The Federal Government has invested $2.4 billion in NBN Co over four years to give 1.5 million more households and businesses affordable access to full fibre to the premises, including over 660,000 in regional communities.
This is in addition to the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure the nbn remains in public hands, with legislation introduced on 9 October to ensure the nbn is not for sale.
The Federal Government said that communities across the country are benefitting from high-speed fibre connections, with speeds up to 18 times faster than the average broadband connection over copper, and that only by keeping the nbn in public hands will these significant fibre upgrades continue to be delivered to provide access to affordable, world class broadband speeds.
Faster connections also enable South Australians to connect more devices simultaneously, such as smart TVs and home security systems, as we conduct our lives increasingly online.
Almost 28,000 homes and businesses across the state have already ordered a full fibre upgrade, and demand continues to grow – with Australians using more data than ever.
The local government areas of Port Adelaide Enfield, Playford, Charles Sturt, Salisbury and Onkaparinga lead the way with the highest number of fibre connections.
In addition to those already eligible for an upgrade, a further 13,500 premises across the state will progressively become eligible for full fibre upgrade by the end of 2025.
Average data usage in Australia has increased ten times over the last ten years, with the average home now downloading over 450GB per month across 22 internet-connected or smart devices. By the end of the decade household demand is forecast to increase to 1TB per month.
By the end of 2025, more than ten million premises on the fixed line network will have access to full fibre connections able to deliver speeds up to 1Gb per second.
The fibre upgrades are available on demand when an eligible household or small business takes out an eligible higher speed tier plan.
Federal Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said fast and reliable full fibre broadband can be a gamechanger for families and businesses who have struggled with dropouts and slow speeds over copper.
“It’s essential infrastructure in 2024 – not a luxury. That’s why the Federal Government has invested $2.4 billion to support NBN Co’s fibre upgrade program, and introduced vital legislation to ensure this critical national infrastructure remains in public hands to keep broadband affordable,” Ms Rowland said.
“I encourage households across South Australia to check the NBN Co website to see if you are eligible for a full fibre upgrade to enjoy the benefits of faster broadband speeds at home or work.”
Featured image: TippaPatt/shutterstock.com.
