7 April 2014

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor has welcomed an announcement of increased capacity for Interim Satellite Service (ISS) users.

Mr Taylor said the Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull had confirmed that $18.4 million worth of additional capacity would be provided to the existing 44,000 users of the ISS.

“Each user will receive around a third more capacity, which will allow them to email, use Internet banking and VOIP services such as Skype during peak periods,” Mr Taylor said.

“This is a great response from the Minister. I have raised the issue with him several times after receiving complaints from Hume constituents on the ISS about internet congestion.”

Mr Taylor said the Government would also announce further details in coming weeks about a subsidy scheme allowing up to 9000 homes, farms and small businesses unable to access the ISS to access commercial satellite services.

He said the new scheme would subsidise the cost of in-premises equipment and its installation. New users would be able to register for the service in coming months.

“I am hoping we can assist local businesses and homes who have been left stranded by Labor’s inept interim service. I know at least one local startup business which established operations largely on the promise of being able to access the Interim Satellite Service. They were forced to relocate their business after being told there was no space left on the interim satellite.”

Mr Taylor said new monitoring tools were also being put in place so that retail providers could better manage ‘high end’ users who were unfairly slowing the service levels of other users.