract suitable IT&T businesses to the proposed technology park at the Mt. Penang site," he said.

Many companies operating in the Peninsula area were seeking affordable broadband technology and can't get it.

"I live on the Peninsula and I would like to see a broadband presence somewhere like Woy Woy or Ettalong," said Mr Abrahams.

"I've been pushing another carrier, who SPT are involved with, to provide a wireless service from one of the water towers.

"We are encouraging the carriers, but potential customers saying they would use the service would certainly help.

"I'm trying to encourage Telstra to service us in other ways.

"Woy Woy has a good exchange and has ADSL capability.

"Telstra is not able to do it because of a world shortage of the chips needed to provide the service.

"There's a world shortage because the main place that made them, a factory in Taiwan, had a fire.

"Also their pricing structure is inflexible".

Mr Abrahams said a series of companies had looked at the Central Coast to provide broadband too.

"A showing of public support for the service on the Peninsula would be a good impetus for companies to invest in the area.

Carl Spears, November 16