Shoalhaven small business owner Greg Pullman said internet connectivity problems may deter new businesses from starting up in the region.
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“The National Broadband Network is vital,” he said.
“With the demographic coming down here, if they can’t get a good NBN connection, they won’t set up.”
His comments were part of a discussion about NBN service problems at a small business forum in Nowra on Wednesday.
Earlier, a real estate agent in the Shoalhaven said had been without a landline for six weeks due to the NBN rollout.
The real estate agent, who asked not to be named for business reasons, told forum attendees and the shadow minister for small business Kate Gallagher the NBN has affected productivity.
“For six weeks I could not do my business and there’s no compensation for that,” she said.
“In real estate, not having a telephone is a death sentence.”
She moved sites six weeks ago, and has been operating in an area serviced by the NBN, but NBN workers have not been able to establish a connection.
She has been told by telco companies that they are unable to connect a new landline if she isn’t connected to the NBN.
The real estate agent said she has been using a mobile phone in the interim.
She cautioned small business owners moving to a new office to ensure the site is connected to the NBN before they move.
“Unfortunately when I moved premises I didn’t ask the question,” she said
“Brand new businesses need to ask if the premises is connected to the NBN before they set up.”
After weeks of relaying messages between telco providers and NBN staff, she could not understand what she had to do to get connected.
An NBN worker recently visited the office and advised her to buy a cable worth $2000.
At the forum, two other small business owners said they also had trouble connecting to the NBN.