The Australian government has announced an additional A$1.5 billion (approximately US$2.4 billion) to accelerate the National Broadband Network (NBN) full-fibre rollout.
The NBN is Australia’s wholesale, open-access national broadband network, operated by the government-owned NBN Co. Since its establishment in 2009, NBN Co had connected millions of homes and businesses, but the network has faced criticism over performance and reliability for many end users.
Past assessments and statements from NBN leadership acknowledged shortcomings. In 2017, then-CEO Bill Morrow said around 15 percent of end users were receiving poor service and were “seriously dissatisfied,” citing competitive pressures among retail service providers as a factor affecting price and performance for consumers.
With this new funding, the government aims to improve network quality and reach by converting a large portion of existing connections to full fibre.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said:
“This is the NBN Australians voted for and it is the NBN my Government is delivering.
Australians deserve the same access to affordable, reliable, high-speed internet access regardless of whether they’re logging in from the bush or the ‘burbs.
I want to bring Australians together and we’re doing that by better connecting neighbourhoods and communities.”
Under the plan, approximately 1.5 million homes now served by Fiber-to-the-Node (FTTN) will be upgraded to Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP). The upgrade is intended to provide faster, more reliable connections and future-proof those premises for increasing bandwidth demands.
The government’s target is to deliver gigabit-capable speeds to about 10 million homes and businesses by late 2025, ensuring broad access to high-capacity broadband across urban and regional areas.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland commented on the benefits of improved connectivity:
“So much of what we do at home depends on reliable, high-speed internet – things like study, entertainment, working from home or running a small family business.
The Albanese Government will deliver a better NBN which will improve speeds and reliability, including for regional communities, and enhance equity of access to quality broadband infrastructure.”
An economic analysis commissioned by NBN Co estimates the expanded FTTP connections could contribute around A$20 billion to Australia’s GDP by 2030. The construction and installation phase of the rollout is also projected to support approximately A$2.6 billion in economic activity through 2026, creating jobs and business for supply chains involved in the upgrade.
Minister Rowland emphasized the social benefits, noting that the investment aims to ensure no community is left behind: regional, rural, remote and vulnerable Australians will benefit from improved access to essential digital services.
(Photo by Joey Csunyo on Unsplash)
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