More than 2,500 South Australian families have embraced the Albanese Government's initiative to provide free broadband to eligible households.
The Albanese Government is investing $8.8 million through the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) to connect up to 30,000 families nationwide without internet at home to free broadband, in a bid to narrow the digital divide and ease cost-of-living pressures.
The initiative is supporting some of the most vulnerable people across the country by getting families connected to what is becoming an essential need: a reliable broadband connection.
The South Australian Government has played an active role by directly encouraging families to take advantage of the program and boosting visibility across its public and secondary schools.
The work of both Governments' has led to South Australia having the greatest number of connected families as a proportion of their overall student population.
More than 2,500 families in SA - from 13,000 across the country - have already been connected to free internet as a result of the Initiative. To be eligible, a family must:
- Have a child living at home enrolled in an Australian school;
- Have no active broadband service over the NBN network;
- Live in a premises where they can access a standard NBN service.
- Not have an active NBN service during the previous 14 days
Once assessed as eligible, families are issued with a unique voucher they can redeem with a participating internet provider. The free service begins from the day the service is activated, and is available across all NBN technologies until 31 December 2025.
To apply, families are encouraged to contact the National Referral Centre - run by Anglicare Victoria - on 1800 954 610 (Monday - Friday, 10am - 6pm AEDT), or visit: www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet
