School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI)

To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government has invested $8.8 million to provide up to 30,000 qualifying families and carers with school age children and do not have an active nbn connection at home, with a free National Broadband Network (NBN) service until 31 December 2025. To check if you qualify follow these simple steps.

  • Contact the National Referral Centre, on 1800 954 610 (Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm AEDT), www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet. Callback, webchat and interpreting services also available.
  • The National Referral Centre team will check your residential address and ask your some basic questions to determine if you qualify for the School Student Broadband Initiative.

If you qualify, you will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating internet providers. The National Referral Centre will also be available to assist with contacting your chosen internet provider or providing follow-up support.

How to qualify for the School Student Broadband Initiative?

To qualify families and carers must:

  • Have a school age student at home (full or part time), enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindergarten in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
  • Not have an active NBN network internet service at your current residential address now or in the past 14 days (having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).
  • Live in a premise that can access the NBN network through a standard connection.

Families and carers can directly contact the National Referral Centre to check if they qualify or be referred by a participating nominating organisation.

What other organisations are participating in the initiative to identify and nominate families?

The following organisations have also joined the initiative and are nominating families and carers that are a part of their respective systems.

National coverage

ACT

NSW

NT

QLD

SA

TAS

VIC

WA

In addition to the above organisations, Federal Members of Parliament and Senators are able to identify and nominate qualifying families and carers.

What types of NBN services are provided under the initiative?

As of 1 August 2024, the following internet providers are participating in the School Student Broadband Initiative offer:  

  • Activ8Me (APN—providing Fixed Line, Fixed Wireless and Satellite services)
  • Aussie Broadband
  • Belong (Telstra)
  • Exetel
  • Lemonade Broadband (Brisbane only)
  • SkyMesh—providing Fixed Wireless and Satellite services
  • Superloop
  • Vodafone (TPG).

The choice of internet provider will vary depending on where you live. Your voucher will list the internet providers available at your address. 

The national initiative aims to provide NBN's 50/20 wholesale speed tier. This means that during peak usage periods, the download speed should be around 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and upload speeds ranging from 5–20 Mbps. More information is available on NBN Co's website.

When will the free services commence through School Student Broadband Initiative?

If you qualify, you can join the School Student Broadband Initiative now. Your free nbn home internet service will begin as soon as you are connected by your chosen participating internet provider and remain connected until 31 December 2025.

Are devices included in the initiative?

Devices such as phones, tablets or computers are not included as part of the initiative. A free Wi-Fi router/modem (that does not have to be returned) will be provided to families by their chosen participating internet  provider.

School Student Broadband Initiative and scams

Scammers may try using the School Student Broadband Initiative to impersonate a participating entity, such as NBN Co, to get your money. It's important to know that you will never be contacted and asked to provide bank details or to pay money to participate in the School Student Broadband Initiative by NBN Co. If you receive a suspicious phone call, report it immediately to the ACCC's Scamwatch website https://scamwatch.gov.auTranslation support.

For people from non-English speaking backgrounds, or people with accessibility challenges, the National Referral Centre can offer translation services through the Translation and Interpreting Service and some of their own bi-lingual staff. The National Referral Centre's website is also equipped with ReciteMe technology https://www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet.