New satellite plans offer more choice and flexibility for regional Australia
Homes and small businesses in regional and remote Australia now have more options for uncapped data use for all their internet activities*, following the launch of new nbn® Sky Muster® Plus Premium satellite plans.
The three available plans – at entry, mid and high-tier levels – offer greater flexibility and choice for customers depending on their needs and budgets.
The new entry and mid-tier plans will be offered to retailers at lower wholesale prices& than the existing Sky Muster Plus Premium plan, which was introduced in June this year.
Sky Muster Plus Premium was the first nbn satellite plan to offer residential and small business customers uncapped data use to cover all their internet activities*. The plan has proven to be popular given users no longer need to worry about managing a monthly data allowance, and it now accounts for 53 per cent of nbn’s Sky Muster Plus users.
The three plans now available are:
- Sky Muster Plus Premium – high-tier option: Replaces the current nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium plan and offers uncapped data use* with maximum wholesale speeds of 100/5 Mbps at least once every 24-hour period and an anticipated typical busy period wholesale download speed of 48 Mbps.~^
- Sky Muster Plus Premium – mid-tier option: A new plan that offers uncapped data use* with maximum wholesale speeds of 50/5 Mbps at least once every 24-hour period and an anticipated typical busy period wholesale download speed of 31 Mbps.~^
- Sky Muster Plus Premium – entry-tier option: A new plan that offers uncapped data use* with maximum wholesale speeds of 25/5 Mbps at least once every 24-hour period and an anticipated typical busy period wholesale download speed of 16 Mbps.~^
In addition to the new plans, nbn is also introducing other new features for Sky Muster Plus and Premium users such as the option to purchase dedicated static IP (internet protocol) addresses for users who wish to do things like remotely access their network from outside their property.
Enhancements to nbn satellite services are made possible due to upgrades to the nbn Fixed Wireless network, which includes migrating around 120,000 premises from the nbn satellite footprint to access nbn Fixed Wireless for the first time. This is part of a nation-wide upgrade program to deliver better broadband for homes and businesses across regional and remote Australia.
Gavin Williams, nbn Chief Development Officer, Regional and Remote, said:
“We are committed to upgrading the nbn network right across Australia – and we know how important our satellite network is to many people living in regional areas. We are always looking to improve nbn Sky Muster services so that we can offer a suite of accessible broadband solutions to customers in remote and hard-to-reach locations.
“Customers on the legacy Premium plan have been enjoying an average of at least four times more data on a monthly basis than those on metered nbn Sky Muster plans, so it’s exciting to now be able to offer even more affordable options for uncapped data usage plans.*
“As no new nbn installation or equipment is needed for those who want to upgrade their existing nbn satellite service, nbn Sky Muster customers who make the switch today will be able to start the new year without the worry of monthly data limits.”
The new nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium plans are available to order as of 1 December 2023 through Sky Muster Plus retailers. Not all retail service providers offer nbn Sky Muster or Sky Muster Plus.
To learn more about nbn Sky Muster satellite services and connect with a participating retail provider, visit the nbn website: www.nbnco.com.au/skymusterplus
Editor notes
- Homes and business in the nbn satellite footprint – around 395,000 premises across Australia – can now access the new nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium plans.
- The nbn Sky Muster satellite service is Australian-owned, and nbn also delivers customer support through on-ground Australian technical support teams, including on-site visits if required – also at no cost to retail service providers.
- Customers on the nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium plan prior to 1 December 2023 will automatically rollover to the Sky Muster Plus Premium – high-tier option without needing to contact their provider. This plan will continue to be offered to providers at the same wholesale price.&
- No new equipment or additional installation is needed for nbn Sky Muster or Sky Muster Plus customers if they want to upgrade to a nbn® Sky Muster® Plus Premium plan.
- The new optional feature of static IP addresses is available at an additional monthly wholesale cost to retail service providers.&
Footnotes
* Fair Use Policy and shaping apply. To proactively protect and ensure the fair access to the nbn network for all users, nbn may from time to time, at its discretion, shape the following activities to maximum wholesale upload and download speeds of 256kbps: uploads and downloads via peer to peer; uploads and downloads to cloud storage platforms; PC and smartphone operating system updates; software/application updates; gaming software updates; any other traffic related to applications which nbn cannot identify. Other activity that nbn considers may cause adverse network impacts may also be added to the above list to be shaped, including streaming video and VPN.
~ Based on test data captured between September – November 2023 using Sky Muster Plus plans already in market (some of which had usage caps). Typical busy period is 7-11pm each day. Actual typical busy period speeds will be published in 2024 and updated regularly thereafter. End users located in Norfolk Island can expect typical busy period speeds up to five times slower.
^ Your experience, including speeds, depends on whether you are using the internet during the busy period, concurrent usage, specific locations from time to time and, some factors outside of nbn’s control (like your equipment, software or signal reception). You may also experience latency.
& nbn is a wholesaler and does not set retail prices. End users should contact an nbn satellite service provider to ask about the retail prices they charge.