Photo: Connor Davies.
Esperance Shire is calling on NBN Co to provide fibre to the premises connections for Esperance residents and businesses.
Council supported a motion from Cr Connor Davies to call on NBN to commit to a construction date for the service enjoyed by many communities.
“The consequence of this delay is real,” he told Council.
“Residents and local businesses are left with a subpar service, forcing them to make difficult choices: pay a significant premium for alternatives like Starlink, or in some cases, fork out tens of thousands of dollars for private fibre upgrades.
“This stifles economic growth and puts our community at a disadvantage.
“This frustration from the community is evident from the latest community scorecard results where telecommunications and internet services were identified as an advocacy priority.”
Cr Davies said in January of this year, NBN Co announced a national plan to provide fibre upgrade paths for homes and businesses on the Fibre to the Node network. “However, eight months on, our community remains in the dark,” he said.
There has been no timeline, no clarity, and no commitment for Esperance.
“This uncertainty is crystallised by NBN Co’s own data, which, as of September 2025, still lists Esperance as “not planned” for upgrades.
“The situation is particularly frustrating when compared to neighbouring towns like Norseman, Ravensthorpe and Hopetoun which, despite their smaller sizes, have been provided with a clear upgrade pathway. This is a stark inequity.”
Cr Sam Starcevich seconded the motion which all councillors supported.
