Thousands of Australians are losing access to free-to-air television and facing ongoing internet outages, thanks to changes by Opticomm. What was once a promise of modern, reliable services is now a headache for many, with customers scrambling to adapt to a new reality.
Opticomm’s Shocking Move: Free-to-Air TV Cuts
When Leah Wray and her family moved into Bellamack, a growing suburb on the outskirts of Darwin in 2023, they were excited. The community was marketed as cutting-edge, with underground technology promising seamless internet and entertainment options. But two years later, Leah says it’s been nothing short of disappointing. Along with her neighbors, she’s faced regular internet outages—and recently, they lost free-to-air television access entirely. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one, reports ABC News.
Opticomm, a private company that runs the fibre-optic infrastructure in Bellamack and more than 500,000 properties across Australia, decided to pull the plug on free-to-air TV for a subset of customers. The company, which is different from the public National Broadband Network (NBN), was offering TV signals through its fibre-optic network. But in September, Opticomm sent letters to customers telling them that free-to-air TV would no longer be available over their network. To get TV back, customers were told to switch to streaming services or install an antenna at their own expense.
A $600 Fix? Not Everyone Can Afford It
Leah Wray couldn’t believe it. She’d bought her home in Bellamack with the understanding that she’d have access to free-to-air channels, and suddenly, that was gone. After some research and a $600 out-of-pocket expense for an antenna installation, Leah got her TV back, but the process was far from easy. And for others in her community, the solution isn’t so simple.
Take Mike Thomas, for example, who lives in a multi-story retirement village in Yeronga, Brisbane. He and his neighbors received the same letter, but in their case, installing an antenna is nearly impossible due to the structure of the building. Re-cabling the entire apartment complex to make it work would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The alternative? Streaming services. But for a lot of the elderly residents, the digital transition isn’t a straightforward solution.
Opticomm’s Justification and the Growing Frustration
Opticomm justified its decision by stating that the equipment needed to receive free-to-air TV was “reaching end-of-life” and couldn’t support further upgrades to the network. Yet, the company’s communication has left many in the dark—literally. Many lost access to TV channels weeks before the official shutoff date, such as the residents in Yeronga, who found themselves without access during the AFL grand final. Imagine the frustration!
To make matters worse, Leah and Mike, like many others, have also dealt with internet issues. Slow speeds, unexpected outages, and months of waiting to get connected—Opticomm’s service has often been unreliable. And with limited regulations on infrastructure providers like Opticomm, customers have little recourse when things go wrong. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has stated that rules around free-to-air TV provision are largely a commercial matter, meaning there are few consumer protections for people like Leah and Mike.
Calls for Better Regulation: Should Opticomm Be Held to Higher Standards?
RMIT University’s Dr. Mark Gregory argues that these infrastructure providers should be held to higher standards. He and others believe it’s time for legislation to step in and create performance standards for these companies to ensure that customers aren’t left in the lurch. The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has echoed this sentiment, calling for more robust service quality standards for all providers, not just those offering internet services.
In the meantime, many customers are left with no choice but to adapt to a new reality: either pay for extra services or struggle with unreliable internet. And as for free-to-air TV? Well, for some, that’s already a thing of the past.
