Following the completion of the initial build phase of the NBN on 30 June 2020, the Australian Government declared the NBN should be treated as being built and fully operational in December 2020. Its progress was evaluated against many predefined criteria, with 99% (11.9 million) of Australian premises ready to connect.
The NBN has progressed significantly in recent years, with coverage, speed and reliability all improving:
• In 2016, Just 16% of users had a download speed of over 50 Mbps. This had increased to over 90% by early 2021.
• Bandwidth congestion during busy hours has come down. Most retailers now report average speeds exceeding 80% of the plan maximum.
• While affordability remains an issue for many low-income Australians, NBN wholesale costs have reduced,64 with the effective price per gigabit falling from 33 cents in 2016 to 15 cents in early 2021. This is creating value and competition in the market at a time when costs for other utilities continue to increase.
Today, 3.9 million premises that are ready to connect have yet to do so, and a further 17,000 premises are flagged as not yet ready to connect as they are properties with complex installation needs.65
" The increased importance of being able to get online means digital inclusion now requires a national strategic approach that is owned at a high level within the Australian Government. "
The NBN has become the bedrock of Australia's ability to create a fixed telecommunications market that offers everyone access, value, choice and quality. Now it is operational, it is important to focus on delivering consistent speed and reliability for those Australians who still have connection issues, so it truly is a network for everyone.
There are a growing number of options to help improve and address gaps in regional coverage. The NBN Co should plan strategically and build partnerships with third parties to maximise coverage, reliability and speed in remote areas.