Apart from those living in the centre of Yass and Murrumbateman, Yass Valley residents will have a wireless internet connection when the National Broadband Network (NBN) comes into effect.
Gundaroo, Gunning and Sutton are on the NBN fixed wireless list, while the bulk of Murrumbateman and Yass will get a fibre optic cable link up.
“NBN Co plans to install fibre in towns of 1000 premises or more, or to some towns with as few as 500 premises where the town is located on an NBN fibre transit link,” NBN Co community relations adviser Tony Gibbs said.
“NBN Co’s fixed wireless and satellite networks will serve communities with low population density where it is uneconomical and inefficient to roll out fibre optic cable.”
The company couldn’t confirm when an announcement would be made about other towns and villages around the area.
Sutton residents are concerned the NBN won’t be as wonderful as publicised.
The village has been put on the list for a fixed wireless connection, meaning the houses in the area will be linked via radio waves to an antenna in the area.
President of the Sutton and District Community Association (SDCA) Paul Kable said the group would be arguing it should get a fibre optic connection.
“Here we are 12 minutes out from the border of the nation’s capital and it’s planned to have a wireless connection,” Mr Kable said.
He said the current wireless service in Sutton was unreliable in places.
NBN Co, the company implementing the network, said the fixed wireless system would be more consistent than a mobile wireless connection.
Only a certain number of people will have access to the fixed service therefore it will be consistent, the company’s fact sheet says.
There has been no official announcement for Wee Jasper but members of the community have been told they would only get satellite services.
Currently most of the community only has access to internet through satellite.
However, there is a fibre optic cable linked to the school which currently runs along fences.
The cable was originally buried under the river but was damaged in the flood event this year.
Telstra has been commissioned by the NSW government to run fibre link into most schools.
The company told the Tribune these ‘point to point’ links were only good for the end customer and couldn’t be accessed by the wider community.