Around 50 people attended a demonstration of the Sky Muster satellite broadband service put on by NBN Co at Mystery Bay on Wednesday afternoon.
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Rural residents living south of Narooma also got to quiz representatives from NBN Co about the general progress of bringing the broadband network to the area.
Residents vented their frustration at being in a telecommunications black hole with little or no mobile service, an inadequate number of ADSL ports in the existing telephone exchange, while many wanted at least fixed wireless service and were skeptical of the satellite service.
Discussion got heated at times about recent changes including the decision by the company not to go ahead with the previously proposed fixed wireless tower at Mystery Bay.
Residents at the coastal hamlet are now going to be served by NBN Co’s Sky Muster satellite and Wednesday’s demonstration was a chance to show off this internet technology.
The Ford Ranger utility “Musta2” arrived, albeit a little late, and a technician erected its 120mm dish facing it north and at 45 degrees directly to the satellite in orbit.
People were then able to log on via Wifi on their own devices to test the service out.
Mystery Bay resident James Steele was able to Facetime his daughter Alice and granddaughter Lucy in Jakarta and they were all impressed with the speed of the internet service.
Wes Smith from Narooma used his internet speed test app to compare the download and upload speeds to his home in town and said they were just a bit faster at 13 mbps download and 2.61 mbps at that moment.
NBN Co is set to hold the same demonstration on Thursday at the Bega economic forum and again at Eden on Friday.
While the demonstration was ongoing at Mystery Bay, a group gathered at the rotunda to ask for explanations about the recent change of fixed wireless plans at the location and Tilba.
NBN Co. confirmed the relocation of the Tilba fixed wireless tower from the initial site at the old abattoir to a new proposed site at Brushgrove Lane meant that it would not be in line-of-sight with Mystery Bay.
The tower at Tilba, and then Mystery Bay, were meant tie into a daisy chain of towers extending north from Bermagui. The final tower in that chain is the already constructed Wonga Road tower south of Narooma that is now cut off and will have to tie into another chain to the north.
Many Mystery Bay residents expressed their disappointment on losing out on fixed wireless service and urged NBN Co to look for alternate sites for a tower at Tilba that would allow the Mystery Bay and Wonga towers to work.
The company representatives however defended the Sky Muster satellite service, taking exception to it being called second rate. And the decision had been made that satellite service was now what the community was going to get.
NBN Co spokesperson Kelly Stevens said NBN Co under legislation was required to deliver a minimum 25 mbps download and 5 mbps upload speeds and the satellite service would meet this requirement.
A new three-year construction update was due out in the next four to six weeks, which would spell out new timelines for all areas including local towns and rural areas.
Ms Stevens also confirmed residents that did have ADSL service would be able to retain that service and did not have to switch to the NBN unless they wanted to.
One concern about satellite service was the limit and or expense of data used and this does seem to be a limitation for businesses such as Oakleigh Farm Cottages nearby.
Owner Tony Wills-Allen, who coincidentally owns the land where the Mystery Bay tower was going to go, was frustrated that he would not be able to hook up each cottage to satellite service.
“If you run a business, satellite will not be the answer – it will not work,” he said.
Tilba Chamber of Commerce president Peter Lonergan also attended to get an update for his members, who were all eager to get high-speed internet.
NBN Co confirmed there was a 150 megabyte per month limit on satellite service and businesses were not able to split it up. In terms of cost compared to fixed line or wireless, the company said that was up to the actual internet providers.
Another concern was how satellite performed in heavily treed areas and also adverse weather conditions.
NBN Co representatives said the satellite signal was able to get through trees better than fixed wireless but did admit there needed to be a clear view to the satellite location not blocked for instance by terrain. They also claimed weather such as heavy rain would not be a factor for Sky Muster.
Mystery Bay resident Stuart Bayley said residents had chosen to live in a beautiful rural area and while they should get basic internet service, they should not expect the absolute best.
There was also frustration expressed that the demise of the fixed wireless tower meant there was no chance to co-locate mobile service as Mystery Bay was definitely a mobile black spot area and at least one telco had expressed an interest.
Dan Field from the Old Highway just west of Mystery Bay said his current non-NBN satellite service was very expensive costing him $290 per month and that his area was not even serviced properly by landline service with lines cutting off if someone else picked up their phone.
Philip Creagh lives south of Narooma near the already constructed but non-functioning Wonga tower and said he was very disappointed to hear the news of the demise of the Mystery Bay tower as it meant more delays.
He blamed a small minority at Tilba that opposed the initial fixed wireless tower, because had it been built, both Mystery Bay and Wonga would have been viable.
Harry Bate meanwhile lives at Tilba Tilba and while he already receives ADSL service, his inquiries into the NBN service has revealed he is not able to tie into the existing tower at Wallaga Lake that he can clearly see from his property 5.5kms away. He left the meeting still unsure as to why this was the case.
Brushgrove Lane resident John Ramsay at the end of the meeting that went close to 5pm, took one of the NBN Co representatives the location of an alternate site just off the new highway owned by the Roads and Maritime Service.
He believes that site is higher with a clear line of sight to both Mystery Bay and Tilba and urged NBN Co to consider building the fixed wireless tower at that location.