SA Election 2018: Labor unveils multimillion-dollar plan to increase school internet speeds 10 times

SCHOOL internet speeds would be increased by 10 times on average, under a multi-million education pledge unveiled on Sunday by Premier Jay Weatherill.

• Super-speed fibre internet approved for Adelaide CBD

PREMIER Jay Weatherill has promised to increase average school internet speeds by 10 times, at an unknown cost that he expects will run into tens of millions of dollars.

Mr Weatherill made the pledge on Sunday, saying fast internet was critical to better learning, as he kicks off a week of school visits to attack the Liberals and SA Best for supporting a revised Federal Government funding scheme.

Mr Weatherill said the fast internet program would cost “tens of millions of dollars”, delivering improved speeds to all schools and preschools

He said it would lift available speeds from an average 10.95Mbs before the upgrades to 97.1Mbs after completion.

Some would get increases of 100 times on existing speeds, but the exact detail of costs, technology and timelines would not be known until the conclusion of a tender process.

“Hundreds of schools are already getting access to this and, over the next few years, we’ll go as fast as we can,” he said. “We’re talking about getting hundreds and hundreds of schools at the one time.

“The capacity for industry to respond to our tender will be one limiting factor. “It won’t be limited by money.”

Premier Jay Weatherill at the Adelaide Botanic High construction site on Sunday. Picture: AAP / Matt Loxton

The National Broadband Network is intended to deliver maximum speeds of 100Mbs, but may not be available to all users depending on the type of connection provided.

Mr Weatherill said the State Government plan would “work around” the NBN, using the network in some areas but not others. Satellite technology could be used in the country.

Opposition education spokesman John Gardner said the project was “a worthy thought bubble” but lacked the essential details needed before it could be considered a genuine commitment.

“When Labor doesn’t tell you how much something is going to cost, it has no intention of delivering its promise,” Mr Gardner said.

“A Marshall Liberal Government will have the drive and energy necessary to make Labor’s vague promise of faster internet speeds a reality.”

Mr Weatherill made the announcement at the site of the new Botanic High in Adelaide’s CBD, set to open early next year with a “super high speed” gigabit connection.

Mr Weatherill said only Labor would stand up for SA schools and the State Government was already building four new schools and delivering upgrades to 165 more.

He said the Liberals and former senator Nick Xenophon had “short-changed” SA by supporting a new scheme that includes less money than proposed by federal Labor.

Schools and preschools have been promised extra support to stop data breaches, as well as to block users from accessing unsanctioned sites.

The Liberals plan to bring SA schools into line with others in the nation by putting Year 7 in high school, a move they say will provide more advanced teaching to younger students and lift results.

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