To: The Hon. Anika Wells MP (Minister for Communications); Ms. Meryl Swanson MP (Federal Member for Paterson); Cr. Philip Penfold (Mayor of Maitland); Ellie Sweeney (CEO, NBN Co Ltd); Ms. Nerida O’Loughlin (Chair, ACMA); the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC); and OptiComm (Uniti Group).

Introduction:

We, the residents of Waterford County in Chisholm, New South Wales 2322, are deeply concerned about the ongoing issues with our internet service in our community. Our estate’s broadband infrastructure is exclusively operated by OptiComm, making it the sole fixed-line internet network available to us. This monopoly has resulted in frequent outages, slow repairs, limited provider choice, and higher prices for subpar service. While nearby suburbs enjoy the benefits of the NBN – with competitive pricing and multiple service providers – Waterford County is effectively stuck with one option. We believe this situation is unfair and untenable in a modern, connected Australia. Through this petition, we call on the government, regulators, and NBN Co to review the monopoly fibre access arrangement in estates like ours, enable a transition to an open-access network (such as the NBN), and enforce greater accountability on OptiComm for the quality of service provided.

Our Key Concerns:

Frequent Outages Disrupting Daily Life: Residents in Waterford County have endured repeated unplanned internet outages and prolonged downtime. These disruptions have affected our ability to work from home, conduct business, study online, and stay connected for health and security needs. In similar OptiComm-serviced communities, dozens of outages have been recorded, amounting to hundreds of hours without reliable internet. Such unreliability is unacceptable for a 21st-century community and has left many frustrated and desperate for a solution.

Poor Accountability & Transparency: OptiComm’s response to outages and service issues has often been inadequate and opaque. Customers often receive unsubstantiated explanations or minimal communication regarding the causes and repair timelines. There is a lack of direct accountability – the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) handles complaints against retail service providers, but not against the infrastructure provider itself, leaving residents with little recourse when the network fails. This absence of transparency and accountability allows problems to fester with insufficient oversight. As one industry forum user observed, “Opticomm are a monopoly… and you will have very limited ability to have anything done [until regulators step in]”. We should not have to rely on ad-hoc forums or social media for answers; clear and proactive communication from OptiComm is needed whenever outages occur.

Monopoly Infrastructure – No Choice of Provider: Our estate’s internet is delivered via a private fibre network owned by OptiComm, which means no alternative fixed-line providers are available. Unlike NBN-serviced areas where dozens of internet service providers (ISPs) compete for customers, offering choice and competitive plans, Waterford County residents are locked into OptiComm’s wholesale network. It’s “OptiComm or nothing” for fixed broadband in our community. This lack of competition removes the incentive for service improvements and fair pricing. OptiComm is essentially a monopoly in many new developments like ours, and with that monopoly comes unchecked power over consumers who have no alternative. The ACCC has previously noted that such situations of “unchecked monopoly” can breed poor outcomes for consumers, a scenario we are witnessing first-hand in Waterford County.

Higher Prices & Limited Competition: Residents here often pay higher costs for internet compared to equivalent NBN plans. OptiComm-based plans are typically as expensive as – or slightly more expensive than – similar NBN plans. Moreover, unlike NBN services, many OptiComm plans come with no introductory discounts and additional fees. For instance, switching between providers on OptiComm’s network can incur upfront charges (around $100 each time), whereas NBN customers can often change ISPs freely with no setup fees. The limited number of ISPs offering services on OptiComm (far fewer than on the NBN) means less competition and innovation. In short, we are paying more for less flexibility and often for lesser quality service – a frustration that is only amplified each time the network goes down.

Impact on Families, Students, and Businesses: In today’s world, reliable internet is not a luxury – it is a necessity. Waterford County is a family-oriented and growing community, home to professionals, students, and small business owners. When the internet fails, children cannot access online learning resources; employees struggle to log in to work; residents cannot easily access telehealth or emergency information; and those running businesses from home lose income and opportunities. The digital divide between our estate and nearby NBN-serviced areas is growing. Some residents have felt compelled to seek costly workarounds, such as subscribing to 4G/5G hotspots or even satellite services like Starlink, which carry steep installation costs and high monthly fees. The fact that anyone in a modern suburb would resort to satellite internet (typically meant for remote areas) underscores how dire the situation has become under OptiComm’s monopoly. We should rightfully have access to consistently reliable, affordable internet at least on par with national standards, without having to pay exorbitant amounts for stop-gap solutions. 
 

Our Petition Requests:

We respectfully urge the addressees of this petition – our elected representatives and relevant authorities – to take prompt action as follows:

Conduct a Government Review of Monopoly Fibre Estates: The Minister for Communications (Hon. Anika Wells MP) and the ACCC should initiate a formal review into the effects of monopoly telecommunications infrastructure in estates like Waterford County. This review should examine whether exclusive arrangements (where one company like OptiComm, is the Statutory Infrastructure Provider in a new development) are truly serving residents’ interests. We ask that the government consider policies to prevent abuse of this monopoly position, including evaluating service quality, uptime reliability, and pricing in such estates. If the review finds (as we residents experience) that the monopoly arrangement leads to poor outcomes – frequent outages, inadequate customer support, and uncompetitive prices – then we urge that corrective measures be recommended. No community should be left at the mercy of an unaccountable sole provider. We seek your help in ensuring competition and consumer rights are upheld in telecommunications, just as they would be in other essential utilities.

