THE NBN has not met expectations and action is needed closer to home to attract technology-based companies to move to the region, according to Orange councillor Jeff Whitton.
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Cr Whitton said he would ask Orange City Council to investigate taking over “the last mile”, being the copper network linking the optical fibre nodes to premises.
“The economic system of Orange needs to pull together, rather than waiting for federal and state government programs to make it happen,” he said.
“So when there are subdivisions or work involving digging trenches, or when the network is faulty or full, we should be putting fibre in the ground.”
Cr Whitton said commercial and industrial properties would take priority, followed by residential, and the problems to date with the copper network were due to no service level agreement on connectivity or fixing the network.
He pointed to examples of businesses losing their phone connection during the weekend.
“When customers have an issue, the service providers have no control,” Cr Whitton said.
“That customer experience is what we want to get away from.”
Cr Whitton said Orange offered the lifestyle to attract businesses to the region and people across the Asia-Pacific region were aware of it.
“We’ve got a great fixed labour force so the turnover of staff is kept to a minimum and businesses can get the return on their investment for training,” he said.
Internet connectivity is crucial and if [businesses] can’t get it, they won’t come.”
- Cr Jeff Whitton
“But they don’t have access to the technology – internet connectivity is crucial and if they can’t get it, they won’t come.
“Before the question was, do you have access to flushing sewerage? It’s a bit like that.”
Cr Whitton said the US had established a program called Smart Communities, which encouraged entrepreneurs to work together, while Singapore offered free WiFi.
He said taking over the last mile could also be a job for private enterprise, but the council was among the city’s largest employers and already had control over most utilities.
“The only things it doesn’t manage are telecommunications and electricity,” he said.
“You’ll find councils or businesses are going to take control of those utilities for the simple reason that they can manage the outcomes and serviceability of them – council’s responsibility is for roads and footpaths, but our responsibility is also to take care of the businesses.”
The arrangement would not affect the customer’s relationship with their internet service provider and they would be able to buy plans as usual.