September 22, 2016
• Remote towns in Gippsland to be switched over to NBN satellite technology
• The first satellite, Sky Muster, is now operational
• A second satellite is expected to be launched in late 2016
People living in remote parts of Gippsland will be connected to faster internet via the National Broadband Network (NBN)’s new satellite technology.
Mr Chester said the NBN satellite would give people, who only a few years ago had limited or no internet coverage, access to a world-class technology once fully implemented.
The benefits will flow to Gippsland residents currently using the Interim Satellite Service (ISS), which has slower upload and download speeds.
Households outside of the NBN fixed line and fixed wireless service areas are being switched over to the satellite technology. Mr Chester said some households in Gippsland had experienced technical problems during the switchover phase and he was working with the Minister for Communications to ensure NBN Co was helping to make the transition as smooth as possible.
“There have been some teething problems for local residents switching over to the NBN satellite from older technology and these issues are being worked through by NBN Co,” Mr Chester said.
“I have been in regular contact with the Minister for Communications to provide him with feedback from local residents on the rollout process.
“Many people in Gippsland connected to the ISS have been patient as they wait to transition across to the new NBN technology.”
Mr Chester said the NBN rollout was continuing across Gippsland ahead of previous schedules.
“The mixed-technology approach to the NBN means people in Gippsland will be getting connected to faster internet sooner, compared to what they would have under the previous Labor Government’s timelines,” he said.
“The NBN will open new opportunities including in tele-medicine, better access to online learning, easier communication with loved ones, and faster speeds for small businesses that rely on the internet for marketing, transactions and banking.”
For more information about the new Sky Muster service, visit nbn.com.au or call 1800 687 626.
CAPTION: Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester recently road-tested the NBN Co’s custom-made ‘Road Muster’ truck, a mobile version of the same ‘Sky Muster’ service that will deliver the faster broadband to households across rural and remote Australia.
NBN Co representative Sophie Holman shows Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester the areas in Gippsland currently eligible for the satellite service.
