Lifting digital capabilities of communities around the country
Now more than ever, we’re focused on helping all Australians in regional and remote areas make the most of fast internet through access to services over the nbn™ network1.
At nbn™ Local we are working with communities to create better partnerships and deliver initiatives that will help to lift the digital capability of regional areas. We are also there on the ground supporting communities in their time of need, enabling temporary connectivity for not only emergency services, but those people who are physically impacted in times of crisis – so they can stay connected to their friends and family during natural disasters.
We’re continually evolving Australia’s digital backbone to meet the ever-changing needs of people across the country. Through co-investment with local, state, territory and federal government, we’re committing $300M to help deliver access to higher-speed broadband services to regional and remote areas.
More than 850,000 homes and businesses in regional areas, within the Fixed Line footprint may become eligible to upgrade to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) by ordering a plan based on our higher wholesale speed tiers◊.
We’ve also created business nbn™ Fibre Zones in more than 110 regional centres, making business-grade fibre more accessible via our flagship fibre access product – business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet.2
The nbn™ Local difference
We understand what works for those in the city doesn’t always work for those living in the bush. It’s why we’re focused on being a trusted voice and ally for those living within regional and remote communities. Our on-the-ground support teams are ready to work with you and industry partners to enable better access to a faster, more reliable network.
As most of our team members live and work locally, they understand first-hand the connectivity challenges you may be facing, - put simply they understand where you’re coming from.
If you’re out and about and come across one of our nbn™ Local teams, be sure to say hello. We’re always happy to chat and to help out wherever we can. You can find us at a range of locations, community events and online.
Our areas of focus
Connecting farmers and the digital supply chain to key advisers, consumers and new markets.
We want to help Australia’s farmers take full advantage of the digital technology available to them, and help ensure they have the ability to connect with business communities around the world.
In doing so, we aim to help 85,000 farm businesses save time, and increase their revenue through the use of new, connected digital agriculture devices.
Using data to inform decision making and better manage precious resources however, is just one part of the story. Digital farming has the potential to add $20.3 billion to the value of Australian agriculture by the year 2030, with more than $15.6 billion of this revenue enabled by the internet.
Together with key partners in the agricultural supply chain, we're helping farmers discover new and innovative ways of connecting to advisers, consumers and new markets globally.
Supporting the digital transformation of the local arts and culture industries to drive engagement and build a growing audience for homegrown Australian creative content.
The arts sector plays a pivotal role in weaving together the fabric of Australian local communities and provides much-needed support to local economies.
By supporting and working collaboratively with industry partners, we aim to address the connectivity needs of the sector, as well as enabling innovation and access to digital platforms for creators to build their presence and participate online.
It’s our goal to encourage consistent opportunities for both audience and creators, through supporting digital infrastructure, helping to improve digital literacy and access, and strengthening the global reach for homegrown content makers.
Supporting regional and remote business communities through industry partnerships and digital innovation.
We’re committed to helping small businesses beyond Australia’s capital cities realise their digital potential through the development of wholesale products and services designed to meet the needs of a range of varying organisations and industries.
Playing our part to help ensure these businesses have the ability to operate in local, national and global markets is just one way we can work towards supporting regional and remote business communities throughout Australia.
Additionally, we will continue to endeavour to provide businesses in these areas with access to critical technology solutions through partnerships with regionally focused information and communication partners. This focus will extend to developing industry partnerships, which promote thought leadership, product development and programs to support and grow regional business.
Supporting the digitised future of online learning in the classroom and at home.
The gap between the learning opportunities and outcomes for those living in regional and remote areas compared to those in metropolitan areas is well known. There is however a significant opportunity to overcome many of these barriers through the increasing shift to online learning.
That’s why our goal is to help ensure regional and remote students (and educators) of any age can experience the benefits of online learning through access to the best educational resources in Australia and throughout the world.
Helping Australians participate in digital health care practices.
As the gap in health outcomes between those living in Australia’s cities, and the 7 million people living in regional and remote areas continues to expand, we are focused on helping community members overcome the barriers that make it difficult for them to access and participate in digital health solutions.
Our goal is to help continue building digital health literacy through community-focused programs, with an aim to improve health outcomes such as avoidable misdiagnoses and the associated health costs for those in regional and remote Australia.
We aim to achieve this through the co-creation of digital strategies, participation in key forums and events, and partnering with the local tech industry to help develop innovative solutions to a range of health challenges.
Helping to lift the digital capability and independence of Australia’s First Peoples.
We believe all Australians should have access to fast broadband and the opportunity to reap the social and economic benefits that come with being connected.
We’re not only focused on connecting First Peoples that may have had limited internet access in the past, we’re committed to helping improve the digital literacy of those using the internet by partnering with community advocates to further develop the digital capabilities of Australia’s First Peoples.
By engaging with key levels of government, peak bodies and private organisations to develop initiatives that will help us achieve our goals – we hope to ensure every Australian has the opportunity to make the most of being connected to the digital world.
Helping tourism operators in regional and remote Australia optimise their exposure and reach.
While this period has proven to be particularly challenging for our local tourism industry, we are committed to supporting regional and remote tourism operators, as well as all Australians who love to travel.
By improving digital participation and literacy, and increasing the visibility and accessibility of local tourism opportunities, we aim to drive competitiveness and stimulate the regional economy by supporting tourism operators to showcase what regional and remote Australia has to offer.
