1200 local homes and businesses can experience the benefits of the reliable and fast broadband through retail services on offer, according to a press release issued on Thursday.

However, properties further from the town will need to connect to the Sky Muster satellite service to access the NBN. 

This has been available for rural and regional Australians since April last year. 

NBN state corporate affairs advisor for Queensland Lynette Keep said the rollout was exciting news for the town. 

She said that businesses will be able to increase productivity through cloud based sharing with staff and customers. 

There were increased opportunities to access new markets through the digital landscape, she said. 

“The community will join more than 5.7 million other premises across Australia that are currently able to enjoy the benefits of the NBN network, with more than 1.16 million of those in Queensland,” she said. 

“Access to fast broadband is designed to provide a range of benefits such as improved opportunities to work from home, better access to online education tools and more options for on-demand entertainment.” 

Accessing the network was not automatic. 

It was important people knew that, Ms Keep said. 

Residents would need to contact their current provider to place an order for new internet and phone services which considered the upgrade. 

People can find out if they are eligible to connect by using the Check Your Address function at nbnco.com.au/switch. 

The North West Star typed in that address and checked the eligibility of the Cloncurry Shire Council’s administration building (38-46 Daintree Street). The Check Your Address function had not been updated.

A large header said “The rollout of the NBN Network is planned in this area”.