THE HON. GREG HUNT MP
Federal Member for Flinders
Minister for Health and Aged Care
THE HON. PAUL FLETCHER MP
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure,
Cities and the Arts
JOINT MEDIA RELEASE
24th March, 2022
Locals across the Mornington Peninsula will have access to a significantly more capable and future proof wireless National Broadband Network (NBN), following a $480 million investment by the Morrison Government in the 2022-23 Federal Budget.
Over 4,500 premises across the Peninsula will benefit from this investment, which will see NBN offer new higher speed services to the fixed wireless network, meaning speeds of approximately 100 Megabits per second (Mbps).
It also means significantly improved speeds during the “network busy hour” – the time of day when the network is most heavily used, typically around 8:00 pm at night.
Federal Member for Flinders, the Hon. Greg Hunt MP, said the benefits of this investment would go far beyond the little things like streaming movies online.
“Online connectivity is becoming ever more vital in our modern world, helping families, communities and businesses connect with each other through digital space, which is why this investment will go a long way.” Minister Hunt said.
“Expanding access to reliable, high-speed internet can really make a difference for people across the Peninsula, from helping families connect over long distances, to helping local businesses reach more customers and potentially start new digital enterprises.”
“Telecommunications matter for every community, including ours on the Peninsula, and this is very much a welcome investment in our local infrastructure.”
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said the investment in NBN Co’s non‑commercial fixed wireless network will significantly improve the quality of services being provided over the NBN fixed wireless and satellite networks.
“By using the latest 4G and 5G wireless technology, this upgrade will extend the coverage range from a tower, and allow higher speed services to everyone served by the tower,” Minister Fletcher said.
“This means more people can be served by NBN fixed wireless; it means higher speed services on the NBN fixed wireless network; and it means higher amounts of data can be used by households and business customers. The upgrade will expand the fixed wireless footprint coverage by up to 50 per cent, enabling 120,000 additional premises to access fixed wireless services instead of Sky Muster satellite services.”
This upgrade also means big benefits for NBN satellite users, with some existing NBN satellite customers will move to fixed wireless, this will free up capacity on the satellite network.
As a result, NBN Co will be able to offer an almost immediate increase in average data allowances for NBN Sky Muster satellite users. Average monthly data allowances for standard Sky Muster plans will increase to 55 Gigabytes (GB) in the short term, increasing to 90GB once the fixed wireless upgrade is complete in around two years’ time.
For more detail on NBN Co’s fixed wireless network, visit https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/network-technology/fixed-wireless-explained
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Media Contacts
Imre Salusinszky | 0432 535 737 | Imre.Salusinszky@communications.gov.au
Christine Byllaardt | 0409 433 357 | Christine.VandenByllaardt@communications.gov.au
Callum Carter | 0447 696 500 | callum.carter@aph.gov.au