Telstra leaves business unplugged

AS BOTH major parties fight over the pros and cons of their broadband models in the lead-up to the October election, there’s one thing they seem to agree on.
It’s not in Telstra’s interest to invest in infrastructure in places like Healesville to improve current broadband with the NBN, or the Liberal alternative, on the radar… and they can’t make them.
As reported in the Mail last month, Healesville digital businesses are struggling to get the basic services with the Healesville exchange unable to keep pace with current demand.
“Unless Telstra invests in the Healesville exchange, nothing much is going to change,” said Healesville IT business operator Adam Menary who is calling on both parties to commit to funding Telstra to meet the needs of existing and new businesses until a national broadband network is in place.
A spokesman for Labor MP Rob Mitchell told the Mail last week that the party’s view was that Telstra should be continuing to upgrade infrastructure but said Telstra may have a different view being answerable to its shareholders.
Liberal Shadow Minister for Broadband Malcolm Turnbull likewise said during a visit to the Yarra Valley last week that Telstra had generally not been investing in its network and had no obligation to provide broadband services.
“They are upgrading some exchanges, but in a very limited way because they have little time to get a return on it,” he said.
Mr Menary said the situation was critical now and both sides of politics were showing no signs they were planning to help.
“Under either government’s plan you have a situation where the capacity at the exchange in Healesville is only going to get worse for at least the next three years, possibly more, and it’s untenable,” Mr Menary said.
He said places like Healesville were missing out on digital business opportunities that would bring huge investment and jobs to the Yarra Valley.
“If someone can guarantee those sorts of speeds I am speaking to people who would run an IT hub out of Healesville next year, who want to invest $1million.
“We have the money now, we have people we need to employ now and it’s not going to wait,” he said.
He said a safety net should have been part of the cost of the NBN.
“Talking about something in three years is not a solution, it’s a dead end that says ‘don’t come to Healesville if you have anything to do with IT’,” he said.
“The question to Rob Mitchell (McEwen Labour MP) and Tony Smith (Liberal Casey MP) is what are you going to put in place if you get in to ensure that Telstra is going to support the existing IT businesses that need this infrastructure today and for the next three to five years while you try to work out your broadband plan – because that’s who we’re going to vote for.”
As reported in the Mail on 26 February, Telstra said it has no current plans to upgrade the Healesville exchange.
It did not responded to the question of whether there are any ports available at Healesville.