Canberrans to benefit from Labor's promise to upgrade NBN

Almost 100,000 homes and businesses across the ACT are set to get faster and more reliable internet connections, as part of Labor’s $3 billion promise to upgrade the National Broadband Network (NBN) around the country.

Nationwide, the Federal Government will fund the equity injection to upgrade Australia’s remaining national fibre-to-the node (FTTN) network, with NBN Co contributing more than $800 million to the project.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move would not only deliver better internet to more Australians, but would also guarantee NBN Co would remain in public ownership.

The Prime Minister said Australians owning NBN Co was the best means of ensuring prices for high speed internet remained affordable for all Australians.

“Keeping Australians connected at an affordable price is a vital national project. Rolling out high speed internet builds Australia’s future,” the PM said.

“Labor built the NBN, just like we built Medicare and superannuation.”

For Canberra, Labor’s pre-campaign election commitment means more ACT homes and businesses will have access to full-fibre connections, upgrading from the current copper-based FTTN networks.

This will deliver improved speeds and less interruptions to an additional 97,000 homes and businesses and by December 2030, 94 per cent of premises in the ACT will reach gigabit capability, doubling the number of premises that are currently gigabit capable.

The breakdown for the ACT of the number of premises where upgrades are planned to take place is: Belconnen, 28,477; Tuggeranong, 21,744; North Canberra, 14,810; Woden Valley, 12,657; Weston Creek, 9802; South Canberra, 8109; Canberra east, 763; and Gungahlin, 160.

NBN has been working closely with Evoenergy to overcome some of the hurdles the rollout has faced by using backyard power poles.

After extensive investigations and trials, they have concluded that building underground will be the most efficient and cost-effective delivery option for the majority of the fibre rollout.

Finance Minister and ACT Senator Katy Gallagher said Canberrans deserved access to faster and more reliable internet connections, especially as more and more conducted their work and leisure online.

“Canberrans have raised connection speeds and reliability with me for many years saying they struggled to work from home, couldn’t properly stream their favourite shows or game with a stable and fast connection,” Senator Gallagher said.

“It’s not good enough that in 2025 ACT residents have inferior NBN connections. That’s why the Albanese Government is delivering faster and more reliable internet and is committed to completing the job of upgrading the NBN in the ACT.

“Labor introduced the NBN when previously in government and the Coalition made a mess of it, rolling out substandard copper connections during their decade in government. We’re getting on with the job of fixing it.

“Canberrans deserve fast, reliable and affordable internet, and they’ll only get that under an Albanese Labor Government.”

Demands for data and speeds are increasing all the time with the average Australian household consuming 443 GB of data per month, across more than 20 connected devices.

With gigabit capable broadband under the Albanese Labor Government’s investment, the NBN will deliver the speed Australians deserve – up to 18x faster than the average copper broadband connection – with the upgraded network less likely to drop out or degrade.

Upgrades are expected to be completed in the ACT by 2030.

But the government says that given the opportunity, the Coalition will privatise NBN Co.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton instructed his party to vote against government legislation to keep the NBN Co in public hands in late 2024.

Addressing Labor’s spending commitments in general on Monday (13 January), Mr Dutton suggested Australians should treat them with scepticism and that the Coalition would not be matching the government promise for promise.

“We’ll do what we can afford,” Mr Dutton said during a media interview.

“I think one of the things that we know about a Labor Government is that they live beyond their means, which is why they need to tax so much.

“They spend a lot, and they tax a lot.”

Modelling by Accenture suggests the FTTN upgrade program nationwide will provide a $10.4 billion cumulative uplift in GDP over the next decade.

The modelling suggests individual households could save more than 100 hours and $2580 per year in avoided travel time and costs from accessing faster broadband.