School Student Broadband Initiative

What is the School Student Broadband Initiative?

To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is providing up to 30,000 eligible families with school age children with no internet at home access to free nbn® for one year under the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) 

Access to the SSBI will become easier, with the announcement of a National Referral Centre that parents/carers with school students can contact directly to check their eligibility.

Who is eligible for the SSBI?

It is important to note the SSBI is primarily intended as an affordability measure to help those with school-age children.

To be eligible for SSBI, families working directly with an SSBI Nominating Organisation, or self-nominating through the National Referral Centre, must:

• Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including from Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindy in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
• Not have an active nbn® network internet service at home. Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility.
• Live in a premises that can access a standard* nbn service.
• Not have had an active nbn connection during the previous 14 days.
• Either be referred by a nominating organisation or have your suitability determined via an assessment conducted by the National Referral Centre.

How can I check my eligibility?

To check your eligibility, follow these simple steps.

1. Contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm AEDT), or www.anglicarevic.org.au/student-internet. Callback and webchat functions are also available via the website.**
2. Check your eligibility – the NRC team will assess your eligibility, by checking your residential address and asking you some questions to determine if you meet the Government’s eligibility criteria.
3. If eligible, you will be issued a voucher which can be redeemed at any of the participating SSBI retail service providers. The National Referral Centre will also be available to assist with contacting your SSBI internet service provider of choice or providing follow-up support.

*A standard nbn service refers to a standard installation of nbn supplied equipment. This includes connecting a fibre optic cable from your street to the nbn utility box outside your premises, then inside to the nbn connection. nbn does not charge end customers for a standard installation. But remember to ask your chosen SSBI participating internet provider if they have any other fees. A small number of premises located in Limited Access Areas (any area within the footprint of the Satellite Network that cannot reasonably be accessed by road and would require some element of air or water transportation) are ineligible to access the SSBI.

**The National Referral Centre is operated by Anglicare Victoria and is open to eligible Australian parents/carers.