Fears that Darley could fall victim to a ‘digital divide’ have been quashed, as the National Broadband Network Company (NBNCo) announced that it will deliver high-speed broadband to the final service area in Darley.
Moorabool Mayor Paul Tatchell said it was a win for the community and common sense.
“After more than a year of uncertainty and lobbying, all of Bacchus Marsh will soon enjoy the same technology, speed and costs to connect as originally promised and advertised,” he said.
“[NBNCo has] spent too much time consulting in our community and designing the network to deliver anything else than a fully-funded, minimum 100-megabits-per-second connection.”
At least 900 premises are expected to be connected in this area once construction is complete.
The area north of Wittick Street had been included in the roll-out and listed as a fibre-serving area on previous maps in 2010, but construction was put on hold while the federal government reviewed the project, sparking fears about the future of the roll-out.
Cr Tatchell said the announcement of a fibre solution vindicated the council’s stance on the issue. He praised residents and business owners for their patience.
“Neighbours receiving different technology, service levels and costs after being promised the same was a real possibility . . . and simply unacceptable to us,” he said.
