Liberal Paterson MP Bob Baldwin announced earlier this week that the National Broadband Network rollout at East Maitland would extend to Metford. 

Preparation work is also taking place at Ashtonfield, according to the latest NBN Co. plans.

But Mr Baldwin used an opportunity to promote the announcement to take a swipe at Labor Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon, who has been vocal on the region’s poor internet service recently.

“There has been enough commentary from Mr Fitzgibbon,” he said.

“They [Labor] had six years in government to do something and they did not deliver.

“We’re progressing work from the fibre rollout at Tenambit. 

“The next stage will include Thornton – they can’t even get ADSL there at the moment.”

In an online survey that Mr Fitzgibbon launched last month, 99.71 per cent of responders agreed it was unreasonable for Telstra not to upgrade its ADSL infrastructure because the NBN was on its way.

He will take the survey results to Telstra CEO David Thodey and appeal for the company to upgrade its ADSL infrastructure in the Hunter.

The survey came after multiple complaints from residents that they either had slow download speeds or were not able to connect to the internet in towns such as Thornton, Ashtonfield and Morpeth.

“The Abbott government’s NBN plan is not only second best, it is rolling out more slowly than Labor’s project,” Mr Fitzgibbon said. 

“Hopefully Ashtonfield will still receive Labor’s fibre to the premises but sadly, it will be amongst the last suburbs to do so. 

“In the meantime, I’m working with Telstra to ensure ADSL broadband continues to expand to those areas which still have a considerable period to wait before the NBN arrives.”