Arabic version: سكان واديي يواجهون صعوبات مع انقطاع خدمات تلسترا المستمر
Residents of Wadeye, one of Australia’s largest Aboriginal communities, have been facing rolling Telstra service outages for the past nine weeks, severely impacting their ability to make calls and access the internet. According to ABC News, approximately 2,000 locals have been left without reliable telecommunications since early February due to damage caused by “ongoing and extreme” flooding in the Daly River region.
Telstra has attributed these outages to damage to critical infrastructure, claiming that technicians have been unable to access affected sites due to ongoing flooding. Although the company maintains that its satellite services remain operational, residents report feeling unsafe and disconnected, particularly when emergency services are needed. One community member, Rebecca Bunduck, expressed her frustration after being unable to call for an ambulance when a family member experienced a medical emergency.
The Thamurrurr Development Corporation has criticized Telstra’s response to the outages, calling it “not good enough” and urging the company to deploy mobile satellite towers to restore communication services. Deputy chief executive Tracey Leo highlighted the urgency of the situation, stating that the lack of telecommunications exacerbates issues of crime and violence in the community.
In response to the ongoing outages, some residents have turned to satellite services like Starlink, which has raised concerns about affordability as subscription fees increase. Thamurrurr Development Corporation has noted that at least ten households in Wadeye have signed up for Starlink, but many residents may not fully understand the costs associated with these plans.
Federal Communications Minister Anika Wells has stated that the government expects telecommunications providers to work closely with communities to restore services promptly, especially during natural disasters. As Wadeye continues to navigate these challenges, the community remains hopeful for a swift resolution to their telecommunications crisis.
