The Mail-Times reported last month that some customers had been told they had to wait until August because the copper line exchanges could not handle any new connections.

Other customers were told they would have to stay on a list until another Horsham person moved house or cancelled their account.

ADSL2+ technology delivers broadband internet via copper phone lines but is limited by capacity at phone exchanges with each customer requiring the use of one port.

Internet connectivity tracker ADSL2exchanges.com.au claimed that less than 120 ports were available across Horsham.

About 100 extra ports were apparently available in Haven around areas to the south of Horsham.

Telstra said at the time that projects had been started to increase the number of ports available at Horsham phone exchanges, with the first completion due at the end of March.

However, there are still people being left on waiting lists for ADSL connections. 

One prospective customer had been to three internet service providers in an attempt to get a connection and had been told conflicting information on when Telstra would have more ports available.

A statement from Telstra said new ports would be available by May.,

“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,” the statement said.

“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. 

“A project that will increase the number of ports available, and relieve congestion at peak periods, is progressing well and scheduled for completion by the end of the month.”

HORSHAM has been unable to add new fixed-line internet users to its telephone exchanges as the system has reached maximum capacity.

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.

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.

Telstra area general manager Steve Tinker has denied this rumour and pointed to numerous exchange upgrades commissioned by Telstra since 2016. 

NBNCo plans to deactivate Horsham’s existing phone system in 2019 as landline services move to the NBN.