“It’s a government scheme I had no idea about,” the chuffed Adelaide mum reveals. “I just got an email and made one phone call, and was connected in five minutes. I couldn’t believe how easy it was. Everyone should know about this.”
Labor MP Josh Burns says his party is going to ensure Australians across the country will have access to “high-quality, high-speed internet”.
Labor plans to expand fibre to 1.5 million premises but Communications Minister Paul Fletcher said they cannot be trusted because in six years of a Labor government, only 51,000 premises were connected at a cost of $6 billion.
“This government has bungled the NBN from day one, it’s been embarrassing, and it’s been very, very costly to Australians and to Australian consumers,” Mr Burns told Sky News Australia.
“We’re going to ensure that people across the country, especially in the outer suburbs, in the regions, are going to have access to high-quality, high-speed internet; it’s an important change for a crucial piece of infrastructure.
“Paul Fletcher is now doing handstands, instead he needs to move out the way and let a Labor government finish this important infrastructure.”
“I’d never heard of this type of thing before,” Skye tells Kidspot.
Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this.
Luckily, the 38-year-old didn’t delete it, but instead followed the instructions and sure enough, recently connected to a new internet plan that is costing her absolutely nothing.
RELATED: ‘God-tier’ Aussie dessert divides internet: What’s the best way to serve it?
Skye with her son. Picture: Supplied
Loading embed…
How to know if you’re eligible
So, how did she do it?
The email Skye received was from the Department of Education and was an official referral for the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI), which provides free home internet via the NBN for one year for up to 30,000 unconnected families with school aged students. In order to be eligible for the SSBI, households must meet certain criteria, which includes:
- Have a child living at home that is enrolled in an Australian school in 2023.
- Not have an active nbn network internet service at home.
- Be referred by a nominating organisation, which can be a school, education authority, charity or community organisation which has been selected by the Australian Government to be involved in the initiative.
- Live in a premises that can access the nbn network via a standard connection.
Spaces on the SSBI are limited, and those who are referred are not guaranteed a spot, so it’s a case of first come first serve. Vouchers are valid until 30 April, 2024, unless the initiative reaches the limit of 30,000 activations ahead of this date.
Vouchers can only be used once and for the address listed on the voucher email, and they cannot be transferred to another family.
RELATED: ‘I’m sick of being trolled about this, four years after my marriage ended’
Skye is now reaping the benefits of free internet. Picture: Supplied
“I was on the phone for less than five minutes and I was signed up”
At the time of receiving the email, Skye ticked all the boxes, with her six-year-old son, Harvey, being in reception (prep/kindergarten) this year, and not being connected to the nbn at the time with her internet provider.
“I was paying $59 on a month-to-month for a 4G wireless plan after disconnecting from an nbn one,” the mum-of-two explains.
“It’s lucky that I was on wireless because I wouldn’t have been eligible otherwise.”
In order to redeem the SSBI, all Skye needed to do was phone one of the internet providers listed on the website and provide the code she received on the email.
“I was on the phone for less than five minutes and I was signed up,” she says happily.
“Because I was already referred by the Department of Education, I didn’t have to do anything else.”
RELATED: Mum’s baby bump that goes ‘straight out’ leaves the internet speechless
The email Skye received telling her she was eligible for the scheme. Picture: Supplied
Skye believes everybody should know about the scheme. Picture: Supplied
“It’s better than the plan I was on before”
Now Skye is reaping the benefits of a 12-month $79 unlimited plan with Aussie Broadband and a new modem – both of which are completely free.
“It’s actually better than the plan I was on before, with a faster speed,” the sole parent says. “It’s worked perfectly.”
And incredibly, there will be nothing for her to pay for the next 12 months.
For Skye, who is counting every dollar with the income she receives from her four-day-a-week government role, the family tax benefit and single parent pension, the SSBI couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It’s really helped me financially,” she says.
“I can’t remember the last time I’ve had my hair done and I’ve had to shop at charity food banks as the cost of living is just so high.”
