Three Weeks Are Needed To Fix Rain-Affected Satellite Broadband
Hundreds of satellite broadband units haven’t been able to withstand the heavy rains in Queensland and northern NSW, and some people have been without internet access for weeks.
Some outdoor units from service provider IP STAR have taken on water, and replacement parts have had to be flown in from overseas.
The units were delivered under the Federal Government’s Australian Broadband Guarantee initiative, designed to give people in rural Australia access to faster internet.
The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy’s first assistant secretary, Keith Besgrove, informed it may take another three weeks until the problem is fixed.
“It does seem the unit is susceptible to humidity as well, but the major complaints have been from people experiencing difficulty in the last month or two as a direct result of high rainfall.”