I’ve always been one to say that there are sacrifices living in rural, country areas and we can’t expect the same level of services as our metro counterparts.
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Living in Mystery Bay and anywhere along the spectacular Far South Coast has lots of perks – just look at the view, the sunsets and the peace and quiet. How’s the serenity?
But I can’t help but feel slightly let down by the decision to make Mystery Bay reliant on satellite service, instead of fixed wireless or even fibre to home. Heck, fibre to the node will do me.
The way we all live, work and play these days is changing with increasing reliance on the internet. Many of us could be working from home in the future and watching television that comes through a wire instead of the air.
While nbn co says its new Sky Muster satellite service will be good, that’s not what I am hearing from other people with some outrageous prices quoted.
Mystery Bay may be rural but its hardly remote with existing telephone lines and even ADSL service running straight down into the township.
Should not the satellite service and limited space on the Sky Muster satellite be left for truly remote communities – say those in the Simpson Desert or even the Pilbara where I was born?
It was surprise to hear that Telstra does not want to co-locate with the nbn towers, as I have heard reports that Optus would.
Being a mobile phone black spot is also a serious issue adding to the communications black hole that is Mystery Bay. What about when we get our own Black Tuesday and the RFS sends out text alerts?
I don’t think Telstra’s new mobile phone tower now being promised at Central Tilba will make much difference down the slope, so what we need is our own tower at Mystery Bay. Or even better our own fibre optics, far more important than fancy French submarines or faulty American fighter planes in my view. Make messages not war is what I say.
There are naturally opponents to any new structure or technology but the proposed Mystery Bay tower site was not near any homes.
And with figures thrown around of $6000 a year to have a tower on your property, they can build one in my backyard. Well maybe just across the road in the paddock. They can even disguise towers to make them look like trees apparently.
Stan Gorton
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
Walkley-nominated journalist based at The Islander on Kangaroo Island with an interest in the local community and the environment.