Enable NBN or Other Open-Access Infrastructure Overbuild/Transition: We call on NBN Co (Ellie Sweeney, CEO) and the federal government to explore options for integrating Waterford County into the National Broadband Network or another open-access network. This could involve an overbuild of fibre infrastructure in our estate or a negotiated handover/transition where NBN Co takes over service delivery in the area. We understand that historically NBN Co was discouraged from overbuilding existing fibre networks; however, policy settings have evolved in recent years to allow more flexibility in this area. Our community is eager to be part of the NBN, which would immediately grant residents access to a broad range of retail providers and potentially better service standards. If a full NBN integration is not feasible in the short term, we urge consideration of any alternative open-access solutions (for example, allowing another carrier to deploy parallel infrastructure) to end OptiComm’s exclusive hold. In either case, the goal is to introduce real competition and give consumers a choice. The presence of an alternative network would pressure any incumbent to improve performance and pricing – something we desperately need. We ask that Waterford County be prioritized as a candidate for such an overbuild or transition, as a pilot if necessary, to demonstrate the government’s commitment to fair and reliable internet for all communities.

Improve OptiComm’s Accountability & Service Standards: We request that ACMA (Ms. Nerida O’Loughlin, Chair) and other regulators enforce stricter accountability and transparency standards on OptiComm’s operations. As the monopoly provider in our area, OptiComm must meet high service standards befitting its role. We specifically ask for:

• Transparent Outage Reporting: OptiComm should be required to provide timely public notifications for outages (planned or unplanned) affecting our area, including clear information on the nature of the problem and estimated time to restore service. Keeping customers in the dark is unacceptable in prolonged outages.
• Faster Restoration Times and Infrastructure Resilience: OptiComm must invest in more robust infrastructure and redundancy to prevent single points of failure (e.g. back-up links if a fibre is cut). Recent incidents (such as fibre cuts in the area) have shown the network’s vulnerability, with multiple outages in short succession, leaving residents offline for days. We need assurances that OptiComm will take precautionary measures and rapid repair actions to minimise downtime.
• Financial Penalties for Unreliable Service: We urge regulators to implement a penalty regime. If the network experiences more than one unplanned outage in a calendar month, and the provider fails to offer prompt and clear communication, OptiComm should face financial penalties. These penalties would create a strong incentive for OptiComm to invest in network resilience and improve its response times. Without such a financial consequence, there is no motivation for the provider to act promptly and effectively, leaving consumers with no recourse for continuous disruptions.
• Customer Support & Communication: OptiComm should establish direct lines of communication with our community during major disruptions. Currently, residents are often bounced between the retail ISP and OptiComm, with neither taking full responsibility. This cycle of buck-passing must end. We want OptiComm to work constructively with retail service providers to troubleshoot issues and to directly engage with community concerns, whether through forums, dedicated support channels, or community liaisons. Regulators should consider mechanisms to make wholesale network providers accountable to end-users – for instance, expanding the TIO’s remit or setting up an independent body to handle complaints about network infrastructure.
• Fair Pricing and Competition on the Network: While awaiting any larger infrastructure changes, OptiComm should be urged to adopt fair pricing practices. This includes reconsidering onerous setup fees and allowing more retail providers to service the estate (if any are currently deterred from entry). The ACCC can play a role by monitoring OptiComm’s wholesale pricing and ensuring it is not excessive due to a lack of competition. Residents should not pay a premium for worse service.
   

Closing Appeal:

Waterford County is a vibrant and growing community that deserves first-class connectivity. Our unified voice in this petition reflects a simple plea: to have reliable, affordable, and competitive internet access, just like millions of other Australians in NBN-served areas. We should not be left behind or forced to accept substandard service due to a legacy infrastructure decision outside our control.

By signing this petition, you are standing with the families, students, and workers of Waterford County who depend on the internet every day. You are supporting our call to end the harmful monopoly and bring in oversight and competition that will benefit not only our suburb but other new estates facing similar issues across Australia. We believe that with the attention of the Communications Minister, our local MP, our Mayor, the heads of NBN Co and ACMA, the ACCC, and OptiComm itself, meaningful change is possible.

We urge the addressed authorities to treat this issue with the urgency it warrants. Reliable broadband is critical infrastructure – as fundamental as roads or electricity in the modern age. Please help us ensure that Waterford County’s connectivity is brought up to standard, through either integration into the national network or enforceable improvements to OptiComm’s service. Our community’s livelihood, education, and well-being depend on it.

Together, let’s bring fair and reliable internet to Waterford County. We ask all community members and supporters to sign and share this petition. With collective support, we can send a loud and clear message: Waterford County won’t settle for second-rate internet, and we demand action now. Thank you for your attention and support.