You may have heard that Opticomm is installing 'Fibre To The Premises' (FTTP) internet in Dunolly, so that residents will be able to enjoy a superfast, reliable broadband connection.
I am aware that some of you may not know what this means, so I thought I'd dedicate this month's column to the topic.
The internet is something that has been a part of modern-day life for many decades now. Smartphones, computers and even some home devices such as TV's, light globes and fridges now rely on the internet to work. When internet speeds are slow this can be challenging.
Allow me to give an example, but instead of the internet, I'm going to use the mains water line.
Imagine you are living in a house in Dunolly that has a very small water main, say ¼ inch pipe, connected to the home. It works ok, but when you need to fill up a bathtub for a wash it talks a very, very long time. A water company is coming to do upgrades to the main line and residents have the option, free of charge, to have a 6" water mains connected to their house. This new line will increase the volume considerably, but not the pressure. You don't even need to be connected to it, but its there if you want it in the future. This new water mains installation will only happen once, so if you opt out you won't be able to get it later.
You decide not to get the bigger line, because you don't have a bathtub, so the slow water doesn't really bother you. A few years go by, and you decide to sell your house. Unfortunately, because you didn't take up the offer, your house may not be worth as much as the neighbour's house that is also for sale that opted into the bigger mains line.
Dunolly is very fortunate to be able to have FTTP connections and this is something the Central Goldfields Shire has advocated for. Indeed, Dunolly will be the ONLY town in the shire to have FTTP connections. If you'd like more information or register your premises, please click on the link below:
https://www.opticomm.com.au/fibre-rollouts/
Cr Liesbeth Long
