A BALINGUP resident experiencing interference problems with her ABC radio since the installation of the NBN at her property is concerned the problem could impact emergency communication in the upcoming bushfire season.
Peta Townsing said she had fixed wireless broadband installed under the National Broadband Network (NBN) four months ago.
“It’s been fantastic, with faster speeds, a huge download capacity and cheaper,” Ms Townsing said.
However, she said when she turned on ABC radio after it was installed, she had only static.
“We’ve been trying to get the problem fixed ever since,” she said.
“Fixed wireless broadband is a radio technology and has the potential to interfere with the AM radio band,” she said.
Ms Townsing said three attempts had been made so far by the NBN to fix the problem, but she still at times experienced a lot of radio static.
“If it’s happening to me, it’s probably happening to other people,” she said.
Ms Townsing said the matter was of concern to her in the face of the coming bushfire season.
“The advice from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in an emergency is to try and keep as many communication options open as possible, and that includes monitoring the ABC using a battery powered radio,” she said.
Ms Townsing said she would be interested to hear from other people experiencing similar problems.
“In a related issue, a lot of people do not easily get AM radio, which means they’re missing out on one vital part of the emergency system,” she said.
She said in an emergency situation, if the power went out as well as mobile towers and landlines, locals became much more isolated that they would expect to be in the twenty first century.
“That’s when the AM radio with batteries can really help,” she said.
“I’m getting twitchy about it as we’re coming into the bushfire season.”
A spokesperson for the NBN said the NBN and its delivery partners were aware of the issue being experienced by Ms Townsing.
“We are working with this resident as a matter of priority to resolve the issue,” the spokesperson said.
“It is important to note that in areas where there is already a weak radio signal, which includes Balingup, any electrical device can cause interference. This is the case for devices such as refrigerators, power tools or NBN equipment, all of which require electricity to run. This issue is not widespread and is very rare.”
The spokesperson recommended any residents experiencing AM radio interference they believed to be caused by their NBN installation contact their internet service provider.
