Broadband internet access

High speed internet access is essential to Australia's long term economic prosperity because of its importance in our personal and professional lives.

On this page:

• Types of broadband
• Broadband service locator
• Reasons for lack of broadband access
• How we can help
• Telecommunications provider complaints

Types of broadband

Broadband - a collective term used to describe high-speed, ‘always-on’ internet access – provides faster internet speeds than a dial-up connection.

The most popular types of broadband services are:

• Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL) - internet access over your copper telephone line, that does not keep the phone line busy
• Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) - ADSL is a type of DSL that allows a faster download speed and a slower upload speed
• cable - uses a cable TV connection
• satellite - via a satellite to a dish installed at your premises
• wireless - connection via airwave using land-based transmitters

Optic fibre

Optic fibre is a telecommunications infrastructure that uses light encoded with information transmitted down a glass fibre.

Fibre-optic cable provides much faster internet access than ADSL, which can generally only be used over short distances, typically less than 5km.

A single optic fibre, the thickness of a human hair, has huge (almost infinite) capacity to transport voice, video and other data. It is only limited by the equipment connected to the start and finish of the fibre.

Broadband service locator

To ascertain whether broadband services are available to you at your residential or business address, use the Federal Government’s free online Broadband Service Locator tool.

To determine if your property can receive DSL/ADSL, and to select an Internet Service Provider (ISP), visit the Broadband Choice ISP Directory.

If you cannot get DSL/ADSL internet access, and would like to know if you can get cable internet access, contact Optus or Telstra directly.

Reasons for lack of broadband access

There are many reasons why a property cannot get broadband internet access including:

• You may have a Pair Gain System (PGS)
  A PGS occurs when a copper phone line is split between 2 or more properties and usually occurs when there are limited phone lines available within an estate or suburb. A PGS does not affect the efficiency or quality of your phone line, but is does affect high-speed dial-up modem connections, and is incompatible with Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) systems. Contact your telecommunications provider to determine if you have a PGS.
• Lack of infrastructure
  In some cases there may be a physical lack of infrastructure in the telephone exchange or the existing infrastructure from your home to the exchange is not able to deliver broadband services. New or upgraded infrastructure can only be installed by a telecommunications provider.
• Distance
  Current DSL technologies become ineffective if your home is located a long distance from the telephone exchange. At a certain distance the signal loss is too great and you will not be able to receive a DSL connection.

How we can help

If you are having trouble getting broadband internet access or mobile access, add your details to our broadband and telecommunications community register.

Although we want to help residents gain better access to broadband infrastructure and services, we are not in control of the telecommunications infrastructure. We use the community register to advocate on behalf of our local community to state and federal governments and telecommunications providers, to help improve broadband access.

We have also developed a number of broadband strategies to help improve access locally, such as requiring property developers to lay empty fibre-optic conduit networks throughout all new ‘Greenfield’ housing estates in the City of Whittlesea. You will see a concrete cover at the front of your property if an optic fibre pit exists.

Telecommunications provider complaints

If you have an unresolved complaint about your telephone and/or internet service, you contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), a free and independent alternative dispute resolution agency by calling 1800 062 058 or visiting the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) website.