Free home internet offer still open for eligible families

21 May 2024 (Term 2 Week 4)

It’s not too late for eligible families to apply for free home internet through the School Student Broadband Initiative.

Submitted by: Information Technology

Important information for:

All school-based staff

The Australian Government’s offer of free home internet until 31 December 2025 is still available for families with school aged students who do not currently have an internet connection, through its School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI).

Who is eligible for the SSBI?

The SSBI aims to help families with school-aged children who may be struggling with cost-of-living issues and are unable to maintain a broadband internet connection at home.

To be eligible for the SSBI, families must:

have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school (from Kindergarten up to Year 12 in NSW)
not have an active nbn® internet service in the previous 14 days. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility
not have had an active nbn connection in the previous 14 days
live in a premises that can access a standard nbn service
either be referred by a nominating organisation or have your suitability determined via an assessment conducted by the National Referral Centre (NRC).

How can families check their eligibility?

The initiative’s National Referral Centre (NRC) is still working to help Australian families that meet the eligibility criteria to have the nbn® connected at their home. To check their eligibility, families should be advised to follow these simple steps.

Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon to Fri, 10 am to 6 pm), visit their websiteExternal link or email studentinternet@anglicarevic.org.au. Callback and webchat functions are also available via the Anglicare website.
Check their eligibility – the National Referral Centre team will assess the family’s eligibility for the SSBI, including a check of their residential address and current financial situation.
If eligible, the family will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating SSBI retail service providers. The National Referral Centre is also available to assist with contacting your SSBI internet provider of choice or providing follow-up support.

The NRC is set up to answer questions, assess eligibility, issue vouchers and provide information regarding participating retail service providers. Centre staff can also provide follow-up support for anyone experiencing challenges redeeming the voucher.

For people from non-English speaking backgrounds, or people with accessibility challenges, the NRC can offer translation services through Language Loop and some of their own bilingual staff; and their website is equipped with ReciteMe technology.

What can I do from here?

If you know of a family who may be eligible to take advantage of this offer, please encourage them to contact the SSBI National Referral Centre using the details above.

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