A couple who run a Helensburgh business claim the Telstra internet connection is so bad they are coming into Wollongong cafes to work.
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David and Nicola Oliver run an import-export business from their home and are heavily reliant on the internet to get work done.
They claim the internet speeds are slow and they've had the service drop out as many as 16 times within an hour.
"We're kind of exasperated at this stage, having made so many calls to Telstra to do with, not just poor internet but lack of internet connectivity," Mr Oliver said.
"We've registered all sorts of comments and complaints with Telstra. We've lost business through this of late. This has been going on now for months. We're not even able to make landline calls.
"We've negotiated some refunds from the bills that we pay. We shouldn't be paying anything until we get the service we were promised is the way I look at it."
Lately, they've resorted to coming into Wollongong and working in cafes with internet access.
"We find it easier to pick up our laptops and go into a cafe," Mr Oliver said.
The couple said a Telstra technician visited their home and ultimately said the issue was at the exchange.
"I think it needs reconfiguring and new software loaded into it, which doesn't sound too onerous," Mr Oliver said.
"It sounded to me like something they could do in an hour-and-a-half.
"As a service provider they're falling far short of the mark, I think."
It's the second Helensburgh resident who has contacted the Mercury in recent days over claims of poor service in the suburb.
Marion Lahtinen also had issues with her phone and internet, and claimed there were many other Helensburgh residents suffering from poor access.
However, a Telstra spokesman said there were no widespread service issues in the suburb.
"At the moment there are less than 10 customers in town who have reported a fault to us," the spokesman said. "All of these faults are unrelated."
The spokesman also claimed the Olivers had only reported an issue a few times. "The Olivers reported an issue with their fixed line service to us in early February, which we resolved within three days," he said.
"They also reported an issue with their ADSL service in mid-March, which we fixed within a week.
"On 17 April the Olivers advised us of further issues with their ADSL service."
Still, he said Telstra apologised for any inconvenience caused and was sending out a technician to visit their home on Monday afternoon.