A SENATE inquiry will hear vast swathes of WA will miss out on world-class, fast broadband under the present government.
Greens communications spokesman Senator Scott Ludlam said people in the Bridgetown area would be stranded on an obsolete copper telephone network under the current plan ad vanced by the federal government.
"Farmers, regional architects, designers and software developers in country WA could have been conducting business with people across the world with fast broadband," he said.
"It would have meant country towns could retain people through increased employment and a diversified economy, but instead they face a future of substandard internet speeds and no upgrade in sight."
On the first leg of its regional tour, the Senate Select Committee on the National Broadband Network will hear evidence from witnesses, including a major internet service provider and the City of Greater Geraldton on the rollout of the NBN in Perth.
After the 2010 election, then opposition leader Tony Abbott instructed Malcolm Turnbull to "demolish" the NBN, which resulted in the current plan to buy and then maintain Telstra's patched and outdated copper network.
In an earlier hearing the committee was shown evidence where copper cables were spliced together with duct tape and plastic bags.
"I strongly encourage people in regional areas to make their concerns heard, particularly to the National Party who need to explain why they're going along with this madness," Mr Ludlam said.
"There is no reason why country WA has to miss out and be subjected to broadband drop outs just because the Abbott government does not have the foresight to install a world-class telecommunications network."
