Broadband Divide
Newcastle Herald
Thursday May 3, 2007
A NEWCASTLE family has been denied a high-speed broadband internet service that their neighbours can access with ease because of unfinished line upgrades to the area.
Jill Riddell said she was told by a Telstra Countrywide representative that the process of installing a broadband-capable line to her home in Alderson Street, Shortland, would be too long and costly."People across the street have broadband, but on our side it's not an option because there is no line to connect into," she said."It puts my children at a huge disadvantage in regards to homework and university assignments." Telstra Countrywide regional manager Chris Cusack said high-speed broadband internet connections were not available in parts of Shortland because of distance limitations on ADSL cables."ADSL is only available on existing exchanges, which would explain why one side of the street has access and the other doesn't," Mr Cusack said.Mrs Riddell said a Telstra spokesman told her part of a line linking the end of nearby King Street with Alderson Street was not completed during the last upgrade. University of Newcastle student Loren Riddell, 18, says the service is vital for her and her two high-school-aged sisters to complete their homework."It is so slow and frustrating that we either give up or have to use library computers," she said.The Riddells' only option is to pay an extra $55 minimum a month for a wireless broadband service."I already pay $75 for the dial-up service and I'm willing to pay that," Mrs Riddell said. "We just have to grin and bear it because we can't afford the wireless alternative."
© 2007 Newcastle Herald