Staff reporters
If you’re thinking of opening a business in Byron Bay that depends on a high-speed internet connection, then stand in line because there are no business-grade ADSL2+ ports available.
And businesses who cancel their ADSL port to move to new premises need to be particularly wary, as their cancelled port will be given to any other business that happens to ring up at the right time.
Wireless internet service providers, who don’t depend on Telstra ADSL ports, report a constant level of enquiry. Drew Moorley from internet provider WIRES said, ‘the two most common calls we receive are from Byron businesses who have been told by Telstra that there are no ports available, or that they have been placed on a “pair-gain” line, with decreased capacity’.
Significant investment
But a spokesperson for the telco did tell The Echo that ‘Telstra will be adding additional DSL2+ infrastructure to the [Byron Bay] exchange in the next six months.
‘Telstra has made significant investment in DSL2+ technology in Byron Bay in the past 12 months, with installing additional DSL2+ infrastructure to a streetside cabinet where this was previously not available.
‘Telstra does note that ADSL is a distance-based technology; if a customer lives beyond the reach of this technology we will not be able to provide them with an ADSL service.’


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