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Byron Shire
November 9, 2026

NBN, Labor promise better, faster internet service

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Telco service is a regular hot topic on the Northern Rivers. Photo Marie Cameron

National telco NBN says it has ‘escalated’ issues raised by Byron Shire customers who spoke to The Echo last week.

Two hinterland customers said they were frustrated with their phone and internet services as supported by Telstra and NBN, with one, George Lewin, saying he’d reluctantly switched to Starlink instead.

Mr Lewin had also launched a petition calling on Telstra to improve its service.

NBN sent The Echo a statement, saying technological upgrades to its fixed wireless network had finished.

‘More homes and businesses in regional Australia can benefit from higher NBN speeds and more reliable connectivity than previously available,’ an NBN spokesperson said.

Customers experiencing issues with their service were encouraged to discuss directly with their internet service provider in order to investigate, with complaints outlined in The Echoto be addressed on a case-by-case basis.

Labor spruiks NBN upgrades

The comments came after Federal Labor Member for Richmond Justine Elliot shared similar advice.

Ms Elliot last week issued a media release announcing faster internet and increased data with the completion of the ‘Albanese Government’s upgrades to NBN Co’s Fixed Wireless and Satellite services’.

Ms Elliot said more than 13,000 premises across the North Coast could access broadband speeds of at least 100/20 Mbps thanks to the upgrades.

Federal Labor said it had also improved NBN’s Sky Muster satellite service, offering unlimited data and download speeds of up to 100 Mbps.



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