Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Higher: my office has dealt with upwards of 450, and counting, in the last 12 months about the NBN. These complaints commonly fall into four categories: poor experience getting connected, slow internet speeds, being stuck between the retail service provider and NBN—the NBN ping-pong—and technology not meeting consumer expectations. I've heard from businesses that estimate losses of tens of thousands of dollars, from families whose children can't finish their homework, from elderly people isolated and at risk without landlines. I've heard from people frustrated by this blame-shifting between the NBN and their provider. I couldn't put it better than Neil Keele. This is what he said to me, plain and simple:

It's total crap.

The Central Coast is one of the first regions for the full-scale rollout, and there are now five technologies in the mix. We are a guinea pig for the NBN, and there are serious problems with the fibre-to-the-node technology and with the government's handling of the rollout. But I have breaking news. After writing to the minister for 12 months, I have my official response here.

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