Residents in an over-55s community just outside of Newcastle say they are being left vulnerable by mobile dark spots and older nbn connections, and are calling for action.
Judy Taylor has lived in The Cove, an over-55s community in Fullerton Cove, for 11 years.
She said they had everything they needed in the small community, they were close to town for appointments but away from the hustle and bustle of Newcastle in a quiet and relaxed neighborhood surrounded by nature. But she "just can't make a phone call".
Ms Taylor, who is with Telstra, said she often had very little or no phone reception at all.
She said this had been the case since they moved in.
"I have to stand in one spot in my kitchen and even then it will often drop out," she said.
"You would expect that somewhere close to town would have at least OK coverage, but we don't have that.
"It leaves everyone here vulnerable, and we have a lot of older residents or just people who have chronic illnesses and may need quick attention."
Ms Taylor said the issue was compounded by regular dropouts to their nbn connection, which often occur after periods of rain.
"We had periods where it would drop out constantly any time it was wet," she said.
Ms Taylor said her home and others in the street were still serviced by older Fibre To The Node technology, but she had never been made aware if upgrades to Fibre To The Premises were available to her and other residents.
Ms Taylor lives with her husband who has been experiencing a decline in his health.
She is concerned that if a day comes when he needs assistance, they won't be able to get prompt help.
Ms Taylor and other members of her family had a scare over the weekend while she was away and her husband could not be contacted.
Clinton Modinger, Ms Taylor's son-in-law, said he was concerned for his family's safety and that of the other residents in the village.
"This weekend my wife and Judy were unable to contact him," he said.
"They had to contact someone in Stockton, which is 8.4 kilometres and a 10-minute drive away, to check on him," he said.
"Fortunately he was at home safe and well.
"If he had been in need of help, he would have had to wait at least 10 minutes to arrive and who knows how long before an ambulance arrived to assist."
Mr Modinger said Mr Taylor's phone had been in SOS only mode for the entire weekend and he could not be contacted.
"My wife and I are concerned that if someone in the village was to have a medical episode they may not be able to get the urgent support they require at that time," he said.
The family said they had raised their concerns with nbn, Telstra and the local member as early as 2024 but had seen no improvement or action.
Another resident, Alan Blanche, said that he has been chasing the telecommunication companies for around eight years seeking upgrades in the area.
He said connection issues span across those using Telstra as well as Optus.
"We tried to get a tower here and one was installed over in Fern Bay," he said.
Mr Blanche said the surrounding vegetation and bushland meant that signal was reduced for much of the Fullerton Cove area.
"I have contacted them over the years and they have said that they are doing upgrades but we haven't seen any improvements.
"But we should not have to fight for it either."
A Telstra spokesperson said they understood the concerns raised by the residents in Fullerton Cove.
"Reliable connectivity is essential, whether it's staying in touch with family and friends or being able to access help in an emergency, and it's something we take seriously," they said.
They said, over the past two years, sites at Fern Bay and Williamtown had received upgrades, adding additional 4G and 5G capacity to help improve overall network performance in the area.
"While these upgrades don't extend the overall coverage footprint, they do support a more consistent experience for customers using the network."
Telstra said they did not have further upgrades planned for the immediate future, but would continue to monitor network performance.
An Optus spokesperson said providing reliable mobile coverage, particularly for communities that may be more vulnerable, is a priority.
"We recognise how important consistent connectivity is for safety, health services and day-to-day communication."
Optus confirmed the latest tower in the Fullerton Cove area had been installed in 2021 and had recently been upgraded to 5G.
"Along with this, the direction of one of the antennas was changed to better service the Fern Bay area.
"As with all our sites, it forms part of an integrated network designed with overlapping coverage to deliver service continuity across the region."
"Network performance in the greater Newcastle area is actively monitored and assessed on an ongoing basis."
"Where demand or service levels indicate a need, upgrades or adjustments are prioritised accordingly."
Fullerton Cove and the neighbouring community of Fern Bay have been experiencing strong growth with new housing and infrastructure being planned, including a number of retirement villages and a new supermarket complex.
"The area is growing and the infrastructure needs to keep pace with it, especially when there is a large population of people who may be more at risk," Ms Taylor said.
"We are close to amenities and near town but we can't get reception and its leaving a lot of people vulnerable," Mr Blanche said.
A spokesperson for nbn said across the Port Stephens LGA, more homes and businesses were becoming eligible for full fibre upgrades, including The Cove.
"Residents who are still connected to our legacy copper technology, like nbn Fibre to the Node, may already be eligible to upgrade to a nbn Fibre to the Premises and enjoy more reliable broadband," they said.
"More than 28,000 homes and businesses in Port Stephens are in areas that have been made eligible to full fibre.
"Communities like Fullerton Cove are a great example of why it's so important to know what type of nbn connection you have at your address and what nbn upgrade might be available to you."
nbn co encouraged people to check if their address is eligible for upgrades at the nbn website (nbnco.com.au).
