School Student Broadband Initiative

National Referral Centre

We can support your child’s education with free home internet.

This is an Australian Government program for families and carers with school age children who are struggling with bills. Contact our team to see if you qualify and for help getting your house connected.

Call 1800 954 610 (10am – 6pm AEDT Monday to Friday, excluding Victorian Public Holidays) or fill out the form below.

Call 1800 954 610
Enquiry Form

Free home internet until December 2025

Families and carers can apply until 31 December 2024, and eligible households will receive free home internet until 31 December 2025.

If you qualify, your free home internet service will begin as soon as you are connected by your chosen participating internet provider.

How do I qualify for the School Student Broadband Initiative?

Access to online learning at home is important for your children’s education.

To qualify you must:

  • Have a school age student at home (full or part time) enrolled in an Australian school (up to year 12 including Prep in Qld/Vic/Tas, Kindergarten in NSW, Reception in SA, Transition in NT/ACT and Pre-Primary in WA).
  • Not have an active nbn® network internet service at your current residential address now or in the past 14 days. (Having a mobile internet service does not affect eligibility).
  • Live in a premise that can access the nbn network through a standard connection

How does the School Student Broadband Initiative work?

Our team can check if you qualify and help you get connected.

If you qualify, you will get free nbn home internet through a participating internet provider. The internet provider will have their own process to get you connected.

Once you sign up, the internet provider will help you set up your connection. Your connection equipment (Wi-Fi router) is provided for free and does not need to be returned. This program does not include devices such as a computer or tablet. Other household members can use the internet service.

Your free home internet will start from the day your service is activated with your chosen internet provider. When the free internet period ends, you should not be moved onto a paid service by your internet provider without your consent. The Australian Government is considering options to help families access the internet after 31 December 2025.

Qualifying families and carers have until 31 December 2024 to use their voucher.

Call 1800 954 610 (10am – 6pm AEDT Monday to Friday, excluding Victorian Public Holidays) to check if you qualify and apply.

What to expect when you call our team

The call will take about 20 minutes – around 10 minutes with a member of our team to get your free internet voucher, and another 10 minutes with your chosen participating internet provider who will help get your internet connected.

To help get you online as quickly as possible, please have your contact details ready, both your mobile number and email address. If you are moving into a new home we will need to know what date you are moving in.

Where can I find additional information?

Please click the link below to see the answers to some frequently asked questions.

SSBI FAQ's

How do I get connected?

Step 1

Check if you qualify

Step 2

Call our team on 1800 954 610 or fill in the Enquiry Form on this page for a call back. Webchat and interpreting services are also available. Our team will ask you basic questions and check that your house doesn’t have an active nbn internet connection. If you qualify, you will be issued a voucher.

Step 3

Choose your preferred participating internet provider and contact them directly to use your voucher. If you need help with this, we can assist while you’re on the call in Step 2.

Step 4

Your chosen internet provider will arrange your connection and send you a Wi-Fi router if required at no cost.

Step 5

Plug in your Wi-Fi router and your home will be connected to free internet.

Step 6

Our National Referral Centre team are available at any point to answer questions you may have.

Enquiry Form

Call us on 1800 954 610 (10am – 6pm AEDT Monday to Friday, excluding Victorian Public Holidays) or complete the enquiry form below and a member of the team will get back to you.

If you need this form translated into another language, click here.

For further information about AV’s privacy policy, or to contact our Privacy Officer, visit our privacy policy.

Sharing resources

Below are some useful resources you can share, to help more families in need hear about the program.

Posters

School Student Broadband Initiative Promotional Posters

Social Tiles

School Student Broadband Initiative Social Tiles

Translated Resources