I READ the article on internet speed ("Slow internet hits trade", Lakes Mail, August 20) and felt I should also register my complaint at the totally unreliable internet and mobile phone network in our area.

I work from home in Wyee Point, for a multi-national company, and suffer daily from speed issues and dropouts of my connections.

The best connection I was able to establish with Telstra in my area was, ADSL1 potentially able to deliver speeds up to 8mbps.

I think less than 1mbps is more likely the case. It is impossible to take a phone call in my office at the front of the house using my mobile and every time I get a call I have to walk to the rear of the house to have any hope of a conversation.

The phone is supposedly the best Telstra Evolution 4GX to solve the problem, as my previous HTC could not maintain connection at all!

A neighbour two houses away is trying to run a home business in graphic design, and finds it impossible to upload and download basic files for customers.

We are living in the Wyee Point community approximately 112 kilometres from the major hub of Sydney, yet we have a communication system that is probably worse than many third world countries today.

Clearly, the immediate problem is with Telstra, as they are happy to provide connection and modems etc to new customers in the area knowing full well that the system is already overloaded and not fit for existing customers.

The longer term issue is with various levels of government that have not set up a realistic go- forward position for future expansions of the communications system for Australia.

The NBN debacle discussed in your article, is typical.

- Perry Willis, Wyee Point