High speed internet network upgrade for regional Australia

The $480-million improvement to the NBN network will see Australia be among the first in the world to deploy 5G millimetre wave technology in a fixed wireless network at a nationwide scale.

Once the work is completed in mid-2024, regional Australians will have access to two new high-speed tier internet plans.

One plan will deliver download speeds of 100 to 130 megabits per second and will be available to 100 per cent of the expanded wireless cover area. The other delivers download speeds of 200 to 325 Mbps, and will be available to 85 per cent of the expanded network area.

Narrowing the digital divide had never been more important, Communication Minister Michelle Rowland said, particularly as more Australians call rural and regional communities home, with work-from-home careers becoming more widespread.

"When these upgrades are complete, regional families and small businesses will be able to access internet speeds that are more than three times faster than services currently on offer," Ms Rowland said.

NBN regional and remote chief development officer Gavin Williams said regional Australians were using more data than ever before in every aspect of their lives.

"Connectivity is also a major driver of innovation across the agricultural sector that can help to lift productivity and enable optimisation of modern farm machinery," Mr Williams said.

"The introduction of high-speed tiers across the nbn fixed wireless network will enable access to speeds up to four times faster than is what is currently available across the nbn fixed wireless network.

"This will help more people thrive in the digital age like never before."

The Albanese government also announced a new uncapped satellite broadband service. The Sky Muster Plus Premium service will provide customers with unmetered data 24 hours a day and faster speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

The service responds to increasing demand for more data and faster speeds from satellite users caused by the growing use of video streaming, and people working and studying from home.

The product launch follows a trial over 10,000 Sky Muster Plus customers earlier this year that reported greater user satisfaction when customers could access increased evening speeds and uncapped data.