The Albanese Government has enabled more than 500,000 homes and businesses in Western Australia to upgrade to a world-class full fibre NBN broadband connection.

The Albanese Government is investing $2.4 billion in NBN Co over four years to give 1.5 million more households and businesses full fibre to the premises access, including over 660,000 in regional communities. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure Australia remains competitive in the global digital economy, providing the infrastructure necessary to support increasing demands for data and connectivity.

Western Australian communities are now seeing the benefits of high-speed fibre connections delivering speeds up to 18 times faster than the average broadband connection over copper. The local government areas of Stirling, Wanneroo, Gosnells, Rockingham, Bayswater, and Canning lead the way with the highest number of fibre connections.

In a press release, Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, emphasised the significance of this upgrade, stating, “Fast and reliable full fibre broadband unlocks greater social inclusion and economic productivity.”

“It’s essential infrastructure in 2024 and this is why the Albanese Government has invested $2.4 billion to support NBN Co’s fibre upgrade program.”

Full fibre connections allow more people to enjoy faster speeds while streaming, gaming, and working from home. This continues the Albanese Government’s commitment to keeping communities connected.

“Access to this technology is a gamechanger for families who have struggled with drop outs and slow speeds over copper,” Minister Rowland added.

“I strongly encourage households to check the NBN Co website to see if you are eligible for a full fibre upgrade.”

By the end of 2025, more than 10 million premises on the fixed-line network will have access to full fibre connections capable of delivering speeds up to one Gigabit per second. Average data usage in Australia has increased 10 times over the last 10 years, with the average home now downloading over 450 Gigabytes per month across 22 internet-connected or smart devices.

Minister Rowland also praised NBN Co’s role in this transformation, saying, “I welcome NBN Co’s continued dedication to delivering more fibre to homes and businesses to stay ahead of the growing demand for data in this digital age.”

The fibre upgrades are available on demand when an eligible household or small business takes out an eligible higher-speed tier plan.

This article also appears on Comms Room. For more details, click here.

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