With the return of the 2024 school year Central Coast families are being encouraged to check if they are eligible for free home broadband through the Federal Labor Government’s School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI).
To ensure more Australian school students can enjoy the transformational benefit of broadband, the Government is investing $8.8M to connect up to 30,000 eligible families with school-aged children to the NBN.
The affordability initiative has been extended through to December 31, 2025, meaning even more families can benefit from a free home broadband connection for longer.
At present more 6,000 households have already been connected to free internet through the SSBI, and a further 18,000 vouchers have been issued to eligible families to get connected.
To be eligible, a family must have a child living at home and enrolled in an Australian school; have no active home broadband service over the NBN network; and live in premises that can access a standard NBN service.
Member for Robertson Gordon Reid said the Government understood that in order for students to experience the full benefits of 21st century learning, they needed accessible and reliable internet access.
“The School Student Broadband Initiative ensures students can access the internet if they cannot afford to,” he said.
“This initiative is about closing the digital divide and providing support to students to excel.”
Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland said it was essential for students to have access to reliable, fast home broadband to fully engage in online learning and connect with teachers and peers.
“Not only does this initiative support educational outcomes, it benefits entire households who can access essential digital services like telehealth and banking from home,” she said.
Families interested in the SSBI can contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm AEDT) to have their eligibility assessed.
The Government is considering options to further support participating families at the end of 2025, including asking the NBN Low-Income and Digital Inclusion Forum to examine discounted products.
For more information on the SSBI, visit: www.infrastructure.gov.au/SSBI