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Kiama will become one of the first areas in Australia to have its Telstra phone lines and some internet services switched off as part of the changeover to the National Broadband Network.
Parts of Kiama were among the test sites for the NBN and now the area from the town’s centre south to Boanyo Avenue and west to just past the Princes Highway will have a range of services switched off on May 23 next year.
It’s part of the move to the NBN that will be happening on the same day at 15 sites across the country.
In the areas where NBN fibre is being installed, it replaces almost all phone lines, ADSL internet, Telstra/Optus cable internet, and some Telstra Velocity fibre services, providing a new fibre optic network for residents to use.
This means residents with those services will need to switch over to the NBN before the cut-off date if they want to keep a landline phone or internet service or make alternative arrangements for their phone and internet.
‘‘It’s important to make the switch as these existing services will no longer work after May next year,’’ NBN Co spokesman Darren Rudd said.
‘‘Even residents who don’t use the internet will still need to switch to the NBN if they want to keep using their home phone.
‘‘This includes community members with special equipment, such as medical and security alarms which are connected to the home phone.’’
Almost 70 per cent of residents and businesses in the area have already switched over and a spokeswoman for NBN said every effort would be made to ensure those yet to switch would not be caught out.
She said NBN Co had sent out letters detailing the process.
‘‘Residents will also receive additional direct mails at six months and three months out with details of how to switch before the disconnection date,’’ she said.
‘‘At this stage NBN Co is planning to place a public notice in the local newspaper and potentially other local activities to ensure everyone affected is aware of what they need to do.
‘‘The Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency and Telstra will be carrying out their own communications leading up to disconnection,’’ the spokeswoman said.