The Halls Gap National Broadband Network tower has been switched on, providing faster internet access to parts of the Grampians.
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A tower at Halls Gap was the last to be activated in the area after falling more than half a year behind schedule.
An NBN spokesman said customers could now connect to the fixed-wireless service, which is delivered via a rooftop antenna.
“I have confirmed that the Hall’s Gap tower became ready went into service on December 22,” he said.
“About 450 premises in the area can access a broadband service via the tower.”
The spokesman said residents and businesses in the Halls Gap tower’s service area should contact their internet service provider if they want to arrange access to the network.
According to the NBN rollout map, the Halls Gap tower will also cover parts of Lake Bellfield, Fyans Creek, Mount Dryden and Lake Lonsdale.
Fixed wireless works in a similar manner to mobile internet but the antenna is stationary and must be within line-of-sight of the tower.
Fixed wireless has similar speeds to ADSL2+ fixed line connections in regional centres.
The NBN’s social media accounts, in response to questions from Halls Gap customers, said on January 4 that the long-awaited service was now online.
However, an NBN spokesperson said on January that the service was not ready for connections but service providers could place customers in a queue.
Work started on the Halls Gap tower in July 2014, and most NBN projects are completed within 12 months of construction.