This will allow us to help meet the growing tourism demand of Australians, as well as travellers from around the globe.
Connecting farmers and the digital supply chain to key advisers, consumers and new markets.
We want to help Australia’s farmers take full advantage of the digital technology available to them, and help ensure they have the ability to connect with business communities around the world.
In doing so, we aim to help 85,000 farm businesses save time, and increase their revenue through the use of new, connected digital agriculture devices.
Using data to inform decision making and better manage precious resources however, is just one part of the story. Digital farming has the potential to add $20.3 billion to the value of Australian agriculture by the year 2030, with more than $15.6 billion of this revenue enabled by the internet.
Together with key partners in the agricultural supply chain, we're helping farmers discover new and innovative ways of connecting to advisers, consumers and new markets globally.
Supporting the digital transformation of the local arts and culture industries to drive engagement and build a growing audience for homegrown Australian creative content.
The arts sector plays a pivotal role in weaving together the fabric of Australian local communities and provides much-needed support to local economies.
By supporting and working collaboratively with industry partners, we aim to address the connectivity needs of the sector, as well as enabling innovation and access to digital platforms for creators to build their presence and participate online.
It’s our goal to encourage consistent opportunities for both audience and creators, through supporting digital infrastructure, helping to improve digital literacy and access, and strengthening the global reach for homegrown content makers.
Supporting regional and remote business communities through industry partnerships and digital innovation.
We’re committed to helping small businesses beyond Australia’s capital cities realise their digital potential through the development of wholesale products and services designed to meet the needs of a range of varying organisations and industries.
Playing our part to help ensure these businesses have the ability to operate in local, national and global markets is just one way we can work towards supporting regional and remote business communities throughout Australia.
Additionally, we will continue to endeavour to provide businesses in these areas with access to critical technology solutions through partnerships with regionally focused information and communication partners. This focus will extend to developing industry partnerships, which promote thought leadership, product development and programs to support and grow regional business.
Supporting the digitised future of online learning in the classroom and at home.
The gap between the learning opportunities and outcomes for those living in regional and remote areas compared to those in metropolitan areas is well known. There is however a significant opportunity to overcome many of these barriers through the increasing shift to online learning.
That’s why our goal is to help ensure regional and remote students (and educators) of any age can experience the benefits of online learning through access to the best educational resources in Australia and throughout the world.
Helping Australians participate in digital health care practices.
As the gap in health outcomes between those living in Australia’s cities, and the 7 million people living in regional and remote areas continues to expand, we are focused on helping community members overcome the barriers that make it difficult for them to access and participate in digital health solutions.
Our goal is to help continue building digital health literacy through community-focused programs, with an aim to improve health outcomes such as avoidable misdiagnoses and the associated health costs for those in regional and remote Australia.
We aim to achieve this through the co-creation of digital strategies, participation in key forums and events, and partnering with the local tech industry to help develop innovative solutions to a range of health challenges.
Helping to lift the digital capability and independence of Australia’s First Peoples.
We believe all Australians should have access to fast broadband and the opportunity to reap the social and economic benefits that come with being connected.
We’re not only focused on connecting First Peoples that may have had limited internet access in the past, we’re committed to helping improve the digital literacy of those using the internet by partnering with community advocates to further develop the digital capabilities of Australia’s First Peoples.
By engaging with key levels of government, peak bodies and private organisations to develop initiatives that will help us achieve our goals – we hope to ensure every Australian has the opportunity to make the most of being connected to the digital world.
Helping tourism operators in regional and remote Australia optimise their exposure and reach.
While this period has proven to be particularly challenging for our local tourism industry, we are committed to supporting regional and remote tourism operators, as well as all Australians who love to travel.
By improving digital participation and literacy, and increasing the visibility and accessibility of local tourism opportunities, we aim to drive competitiveness and stimulate the regional economy by supporting tourism operators to showcase what regional and remote Australia has to offer.
This will allow us to help meet the growing tourism demand of Australians, as well as travellers from around the globe.
Gauge and improve your online skills
Having the ability to communicate online with friends and family, operate a device or securely store your data has never felt more important. That’s why we’ve developed our nbn™ Online Skills Check and Resources. It’s designed to help measure your digital know-how, and take your online skills to the next level.
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nbn and the community
1 Your experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network, depends on the nbn™ access technology and configuration over which services are delivered to your premises, whether you are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of nbn’s control (like your equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan or how your provider designs its network). For business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet, if your service provider has not selected a bandwidth in the highest of three classes of service available for business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet, the speeds you experience may be affected by contention on the nbn™ network, particularly in busy periods. For nbn™ Fixed Wireless, speeds may also be impacted by the number of concurrent users on the nbn™ Fixed Wireless network, including during busy periods. For nbn™ Satellite, end customers may also experience latency.
◊Conditions, eligibility criteria and costs will apply. Eligibility criteria as at 15/09/2021 are expected to include, among other things, being designated by nbn as a simple premises (e.g. standalone premises or Single Dwelling Unit (SDU)) and once the program is available for an eligible premises, placing an order for an nbn™ powered plan based on an eligible wholesale speed tier. Additional costs may apply to providers, who may choose to pass this charge onto their customers.
2 business nbn™ Enterprise Ethernet is only available in the nbn™ Fixed Line network footprint and at limited premises served by the nbn™ Fixed Wireless and Satellite networks.
