Gulargambone residents can say goodbye to their slow internet connection, as the NSW Government leapfrogs the nbn by announcing plans to install high-speed Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). 

The $250 million investment is part of an agreement between the NSW government and Australia's second-largest fibre wholesale access broadband provider, Opticomm. 

"Approximately, 370 addresses in Gulargambone will be eligible with the remaining addresses located in Menindee and Sunset Strip," said a spokesperson for Tara Moriarty,  Minister for Regional NSW and Western NSW.

The exact number of eligible addresses will be confirmed once the initial detailed design and planning phase of the project is complete. 

The spokesperson said that Opticomm will construct a whole new fibre network.

"This initiative is entirely independent of the nbn," the spokesperson said.  

The upgrades are set to begin at the end of 2025.

Gulargambone, as with many smaller regional communities, did not receive fibre or wireless connections as part of the original nbn rollout.

Access to the internet is generally via the nbn's Skymuster satellite, mobile broadband through the local Telstra tower, or the more expensive Starlink low-orbit satellite.

Some residents say they are looking forward to the upgrade but it is long overdue. 

“After one and half years, they will just start building, and when will it finish?” asked Pharmacist Kris Chaudry. 

“Last year, we didn’t have internet for 10 days in a row. This year it didn’t come back for three days.”

“Every few months or every year, it drops out for a very long time. That’s a consistent history.” 

Mr Chaudry says his broadband internet is often not reliable and can impact the delivery of medications and the assessment of Medicare claims. 

“Sometimes, we can’t claim anything. We don’t know whether a script we have dispensed is accepted by Medicare or not," he told the Coonamble Times.

“Obviously, things get very slow for ordering as well. Sometimes we have to go back to the old system of ordering over the phone which takes a very long time.

“We can’t hold a large amount of stock. We’re just a small outlet and don’t have capacity to buy large so we have to order on a daily basis.” 

Nav Singh from the Friendly Grocer said he also has issues with his internet, “The last few months it hasn’t been too bad but before it happened a lot.”

“The internet would slow down for a few days.” 

Mr Singh said the slow internet is a problem to his internet as well. 

“Everything works with internet, all the systems. If someone doesn’t have cash we just get stuck.”

Some residents and businesses contacted, such as the Gulargambone Rural Transaction Centre (GRTC), have switched to Starlink to enhance their connectivity and avoid issues with broadband internet. 

"We're not doing too bad here. Australia Post put in an upgrade to Starlink. Before that, it was very, very slow," Manager of the GRTC Tammy Nicol said. 

Mr Singh and Mr Chaudry said they will take advantage of FTTP when it arrives in Gulargambone. 

"Of course I would use it," Mr Chaudry said. 

He added that he hopes more internet providers will come to Gulargambone to improve competition and services. 

"Optus should come. Vodafone should come," he said. "We pay $130 and it is still so unreliable." 

Residents and businesses can check if they are eligible on the 'check my address' tool on Opticomm's website. 

"Coonamble Shire Council and the Gulargambone community will receive further information about the project and will be invited to use this tool in the coming months," a spokesperson for Minister Moriarty said.