GROWING PAINS: Wait for NBN rollout continues

THE Clarence Valley still has to wait until at least January before construction will start on the National Broadband Network's fibre to the node system.

THE Clarence Valley still has to wait until at least January before construction will start on the National Broadband Network's fibre to the node system.

According to NBN Co state corporate affairs advisor Marcela Balart more than 5300 homes and businesses across the Clarence Valley can access fixed wireless technology, and an additional 880 premises in parts of Maclean and Woolgoolga are expected to to able to connect to the network between August and February next year.

However it will still be at least another eight months until the majority of houses will be able to connect to the network.

"Construction to connect 18,900 Clarence Valley residents and businesses is expected to progressively start from January next year," Ms Balart said.

"Works will take place across parts of Grafton, Maclean and Yamba to the NBN network with people expected to progressively start making the switch to the NBN network from mid-2018 through to early 2019."

>> Aussies 'not signing up' to NBN: HERALD SUN

Nationally more than twice as many Australians now have access to the network but fewer people are signing up to the service and its creators admit confusion and complaints continue to plague the network.

NBN Co revealed the network reached 4.6 million Australian homes and business by the end of March, up from just two million a year ago, but Australians were not signing up to use the service at the same pace as it rolled out, with fewer than half the number of connections used, and its percentage of active users dropping.

The news followed a Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman report that found complaints about the NBN more than doubled during the last half of 2016.

NBN Co chief executive Bill Morrow said the network's controversial use of "existing infrastructure" such as copper phone lines had sped up installations, and the NBN was on track to reach its target of 5.4 million connected premises by the end of June.

Mr Morrow said its rollout could "never be pain-free" and he recognised some existing customers were complaining about installation and connection problems, and many new users were confused.

"The NBN is on a continuous improvement curve," he said. "We aren't happy with anybody having a negative experience as they get their installation completed, as they use the product or, when Murphy's Law takes effect and the service goes down."

Originally published as GROWING PAINS: Wait for NBN rollout continues