>From: "Babyack, Sharon (SEN)" <SHARON.BABYACK@APH.GOV.AU> >To: "Joan Limon" <JOAN_LIMON@HOTMAIL.COM> >Subject: RE: Sale of Telstra >Date: Tue, 23 Sep 2003 09:42:08 +1000 > >Dear Ms Limon > >Thankyou for your submission. Please forward your full postal address >and telephone details for our records and the processing of your >submission. > >Kind regards, > >Sharon Babyack >Executive Assistant >Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts >Committee > >02 6277 3526 >email: Sharon.Babyack@aph.gov.au > > -----Original Message----- > From: Joan Limon [mailto:joan_limon@hotmail.com] > Sent: Monday, 22 September 2003 6:16 PM > To: ECITA, Committee (SEN) > Subject: Sale of Telstra > > > > Dear Senators > > I am writing to express my opposition to any further sale of >Telstra. > > The situation in the bush has not improved at all, particularly >in relation to mobile phone reception and internet speed. I live between >Tarago and Bungendore in NSW - only one hour's drive from the nation's >capital - yet I have no mobile phone reception. The whole area >surrounding Tarago is the same - no reception. I believe there are 350 >households in this area - that is the number receiving the Tarago Times. > > > There was an incident at the Tarago Show a few years ago when a >competitor fell off her horse and hit her head. She lay injured for >quite a while before any contact could be made to call an ambulance. No >mobiles on any network worked. In the end someone had to drive some >distance to get through to the ambulance service. This lady was left >laying there for a lot longer than she should have -fortunately she >recovered after some days in hospital. The outcome could have been much >worse. The situation as far as mobile coverage has not improved in the >meantime. > > As I spend a lot of time on the road, my husband purchased a >mobile phone for me for safety reasons. But there are many places >between here and Canberra and here and Goulburn where there is no >service. We were forced to buy a CDMA when the analogue service was >withdrawn. However there was no improvement in the reception on the >changeover. > > As to the internet speed- the maximum I can get is 26.4kb/s. It >is unbelieveably frustrating, sitting waiting for each action to come >through. I understand the Government thinks that a speed of 19 is all >that we need in the bush. I beg to differ. We need access and the same >service as those in the cities. We all pay the same amount of rates. If >anything, those in the country deserve better access due to their more >remote location. > > We are discriminated against in many ways by non-government >phone companies. I know my family in Canberra get their >telecommunications at a far cheaper rate. When I phoned that company I >was assured that "all but the most remote locations were covered by >their service". However when I gave them my phone number I was told this >area is not covered! And we are one hour's drive from Canberra. Hardly >the most remote region in our country! > > If the remainder of Telstra is sold the gap between service in >the rural and city areas will widen. I don't want to be a second class >citizen as far as technology goes in this country and therefore oppose >any further sale of Telstra. > > > > Joan Limon > > Sunnybrook, TARAGO 2580 > > > > > > > > > > > Joan

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