Project Update - 08/02/2023

WCAG Update on the Broadband Fibre Network Project for  Wamboin, Bywong and Sutton – January 2023. 

Summary

Opticomm Ltd has been contracted by the NSW Government to construct and operate a Fibre to the Premises (FttP) based Broadband Network for over 1,400 residences across Wamboin, Bywong and Sutton. Construction of the network is being undertaken on a cluster-by-cluster basis and commenced late last year in Sutton village. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023.

Changes to Eligibility

The NSW Government is funding the full cost of the connection to eligible residences (ie at no cost to the property owner). As a result of the “Feasibility Review” undertaken by the Department late last year, there have been some changes to eligibility. Specifically:

• A significant number of properties were omitted from the original list provided by the Department. The outcome of the Review has seen the majority of these now being included. As a result, the number of properties being connected under the project has risen from 1,352 to over 1,400.  

• However, in order to fund these extra connections, it appears that the Department has instituted a new policy it calls “one address, one connection”. The effect of this policy is that properties with more than one residence will only be funded for the connection of a single service. The list published by the Department last year included a total of more than 80 additional connections to second residences (ie dual occupancies), Caravan Parks, Businesses, Resorts, etc.

• Affected residents should already have been contacted regarding this change but if in doubt you should check your address status on Opticomm’s web site, and if necessary, contact the Department (see Links below). Opticomm can provide information and costs for additional connections.
  
  

Opticomm

• Opticomm has undertaken a mailout to eligible residences across the three communities. However, it appears that many residents have not received a copy of this notice. The primary purpose of the mailout was to ask residents to register their contact details as Opticomm wishes to contact residents, prior to construction in each cluster, to discuss the fibre route and point of connection to the residence. To do so, they need to have your contact details (eg name, phone number, email address). Please ensure that, if you haven’t already done so, you registered these with Opticomm as soon as possible (see link below). 

• Opticomm can provide further information to residents about how to go about using the service (including choosing a plan that meets your needs and budget) once the fibre is connected to the residence.

• WCAG has received some very positive feedback from residents in Sutton about the effort undertaken by the construction crew to minimise any impact on garden features, trees, etc. In your discussion with Opticomm’s construction team, regarding the route to be taken for the fibre lead-in, please ensure that you alert them to any existing underground services. This is especially important if this was installed by the owner.
  
  

Starlink

A significant number of residents across the three communities have installed SpaceX’s Starlink service at their properties over the last two years. There is no doubt that Starlink provides a far superior service to that of NBN’s SkyMuster satellite service, so the strong uptake by residents is not surprising. Several residents have reached out to WCAG seeking to understand why they should consider connecting to the fibre network, given that they are happy with Starlink. There are MANY reasons why you will almost certainly be better off with a fibre connection. In summary, these are:

• Cheaper - In addition to the cost of the Starlink dish ($450 to $924) and any costs of its installation on your roof, there are the usual monthly service costs of about $139. Opticomm Service providers offer hundreds of plans, with many having far cheaper monthly charges for a comparable service. Depending on the contract you agree to, there may or may not be a once-off connection fee (typically $100).

• Faster - Early Starlink users often saw download speeds of up to 300 Mbps. However, as more people in the area have installed the service, typically they now see download speeds of between 50 to150 Mbps. Opticomm’s fibre service will be initially capable of up to 1,000 Mbps (ie 1 Gbps), and is able to be upgraded in the future to 10,000 Mbps.

• Greater Competition - While Opticomm is building and operating our fibre network, they operate as a wholesale provider. Your service contract is actually with one of Opticomm’s 50 Service Providers. This has the benefit of providing an environment that ensures competition and pricing that is aligned to residents in the cities. Contrast this to Starlink, which, once you purchase the dish, has a monopoly total control over pricing, speeds, download limits, etc. As we’ve seen from Starlink’s recent announcement to cap downloads for some users, this is a real issue.

• Latency – Starlink’s latency is far lower than other satellite-based internet services – being typically between 30ms and 50ms for Australian based servers. While this is adequate for most applications, it can degrade some services – eg online gaming. Fibre latency is more typically between 5ms to 10ms.

• Reliability – While this has improved a lot for Starlink over the last 18 months with the addition of more satellites, the fact remains that the service continues to be affected by very heavy cloud and rainstorms. The Starlink dish is also known to shut down when subject to high temperature. Fibre is not subject to such environmental issues.

• Phone Service – Many of Opticomm’s Service Providers offer a range of additional services – including the option to use the fibre connection to replace your exiting phone. For many residents who have lost their copper connection and have had to rely on using a mobile service (if they can get a signal), this will allow them to re-establish a basic phone service again. For other residents, it may present them with a far cheaper alternative to that of retaining their existing copper service. This capability does not exist for Starlink.

• Power Consumption – Starlink users have noted much higher household power consumption.

• Property Value – It is generally understood that a fibre broadband connection adds value to a property above that of other internet connections

Where can I get more information?

Opticomm – Project Information: https://www.opticomm.com.au/nsw-regional-network/

You can Register your Contact details or Check your address by selecting the links on this page.

Opticomm are regularly updating their Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page. Many of the questions put to WCAG by residents, as well as issues raised in the Community Facebook pages, can be resolved by checking out this resource. See  https://www.opticomm.com.au/nsw-regional-network/faqs/

Department of Regional NSW, Project Site:  https://www.nsw.gov.au/snowy-hydro-legacy-fund/regional-digital-connectivity-program/gig-state/wamboin-bywong-and-sutton

Department of Regional NSW, Project Email Address: RDC.program@regional.nsw.gov.au