Poor phone and internet connectivity has left country residents feeling fed up, with some saying they've "given up" on services that haven't worked for many years.
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Many living across the Cabonne Shire say they're no stranger when it comes to tolerating unreliable mobile, landline and wireless internet reception.
But learning to endure this ongoing issue doesn't solve or make the problem go away, it simply forces people like Molong's Jason Drew to forego services altogether.
"There are positives to being in the bush if you want to escape the pain of city living and get some anonymity," Mr Drew said.
"But I have no [home] internet anymore, because it's cheaper to hot spot off my phone.
"There's also a lot of concern out here on the smaller country roads linking villages where black spots occur.
"Which is worrying for [motor vehicle] accidents and the like."
An employee of Molong RSL, Mr Drew says customers often don't have physical debit and credit cards in the current climate with technology.
Cards are commonly uploaded to mobile phone devices, with many patrons opting to pay for services via digital wallets.
But when the signal is down or weak, EFTPOS transactions are rendered useless and the club is temporarily forced to accept cash-only payments.
[Mobile black spots between villages are] worrying for [motor vehicle] accidents and the like.
- Molong resident Jason Drew of poor connectivity in regional areas
"We'd be unable to use anything indoors and in some other inside areas and many people just don't carry cards on them anymore," he said.
"A few folks in town, like farmers, tell me they use Starlink, so I guess satellites have some merit in the bush."
But talk to Learne Spicer out on Ophir Road on the opposite side of the shire and she'll tell you not every satellite company is reliable.
'It's useless'
Having lived 15 kilometres from regional city Orange for the past 24 years, she says they've had little luck connecting to the outside world.
Ms Spicer says "nothing's changed" since last touching base with the Central Western Daily in January of 2023.
The family now spend hundreds of dollars each month for streaming services after switching to a new satellite company.
"But we've had no mobile reception in the time that I've lived and our landline stopped working 12 months ago, it's still not fixed," Ms Spicer said,
"It's useless, especially when there was lightning around or we had severely wet conditions, no signal.
"It's hard out here in summer as well with concerns of bush fires and no reliable service to call [Triple 000] and in the event of needing an ambulance with no service, we have to drive to the top of the hill."
Ms Spicer says internet banking and trying to pay online bills are "hard to process" tasks, as the connection is too slow and times out due to security reasons.
For creature comforts like watching online movies and listening to the radio, she says getting services up and running with the former satellite service was covered by the government.
But after connectivity was still inconsistent, the household had to fork out the cost for installation and equipment when switching to a different satellite company.
"I'd given up," Ms Spicer said, "and we now use [a whole different service].
"[Start up fees] cost me $600 and $139 a month from there, but streaming of movies is amazing with beautiful pictures and I can listen to the radio all day if I want.
"Previously, I was unable to, and I do think we should receive government funding for having to buy these services if landowners are in black spots with no timeline for better services."
A 'grinding halt' with empty promises?
Which is why the shadow minister for emergency management, Perin Davey recently slammed the Labor government for axing the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) in 2026 and 2027.
She described it as "a major blow" for regional communities, saying the Albanese government "politicised" the program in the lead-up to the last election and "made numerous promises" to secure seats.
"Now the budget papers show Labor is again going to ramp up funding for mobile connectivity just in time for the coming election year, before it falls away and then comes to a grinding halt," Ms Davey said.
"Combine this move with the fact there is also no funding allocated for the Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia or the Peri-Urban Mobile Program beyond 2026/27, is it any wonder regional communities feel isolated?"
The auditor-general is carrying out an investigation into Labor's MBSP funding for Round 6, with the report at the end of May, 2024.
Ms Davey says people living in country-based settings deserve answers.
"Improving connectivity for people in the bush is critical and shouldn't be at the whim of the Albanese Government's political strategy," she said.
"The minister for communications needs to explain why she is abolishing [the MBSP program] while failing to provide long-term funding for other mobile connectivity programs that so many Australians rely on."