To boost education opportunities and narrow the digital divide, the Australian Government is providing up to 30,000 eligible families with no internet at home a free National Broadband Network (NBN) service. Originally a 12 month commitment, the initiative has been extended meaning:
- The period in which a family can nominate to receive a free service is until the program reaches the SSBI cap of 30,000 SSBI services connected no further nominations will be accepted.
- There remains a back stop date of the end of 2025 for qualifying families and carers to redeem their vouchers but nbn anticipates the SSBI cap of 30,000 SSBI services connected will be met well before the end of 2025.
- The duration of free services will continue until 30th June 2028 for all existing and new families.
What is the eligibility criteria for the initiative?
To be eligible, a family must:
- Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school.
- Have no active broadband service over the NBN network.
- Live in a premise where they can access a standard NBN service.
- Not have had an active NBN service during the previous 14 days.
Families can directly contact the National Referral Centre to have their eligibility assessed or be referred by a participating nominating organisation.
How can I check my eligibility?
To check your eligibility, follow these simple steps.
Please follow this link for further information:
https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/internet/national-broadband-network/school-student-broadband-initiative-ssbi
ssbi-2028-extension-faqs (PDF, 118KB)
ssbi-a5-poster-v01 (PDF, 438KB)
ssbi-a5-poster-v02 (PDF, 365KB)
