Thousands of Australian families could be eligible for free internet under a little-known government initiative offering savings until the end of next year.
The School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) provides free National Broadband Network (NBN) services to eligible families who do not have internet at home.
The scheme, which launched in February last year, has been extended to provide free broadband to families until 31 December 2025, with more than 20,000 places still available.
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The NBN estimates that the SSBI scheme, which covers installation costs, NBN equipment and monthly fees, could save families between $1,500 and $2,000 a year.
There is no income limit for this scheme. Families must have a school-age student at home, have access to the NBN, and have not had an active broadband service in the past 14 days.
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Communications Minister Michel Rolland said all school pupils should have access to “reliable, high-speed broadband”.
“The benefits of Flow-On to participants are enormous, with many families being able to access critical services such as telemedicine from home for the first time,” Rowland said when announcing the scheme’s extension.
How can I use the Internet for free?
Families can apply for free internet until Dec. 31, 2024, or until spots are exhausted.
You can find out if you are eligible for the scheme by contacting the National Referral Center run by Anglicare Victoria on 1800 954 610 or .
The National Referral Center team will assist you in issuing a voucher to be redeemed at participating internet providers via the NBN network. If you qualify, you’ll receive free internet until December 31, 2025.
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Faster internet speed suggested
This is a proposal from NBN Co for Australia, which will see download speeds up to five times faster on some high-speed services.
For example, this plan increases NBN Home Fast download speeds from 100 Mbps to 500 Mbps and upload speeds from 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps.
NBN said these speed increases would be provided “at no additional wholesale cost to internet retailers” and that it hoped to offer the fastest services to customers later this year or early next year.
