It's been a dry winter, but the spring downpours are set to trigger the seasonal ADSL slowdown as Telstra's pits flood – drowning the country's ageing copper network.

Australia's hotch potch broadband infrastructure presents plenty of challenges, but few are more predictable and infuriating than watching your DSL connection grind to a halt after heavy rain.

The NBN might not bring relief to every Australia who regularly loses their broadband after heavy rain.

It's a common story across the country as the copper lines have fallen into disrepair, sometimes patched up with plastic bags in a vain attempt to keep the water out of cables and joints. In other areas, gel casings designed to protect the copper have actually made the problem worse.

As a result, some Australians are left with unreliable broadband for days at a time after heavy rain floods a telephone pit somewhere between their home and the nearest exchange. Complaints tend to fall on deaf ears, as the problem typically sorts itself out after a few days and it's brutally clear that no-one in this country cares if your home is cut off for a while.