State school internet to be 200 times faster under $190m plan

School internet speeds are set to skyrocket, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promising significant upgrades at every Queensland state school. This is what’s being promised.

School internet speeds are set to skyrocket, with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk promising significant upgrades at every Queensland state school.

Ms Palaszczuk will on Thursday announce $190m ­towards a partnership with Telstra that will eventually see internet speeds 200 times faster as exchanges are upgraded and 40 regional schools are connected to a fibre optic connection for the first time.

Ms Palaszczuk said Queensland’s state schools and their communities would benefit.

“We know how important the internet has become in our modern society, from our workplaces to our homes and in our schools for our children’s education and futures,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“This investment will mean internet speeds across every single one of our 1258 state schools will be 200 times faster as well as faster speeds for their communities,” she said.

Education Minister Grace Grace said speeds would improve 40-fold by the end of next year, and would be 200 times faster by 2026.

“Around 40 schools will be connected to fibre optic for the first time, and our more isolated communities will not be left behind,” Ms Grace said.

“Newer technologies like Next Generation Satellites will be used to deliver faster internet where terrestrial options are less practical. Telstra’s upgrades to hundreds of exchanges also mean the flow-on benefits for businesses and families will be huge.”

Ms Grace said about 350 ­exchanges had already been identified for upgrade and that would mean faster internet for entire communities, not just schools. She said it would mean new capabilities for regional and remote healthcare previously out of reach due to bandwidth limitations, more technological services available to agricultural producers, and would allow for the future introduction of technologies that do not yet exist.

“It will also mean families can enjoy multiple streaming services in their homes without the dreaded buffer,” she said.

Telstra chief customer officer John Ieraci said students from even the most remote parts of Queensland would have access to quality, high-speed connectivity and the ­opportunities that presented.