Reliance on the nbn™ network, the nation’s digital backbone has never been greater, as millions of Australians continue to cope with ongoing restrictions to help curb the spread of COVID-19.

With more Australians relying on their broadband connection as a digital lifeline to access education, work, and to socialise with friends and family, NBN Co has launched a top tips campaign to help Australians stay safe and productive online throughout these challenging times. 

NBN Co Spokesperson, Jane McNamara, said:

“We know it’s really difficult for many people across Australia right now and we want to continue to do what we can to provide support. We got a great response when we put out our COVID education campaign back in 2020 when we were all getting used to working and living remotely.

“Between March 2020 and the end of June this year, more than 1.5 million Australians connected to services over the nbn™ network and 2.5 million customers upgraded their plan with their retail provider to take even better advantage of the benefits of broadband connectivity. We hope these latest tips will provide useful advice for the community to help them continue to get the most of the nbn™ network.”

Following the introduction of lockdowns in New South Wales and Victoria, national data demand across the nbn™ network peaked on the evening of Saturday 17 July at 20.39 terabits per second or the equivalent of downloading more than 500 high-definition movies in a single second.

NBN Co’s top five tips to stay productive and safe online this winter:

1. Check your speed suits your needs. You have a choice of plans and it is important you choose the right plan for your needs. During lockdown demand in your household has likely increased. Call your internet retailer and talk to them about your family needs, the number of devices you have connected and how you are using the internet to find out if you have the right retail plan to support your needs. More tips are available here
   
2. Working from home? Get the right plan. Most home internet plans are used primarily to download (web browsing, movies, music) and, as such, have good download speeds but are not as strong when it comes to uploading. When you’re working from home you may have a greater need for uploading files and joining video calls, so speak with your internet retailer to make sure your plan has the upload speeds you need to work from home. Find out more about upload and download speeds and make sure you’re on the right plan here
3. Check your in-home set-up. Check your Wi-Fi router is in a central location in the home, ideally close to the devices you need to connect. Some routers may not deliver high performance and speeds. If you are concerned about the age or quality of your router or modem, seek advice from your internet retailer on possible upgrade options. Find out more about optimising your home set-up here
4. Work securely from home. Working away from the office doesn't have to mean your data is less secure. Remember to use your company VPN where possible, lock your device and store safely, update software, create strong passphrases, and enable multifactor authentication where possible.
5. Protect yourself from scams. It is most important to know that NBN Co doesn’t make robo calls and will never call to access your computer or advise that you’re going to be disconnected. It’s also important not to share financial or personal information with unsolicited callers. If in doubt about a caller or request, hang up and call your retail service provider on their official listed customer service centre number to check if the call is legitimate. You can find out other tips on protecting against scams here

This week, NBN Co also announced it would be providing COVID-19 credit relief, totaling $5.2 million, to eligible internet retailers to support the provision of additional data to meet increased customer demand for broadband services during the ongoing restrictions in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in July 2021.

The company’s support for customers and retailers is part of its ongoing commitment to lift the digital capability of Australia by enabling the provision of reliable, fast, resilient and secure broadband to residential and business customers across the country.

NBN Co Spokesperson Jane McNamara said:

“To ensure Australians continue to enjoy a good customer experience, we’ve redoubled our efforts to support customers and the industry.

“This relief payment for internet retailers helps cover the cost of additional data brought on by the incremental increase in usage during the peak evening entertainment hours and to help to ensure they do not fall short of their customers’ data demands during these state-specific lockdowns.” 

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Notes to the Editor