In Uralla, 1,033 premises have been able to order a service since March 2018.

Next Wednesday NBN Co local representatives will be on location in Uralla and Walcha to speak with members of the community about the rollout of the national broadband access network in the region and provide information about what residents and businesses should consider before they order an NBN Co powered plan from a phone or internet provider.

Amber Dornbusch, head of NBN Co Local – New South Wales said the community drop-in sessions will provide residents and businesses with the opportunity to speak one-on-one with an nbn representative so they can ask any questions they have.

“The drop-in sessions are very informal, there is no formal presentation or talk,” she said.

“Community members are simply invited to attend at a time that is convenient to them to speak with an nbn representative.”

Visitors will also have the opportunity to get a real-life experience of the benefits of the nbn SkyMuster satellite service via the Sky Muster truck.

“The custom-made vehicle carries a portable satellite antenna that allows visitors to get hands-on with services over the nbn access network via a Wi-Fi hotspot powered by the SkyMuster service,” Ms Dornbusch said. 

“The community information sessions are part of the nbn’s commitment to improving customer experience on the nbn access network for regional and remote Australia.”

NBN Co have installed a mix of fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) and fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology in Walcha and Uralla. Fibre-to-the-curb technology connects to a telecom pit near a driveway outside a home or business rather than a junction box down the street ( fibre-to-the-node)

The technology used was decided by the NBN Co installation team based on what technology made sense in each location.

The Australian-made FTTC technology can deliver the same 100Mbps speeds as fibre-to-the-premise, but at a lower cost, in much less time and with far less disruption to people's property according to NBN Co.

Fibre-optic cable is connected to the pit outside the home or business, with existing copper lines used to connect the Internet to the premise.

“The rollout of the NBN Co access network is one of the biggest transformations to Australia’s telecommunications industry to ever occur – it represents significant change for consumers and businesses as they make the move to the new network,” said Ms Dornbusch.

“We have been listening to the community’s feedback and are committed to providing answers to the questions residents in Uralla and Walcha want to know about the NBN Co access network and the factors which influence the speed of their internet service. We encourage members of the community to attend and ask any questions they may have.”

On Wednesday June, 27 the Sky Muster truck will be outside Uralla Library between noon and 1pm then near the Walcha Visitor Information Centre between 2pm and 3pm.