Unreliable internet access, slow data transfer speeds and poor response times by service providers like Telstra continue to frustrate small business owners in Katoomba, who say the region must become a priority area for the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout.
Guy Fordy, who opened his Katoomba Street shop called Good Bytes Tech Support last month, said it took five weeks for Telstra to install his ordered ADSL2+ internet connection.
"That was really frustrating as my new shop is less than 100m from the telephone exchange - you can throw a stone at the exchange from here," Mr Fordy said.
"They [Telstra] missed four appointments in a row and they didn't return calls. I was reimbursed with credit but I had to call the telecommunications ombudsman and then it got resolved within 24 hours."
Mr Fordy said his internet connection rarely drops out but internet speeds "fluctuate and you never know what you're going to get on any day".
North Katoomba resident Jon Dee said since he switched to Telstra's premium ADSL2+ product last year after relocating his office from Sydney to Katoomba Street "I've had really big problems and I know I'm not the only one up here who has".
"I need fast and reliable internet access for my charity [Do Something!] and for a company that I run with a business partner based in Russia," Mr Dee said. "Sometimes, on a really bad day, I'll get a [data transfer] speed below dial-up.
"A few weeks ago I had no internet connection in my office for four days.
"In Katoomba the further you get from the exchange, the copper [network] is so corroded that internet reliability and speeds are woeful. And the Blue Mountains is really poor in many places for mobile phone reception."
Mr Dee said these factors meant this region "is definitely the place you need the NBN".
"The minister for communications, Malcolm Turnbull, should be looking at places like Katoomba for the NBN, but in the short term he should think how can we get the basic level of [internet] service here better."
Blue Mountains Regional Chamber of Commerce president and iVent Services director, Vent Thomas, said it was disappointing the Mountains wasn't "on the road map for the NBN".
"Being that we have so many digital professionals in the Blue Mountains, that is really putting us behind the eight ball," Mr Thomas said.
"While you can improve internet speeds it can get very expensive and fiddly to find solutions, so for small- and medium-sized businesses up here there are really no other alternatives.
"There are some areas in the Blue Mountains where you don't even have a choice of service providers."
Member for Macquarie Louise Markus told the Gazette NBN Co had been told to revise its rollout schedule to ensure the worst served areas get priority, but she could not indicate whether the Blue Mountains would make the cut for the next stage.
"I am working with the minister for communications and the NBN Co to reinforce the priority need of the Blue Mountains," she said.
The Gazette did not receive a response from Telstra at the time of going to press.