Herne Hill.
Camera IconHerne Hill. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Swan residents offline for weeks

Joel Kelly, The AdvocateCommunity News

A major repeater site in Herne Hill went offline on May 16 due to storm damage and was not restored for 19 days.

Businesses and residential customers in Herne Hill, West Swan, Duncraig, Greenwood, Gingin and Woodridge were affected by the outage.

Ocean Broadband provides wireless broadband to areas that do not have access to ADSL or are in a 3G/4G blackspot, such as parts of the Swan Valley.

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In this instance, the delay was caused by Ocean Broadband technicians being unable to inspect the mast, due to occupational health and safety issues. Further approval was required before the inspection could proceed.

Ocean Broadband was contacted for comment but did not return repeated calls.

Swan Valley Progress Association chairman Rod Henderson said the internet service had affected local businesses which had to make alternative arrangements to access the net.

‘The service was off for so long that some businesses had to organise mobile internet services to get by,’ he said.

‘This is also about the bigger picture ” what is being done about the terrible internet service in the Swan Valley?’

Unlike some of its new neighbouring estates, such as Brabham and Whiteman Edge, the National Broadband Network rollout has not started in much of the Swan Valley.

Pearce MP Christian Porter said a cost-benefit analysis was under way to determine the optimum rollout of the NBN.

‘Part of the purpose of this analysis is to prioritise delivery of the NBN to areas with greatest need because of poor services that presently may exist,’ he said.

‘I am working hard to draw attention to the fact that there are areas that are much in need within my electorate, such as the Swan Valley.’

To see when specific addresses will receive the NBN, visit tinyurl.com/ q5vo3nk