Almost 75,000 homes and businesses in Newcastle and across the Hunter will miss out on superfast, affordable and reliable broadband if the Rudd Labor Government is not re-elected at next month’s Federal Election, according to new maps released today.
The maps graphically show the extent to which Tony Abbott and his sidekick Malcolm Turnbull would wreck Federal Labor’s National Broadband Network, denying most in the region access to the boundless educational, health, lifestyle and commercial opportunities this essential infrastructure delivers.
Right now, the NBN is rolling out fibre directly to more than 5,300 homes and businesses in and around the Newcastle area.  But if there’s a change of government on 7 September that’s as far as the rollout will go.
Everyone else will be left with one of two choices: battle on using last century’s copper technology or fork out as much as $5,000 to have fibre connected to their home or business – something people are currently getting for free.
For the region’s 10,400 businesses alone, that would be a total financial hit as high as $52 million.
However, if the Rudd Labor Government is re-elected the roll out of fibre-to-the-premise will continue by mid-2016 to almost 80,000 homes and businesses in Newcastle, Maitland, Charlestown, Hamilton, Mayfield, Raymond Terrace, Tarro and New Lambton.
Federal Labor’s NBN is an investment in our nation’s future prosperity.  It will transform the way we live our lives, do business, grow our regions and engage with the rest of world.  That’s why access to it should not depend on how much money you have or where you happen to live or do business.
When it comes superfast, affordable and reliable broadband, only Federal Labor will do it once, do it right, and do it with fibre.
Australians now face a clear choice: they can vote for the future and fibre under Labor or the past and copper under the Coalition.
Maps for Newcastle and the Hunter