Free internet for students in eligible families
2-minute read
Eligible families with school-aged children could save between $1500 and $2000 per year by accessing a free nbn broadband service.
Do you have school-aged children but no active home broadband service to support them in their studies? Then, you may be eligible to access a free high-speed broadband service over the nbn® network under the Australian Government’s School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI).
Launched in February 2023, the SSBI program is providing up to 30,000 eligible families with free broadband until 31 December 2025, covering the cost of installation, nbn equipment and monthly fees.
“We know that children who can access online learning as part of their education are more likely to be engaged in classroom activities,” says Jane McNamara, consumer spokesperson at nbn.
“Access to fast internet at home can also support school students in building their digital skills, learning how to safely use the internet, and participating more effectively in the digital economy.”
Are you eligible?
To be eligible for the SSBI program, a family must:
- have a child living at home enrolled in an Australian school
- be referred by a nominating organisation or self-nominate through the National Referral Centre
- have no active broadband service over the nbn network, or have not had an active nbn connection during the previous 14 days
- live in a premises that can access a standard nbn service
“With students returning to school, we are encouraging families to check if they’re eligible to receive a free nbn broadband service,” says Jane.
Get connected
To check your eligibility and get connected, simply contact the National Referral Centre, operated by Anglicare Victoria, on 1800 954 610 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm AEDT) or visit the website.
The National Referral Centre team will help assess your eligibility and, if eligible, will issue you with a voucher to redeem at any participating SSBI retail service provider.
The National Referral Centre can also help contact your preferred provider and offer ongoing support.
With the Australian Government recently announcing it is extending the School Student Broadband Initiative until 31 December 2025, eligible families who connect at the start of 2024 will get up to two years of free nbn broadband.
Applications will remain open until 31 December 2024 (unless 30,000 services are connected before this date).
Already signed up?
For existing families who have already signed up, your SSBI service will be automatically extended until 31 December 2025 with no further eligibility checks required.
Stay alert to SSBI scams
Scammers may try using the School Student Broadband Initiative to impersonate a participating entity, such as nbn, in an attempt to extort money.
So, it's important to know nbn will never contact you to ask for bank details or to pay to participate in SSBI.
If you receive a suspicious phone call, text message or email, please report it immediately to Scamwatch.