Coronavirus Spurs Aussie Demand For Speedier NBN

CANBERRA/SYDNEY: Onset of the coronavirus crisis – and the ensuing drive for employees to work from home – has seen the Federal Government speedily informed that its NBN service just isn’t up to the task.

Many home workers have found it difficult to keep up with central office demands, due to the network’s slow responses.

Telecommunications Association, or Telsoc, was just one of the business groups urging the Government to fast-track improvements to the NBN and the nation’s mobile telecommunications infrastructure.

Telsoc president Reg Coutts wrote to Comms Minister Paul Fletcher, arguing that doctors and their patients are struggling to take advantage of new bulk-billing arrangements without good broadband.

“Eventually the NBN’s out-of-date technology will need to be replaced right across the network,” he said.

“Given the needs of the medical profession right now, it would make sense for the Government to instruct NBN Co to make doctors, health centres and hospitals its top priority for a technology upgrade for a future.”

The cry has also been taken up by Superloop and NextDC founder Bevan Slattery – see following report.