Small business across the Hunter are at risk of failing
because of the National Broadband Network’s rollout, says Hunter MP Joel
Fitzgibbon.
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| Joel Fitzgibbon |
It comes after four businesses in Morisset were left without
phone or Internet services for weeks after being switched from their old
network to the NBN.
“Not only are we seeing an inferior NBN service rolled out,
but the transition is hopeless,” said Fitzgibbon.
“For a small business to be without a telephone service for
weeks is a disaster.”
Labor have been critical of the Coalition Government’s NBN
scheme, suggesting it is inferior and outdated as soon as it's switched on.
A strong small business sector was one of the talking points
for the NBN, begun by Malcolm Turnbull in his capacity as Communications
Minister and continued when he succeeded Tony Abbott for the top job.
But Joel Fitzgibbon said it only hurts them.
“Small businesses are going without telephone and Internet
services literally for weeks. That’s a
disaster,” he said.
“The Government needs to apologise; to intervene and to sort
these problems out.”
Jason Miles is one of the small business owners put out by the NBN. He told the Lakes Mail it's severely hampered his business.
"I reckon we're running at about 10 per cent of what I'm used to. Where I might usually get 100 people coming through the door per day, I'm down to 10. Maximum," he said.
"The big problem is people don't have a choice to switch their landline over to the new system," Joel Fitzgibbon said.
