Fast, reliable broadband internet is now available to hundreds of households in the Southern Villages of Wingecarribee Shire.

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said fixed-wireless nbn towers have recently been switched-on at Bundanoon and Wingello.

“550 premises in and around these villages can now order an nbn service through one of dozens of retail providers,” Mr Taylor said.

“This is a tremendous breakthrough for these communities in the Southern Villages who have justifiably been calling for improved telecommunications for many years.

“I’ve listened to what the community has been saying, and worked hard with the nbn and the Minister for Communications to ensure the Southern Villages was an nbn rollout priority.

“I am pleased the fixed-wireless tower programme is gathering pace in the electorate, especially in the villages of the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly, and look forward to seeing more towers being switched-on in the coming months.”

The Burrawang tower is now also ‘live’, with towers at Exeter, Berrima, Marulan and Tallong in the planning.

Mr Taylor said fixed-wireless was an excellent broadband experience, with retail providers offering competitive packages that include download speeds of up to 50mpbs.

The most popular speed tier chosen was 25/5mbps.

“The real benefit of nbn’s fixed wireless technology is that the signal is limited to a fixed number of premises. As a result, the service is faster and more reliable,” he said.

nbn is forecasting that by the end of September 2018 approximately 47,390 homes and business in Hume will either be ready for service or under construction.

Residents are encouraged to check what technology they are able to access at http://www.nbnco.com.au/ and call their chosen service provider to order a connection.