nbn Sky Muster trial offers unmetered data, more speed

3 min read
March 7, 2023
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From our Connectivity Partner nbn co.

nbn is trialling a new Sky Muster^® Plus plan aimed at delivering faster speeds and even more data to satellite customers.

At nbn, we know thousands of people living in regional and remote areas of the nation rely on our Sky Muster satellite service to meet their daily broadband internet needs.

In an increasingly digital world in which data usage across our network has tripled, we also know those needs are constantly evolving.

Our satellite customers are demanding faster speeds and more data so they can fully participate in the benefits access to fast and secure broadband can deliver – from working from home and video streaming to online education and remote healthcare.

That’s why as part of our commitment to Australians who call the bush home, we are continuously improving and upgrading the nbn^® network – so more people can enjoy even better broadband.

New Sky Muster Plus trial

In line with this commitment, I am excited to announce nbn is trialling a new Sky Muster Plus plan aimed at delivering 100 per cent unmetered data usage and faster burst speeds of up to 100Mbps. The trial will include fair use restrictions and the features of any final product may change.^*

As nbn upgrades the Fixed Wireless network, it enables us to offer customers on the satellite network the ability to migrate to the Fixed Wireless network. This frees up capacity for satellite customers – allowing for the trial.

Kicking off in March, the trial is planned to include up to 10,000 Sky Muster Plus customers and is expected to run until May 2023.

No one knows the unique needs, expectations and everyday online experience of regional and remote broadband users better than those very customers themselves.

That’s why the feedback gathered from participants in this trial, which will also include internet retailers, will prove extremely valuable ahead of the anticipated launch of the new plan later this year.

Any plan launched will go through the usual product development process, including industry consultation.

Delivering more value for Sky Muster customers

The nbn Sky Muster satellite service is a vital part of the nbn network and connects some of the remote parts of our country. This is the latest step in the evolution of the nbn satellite network, as we continue to push the boundaries of the nbn Sky Muster satellite network to meet the growing needs of regional and remote users.

In July last year, we delivered more data for users of our nbn Sky Muster Plus service making Virtual Private Networks and video streaming data unmetered for 16 hours each day.*

This aligned with other increasingly common internet activities, including video calling, online shopping and banking, in not counting towards a user’s monthly data allowance for the full 24 hours.

Customers that order Sky Muster services have their equipment professionally installed, and we don’t charge internet service providers for a standard installation or the standard satellite equipment.^**

This is the latest step in the evolution of the nbn satellite network, as we continue to push the boundaries of the nbn Sky Muster satellite network to meet the growing needs of regional and remote users.

nbn also delivers customer support through on-ground Australian technical support teams.

nbn is delivering nbn network upgrades across Australia, including regional Australia. The Sky Muster Plus trial is the latest announcement.

Earlier this month, we announced an additional one million households and businesses will get the opportunity to choose faster and more reliable broadband as the rollout of full fibre to the premises continues across the country, with up to 58 per cent of these located in regional areas.

These network upgrades underline nbn’s determination to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation, new technology and product development as we continue to lift the digital capability of Australia.

IMPORTANT NOTES

^* The Fair Use Policy will continue to apply and nbn may, at its discretion, shape certain types of traffic (in particular gaming/software updates and cloud uploads in the evening) to slow speeds, if required, to protect the network. For details on fair use conditions, contact your internet service provider.

^** nbn will assess whether an installation is standard, because practical and optimal installations differ at different locations. End customers should contact their preferred internet service provider to ask about the retail prices they charge.

‘The ultimate sea-change destination’: The family living a simpler life on remote Flinders Island

3 min read
January 16, 2023
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From our Property Partner Domain

Family life on a remote island in Bass Strait looks good on Jo Youl.

Ten years ago she left inner-city Melbourne for a new beginning with her partner (now husband) Tom on Flinders Island, a relatively pristine place of natural beauty off the north-east coast of Tasmania.

The island can be reached by small plane, or by taking the weekly freight ferry from Tassie. This isolation, its quiet roads, crystal clear beaches and small community (the island’s population is about 1000) has never stopped charming the couple, who are now parents to three young children, Alice, 8, Billy, 6, and Georgina, 3.

“The kids have such an amazing upbringing,” Jo says. “It’s really free, and they run wild. They’re muddy all the time and don’t have to wear shoes and it’s a really safe community.”

Their home is Quoin Farm, a 1200 hectare property outside the small settlement of Killiecrankie. The farm and family home have been in Jo’s family since the 1930s, used for years as a holiday house for family catch ups. She remembers spending school holidays there with her grandmother, catching fresh fish and wild prawns with her cousins, and generally running amok.

Idyllic memories aside, the reality that faced Jo and Tom when they moved permanently into the old house in 2012 gave them “a bit of a shock”, Jo recalls.

“The whole farm was really rundown and needed a lot of work. I was definitely quite anxious, moving from a nice townhouse in Richmond to a possum-infested house on Flinders Island.”

She remembers telling herself she’d give it a crack for six months then reassess, but she was soon won over by the slower pace and the surrounding natural environment. She and Tom embarked on a “really rewarding” renovation of the farm house, updating it room by room, doing the work themselves.

Now, a decade on and bursting with family life, Jo says the house is due for another facelift. “We sort of let the kids really trash it,” she says. “Which has been good … but it’s definitely due for another reno next year.”

The family spend much of their time out of the house anyway. Tom runs the farm, including about 2500 cattle, while Jo works to bring people together to experience the island’s beauty and fresh produce.

In 2019, she and Tom opened a waterfront hub called The Flinders Wharf in Whitemark, the island’s main town, which houses, among other things, a restaurant and provedore that champion the renowned locally-grown produce, such as Angus beef (from the Youls’ own stock), crayfish, abalone and wallaby.

Back at Quoin Farm, Jo also runs two stylish and secluded farm stays called Dwarf Cottage and Wombat Lodge, which were once rundown farm buildings before being renovated. She says her family loves hosting visitors who are new to Flinders Island, watching them gradually adapt to the island’s slower rhythm.

That means getting used to businesses that operate on non-city hours and having just one main supermarket and a handful of pubs and eateries in town. Jo insists that once you get used to planning for groceries and other essentials (she has a huge pantry for this purpose), the lack of shopping opportunities is a gift; it’s just more time to get outdoors for fishing, diving, and picnicking.

Summers spent swimming at the nearby unspoiled beaches are particularly beautiful, she says, and that’s also the time when many absentee property owners return to Flinders Island for their holidays.

Jo reckons it could be the ultimate sea-change destination for many city-weary families if they get off the beaten track for a visit.

“This is definitely somewhere to come and explore. For people with young kids, it’s potentially a really great option,” she says. “If they’re willing to make the change to a really remote place, it’s an amazing upbringing for their kids. It’s a really simple life, but it’s really fun.”

nbn Sky Muster trial offers unmetered data, more speed

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