Australia’s Copper Phone Network Really Is Terrible According To The Folks On The Ground

Remember last week when Telstra CEO David Thodey came out in defence of the telco’s copper line network, saying that it would be good for the next century if needs be? Turns out that one of Australia’s leading unions — that is, the folks in the trenches all day — disagree, outing some of the fixes they’ve had to come up with to keep the network going.

According to the ABC, members of the Communications, Electrical and Plumbing Union (CEPU) have had to use plastic bags on occasion to shield the copper from further exposure to water, and Telstra’s not denying it, either.

A CEPU spokesperson said in an interview that it’s about time the whole network was replaced, rather than just some of it, otherwise “customers around western Sydney and across Australia will have poor internet and phone services for many many years ahead”.

The ABC has more. [ABC]

Copper image via Shutterstock


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