A Dubbo mum without access to an ADSL internet connection at her family home is "fed up" she is still without a National Broadband Network (NBN) service three years after being promised one.
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The woman, who did not want the Daily Liberal to publish her name, lives on Webber Drive and said her family is forced to use an unreliable wireless internet service that often drops out and once cost her $160 a month.
She said an NBN service was first promised to her in May 2016 and since then the proposed date of connection has changed multiple times.
"I reckon we've been given between six and 10 different dates we'd be able to be connected," she said.
"In December 2016 they said there was a line issue [preventing an NBN service from being connected]... it's funny that the actual problem was identified over two and a half years ago but still hasn't been rectified.
"If we had access to ADSL I probably wouldn't care how long it takes to get NBN.
"I just feel we've been financially disadvantaged and technologically."
The woman said because there was no ADSL or NBN connection at her home, her family once paid $160 a month for 25 gigabytes of data on a casual wireless internet plan with no lock-in contract that would allow her to switch to an NBN service without paying break contract fees.
At one stage the internet would drop out five times in one minute and then you would have none at all.
- Dubbo woman
"At the moment we're paying $90 for 80gbs on a lock-in contract that runs out in six months," the woman said.
Because wireless speeds are slower and the connection is unreliable, the woman said she is unable to work from home or do internet banking.
"When I went to register the car, it completely dropped out halfway through paying," she said.
"I had to ring Service NSW to see if the car was registered.
"At one stage the internet would drop out five times in one minute and then you would have none at all.
"We've also had two kids go through the HSC, they had to spend most of that study time at the library."
Last week the woman said she saw a subcontractor doing work near her home and she hoped it meant the NBN was close to being made available.
"I asked the worker if he had an approximate time-frame for us to expect connection to the NBN and his reply was 'We're not connecting your street, we're connecting the new estate at the end of the street'," she said.
Located on Old Homestead Drive, the Bell Park Estate is a bunch of vacant blocks with no homes on them.
Around 17,00 premises in the Dubbo Regional Council area can currently order a service over the NBN broadband access network.
- NBN Co spokesperson
The woman said every street around her was connected the NBN three years ago and all she wanted wanted was equitable access to taxpayer funded broadband infrastructure.
On its website, NBN Co, the company building the $51 billion NBN, estimated the woman's Webber Drive home would be capable of connecting to the NBN in July.
An NBN Co spokesperson said the woman's home is not currently serviceable because the quality of the copper line leading to the premises is "inappropriate to deliver a fast broadband service".
"This is expected to be repaired by early August," the spokesperson said.
"Around 17,00 premises in the Dubbo Regional Council area can currently order a service over the NBN broadband access network.
"Just a handful require additional work."
The spokesperson apologised to the woman for the delay in connecting her service and said the distance of some homes and business from the network meant "a small number of premises may not be able to order a service over the NBN access network when the wider area has been switched on".
