HORSHAM has been unable to add new fixed-line internet users to its telephone exchanges as the system has reached maximum capacity.
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Real estate workers have told the Mail-Times that people moving house or migrating to Horsham have been asked to wait until others changed their internet service.
One Horsham customer was apparently told that there was a waiting list and he could take until August to get a new internet connection.
Telstra area general manager Steve Tinker confirmed that some of Horsham’s telephone exchanges had run out of ports to host ADSL broadband.
ADSL and ADSL2+ internet services use copper phone lines to establish a connection.
“The growth in demand for internet services in Horsham has been faster than Telstra had forecasted which has unfortunately meant that we have seen a short period of time where some people may not have been able to get a landline internet connection due to a lack of available ports,” Mr Tinker said.
“The Telstra planning team continually review ADSL capacity and availability in our network and develop future investment plans based on things that include, predicted demand, future requirements of the network and return on investment.
“in 2016 Telstra invested in six ADSL broadband projects in Horsham that provided new ports for customers to use, and also increased capacity of the network and reduced congestion for existing customers at peak times.”
The phone exchange issue does not affect the National Broadband Network or mobile internet services.
There has been a rumour circulating in Horsham’s real estate industry that Telstra had decided against adding more ports to telephone exchanges.
It has been claimed that Telstra would rely on the National Broadband Network rollout this year to ease crowding on the system as Horsham customers moved to fibre-to-the-node and fixed-wireless connections.
Mr Tinker said Telstra had started a project to add more capacity to Horsham’s telephone exchanges.
“Telstra has a project planned for completion by end of March 2017 that will provide more ports and increased capacity for Horsham residents and businesses.”
“We have been in contact with Horsham Rural City Council, Wimmera Development Association and Business Horsham and promised to keep them informed of the progress of this project.”
NBNCo plans to deactivate Horsham’s existing phone system in 2019 as landline services move to the NBN.