I am proud to say we are not doing this alone.

We’re working collaboratively with internet retailers, telecommunication industry bodies and all arms of government, to ensure Australians have a front row seat at the global digital table.

To that end, I am pleased today to share the progress being made in our co-investment agreement with the Victorian Government aimed at delivering more fibre and faster broadband speeds¹ via the nbn® network throughout Victoria.

Under the second stage of the agreement (the first stage of which was announced in August 2021), we have increased the number of areas currently serviced by Fibre to the Node (FTTN) technology that will be effectively upgraded to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) in line with customer demand for our higher speed services.

This means eligible² FTTN premises in a total of 50 metropolitan suburbs and Victorian towns, from Bairnsdale in East Gippsland to the Geelong suburb of Bell Park, will be able to connect to all our higher speed services all the way up to nbn® Home Ultrafast (which is based on peak wholesale download speeds heading towards 1000 Mbps¹) if they so desire.

As demand for faster broadband speeds continues to grow in an increasingly connected world, being able to access higher residential wholesale speed tiers¹ across multiple devices is becoming increasingly important for many.

It’s access to such higher speeds that will provide families with the ability to simultaneously work and study from home and enjoy online entertainment, such as video streaming and gaming, via multiple bandwidth hungry, digital devices.

It’s also the reason we embarked on a $4.5 billion network upgrade program across the nation designed to make available the highest speeds on offer on the nbn® network to those who want them by driving fibre deeper into communities and expanding the speed on our HFC network. Recently, we’ve also announced plans to upgrade our Fixed Wireless network as well.

Giving business the keys to unlock their true potential through harnessing the power of fast, secure, and reliable broadband is also the driving force behind nbn’s Business Fibre Zone (BFZ) initiative.

Businesses within these zones can access nbn’s premium – and fastest – business grade fibre solution business nbn® Enterprise Ethernet at CBD-equivalent wholesale pricing.

As part of today’s announcement, I’m thrilled to say we are adding five more BFZs in Victoria to the 11 previously confirmed in phase 1 of the co-investment deal with the Victorian Government. 

This is on top of 61 BFZs in Victoria that are part of nbn’s Australia-wide program and brings the total number to 77. Thanks to the Victorian Government, this means Victoria will have more Business Fibre Zones per capita than any other state.

It is no accident the location of some of these new BFZs are in rural towns, such as Loch Sport and Buninyong, as well as fast growing metro-edge areas like Tarneit.

The nbn® Business Fibre Initiative helps level the playing field for businesses of all sizes and in more locations by reducing the significant variation that has existed in the cost of business broadband services in regional and rural areas compared to CBD Zones. 

Eligible businesses² within any of nbn® Business Fibre Zones that order an Enterprise Ethernet service will receive their chosen speed tier and service based on CBD-equivalent wholesale pricing.

In these zones, retail internet providers can offer business-grade fibre connections at no upfront build cost from nbn. Plus, if the retail provider signs up for a three-year Enterprise Ethernet plan, there’s no upfront connection cost charged by nbn to the internet provider for standard installations³.

The 16 Business Fibre Zones we have now created through co-investment with the Victorian Government means more businesses in Victoria will be given the opportunity to innovate, grow and compete in new markets online.

That means more jobs, more economic growth, and a more efficient working environment for employees.

These are key drivers that will help us achieve our goal of enabling up to 75 per cent of homes and businesses on the Fixed Line network – more than 8 million premises – to access the nbn’s highest wholesale speed tiers, on demand, by 31 December 2023.

Working closely with the Victorian Government to deliver high speed broadband infrastructure where it is most needed in Victoria, is an important step along the way.

As the digital backbone of the nation, we will continue to invest in and enhance the nbn® network and look forward to more opportunities to work with state and territory governments to maximise the benefits of this critical national asset, for all Australians. 

¹ Speed and experience disclaimer:

For residential services: Regardless of the retail service you purchase, the actual wholesale speeds delivered by nbn® Home Ultrafast will be less than 1Gbps due to equipment and network limitations. In addition, the HFC Home Ultrafast bandwidth profile downstream service provided to retail providers is a ranged profile with a maximum sustained information rate of 750Mbps. Reference to speeds are not end user speeds; they are wholesale layer 2 peak information rate bandwidth provided to retail providers. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn® broadband access network, depends on the nbn® access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to their premises, whether they are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of NBN Co’s control (like their equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception, or how their provider designs its network).

For business nbn® Enterprise Ethernet: Regardless of the retail service you purchase, the actual wholesale speeds delivered by the business nbn® Enterprise Ethernet product will be no more than 952Mbps due to equipment and network limitations. An end customer’s experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn® network, depends on some factors outside our control (like their equipment quality, software, and how their retail service provider designs its network). If your service provider has not selected the 'Class of Service – High', the speeds you experience may be affected by contention on the nbn® network, particularly in busy periods.

² Eligibility disclaimer:

For residential [Fibre Upgrades] premises: Conditions, eligibility criteria and costs will apply – please speak with your preferred provider. Eligibility criteria includes, among other things, being designated by nbn as a simple premises (e.g. standalone premises or Single Dwelling Unit (SDU)) and 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.

For business premises nbn 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. Costs may apply; customers should contact their preferred service provider to ask about availability and any fees and charges that may be applicable.

³ nbn is a wholesaler and does not control costs charged by service providers. Customers should contact their preferred provider to ask about availability and any fees and charges from their provider that may be applicable. These pricing offers are not available for most premises in the nbn® Fixed Wireless or Satellite footprints or for most premises which have complex connections – further costs are likely to apply to these premises.