The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCN) lauded the federal government’s plan to give regional Australians access to unmetred monthly data allowances and faster speeds.
The plan is put up to 10,000 Australians on NBN Sky Muster Plus access in a bid to boost internet quality in the bush on a trial basis.
“Beginning in March and running through to May this year, the trial aims to deliver faster download speeds of up to 100 Mbps for regional customers. Faster satellite services without data allowances are very good news for households and small businesses in regional and remote Australia,” ACCAN said in a media statement.
“This really is a game changer for these regional communities. Without access to a home internet service, children can struggle to complete homework online after school, and families can find it extremely difficult to access online services such as Telehealth, banking, and important government services to name just a few,” said ACCAN’s CEO, Andrew Williams.
The trial will allow 120,000 premises to migrate from the satellite footprint to fixed wireless, freeing up capacity on the Sky Muster satellite service, If successful, unmetred data will be made available to all customers across the satellite footprint.
“COVID-19, floods and bushfires that severely impacted regional communities during the last few years have highlighted and heightened the need for access to reliable, resilient and affordable telecommunications services. This trial will, hopefully, go a long way to making that happen,” said Mr. Williams.
The plan supports the federal government’s goal of turning Australia into a leading digital economy and society by 2030. To achieve this goal, the government plans to ensure that all consumers, regardless of where they live, are able to access what’s needed to get them online and stay connected.
“We know that households on NBN Sky Muster have often had less than ideal connectivity, so this is an exciting time for these communities. We will follow the trial with interest and look forward to seeing the results later in the year,” said Mr. Williams.
Paulo Rizal is a content producer for Comms Room. He writes content around popular media, journalism, social media, and more.
