Anthony Albanese to give NBN $3bn to upgrade homes from ‘outdated’ copper connections

The Prime Minister has made a sizeable $3bn injection into Australia’s internet network, which he says will deliver faster and better internet.

Anthony Albanese will inject $3bn into Australia’s government-owned National Broadband Network to upgrade homes on the “outdated” copper network and ensure all Australians have access to “fast, reliable and affordable broadband”.

NBN Co will also foot an additional $800m to finish the Rudd-era project, which will upgrade the fibre-to-node network and provide an additional 622,000 fibre access connections across the country.

The Prime Minister said the NBN was “essential national infrastructure” and would allow more than 11 million homes and businesses access to speeds of 1 gigabyte-per-second, once the work was complete.

“Families and businesses deserve high-speed internet at an affordable price,” he said.

“Labor created the National Broadband Network and only Labor will finish the NBN and importantly, keep the NBN in public hands.”

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said the updates were slated to be completed by 2030 and would result in about 95 per cent of remaining premises being upgraded from “outdated copper connections”.

“Let’s be clear, the copper network is degrading. The performance is getting worse by an estimated 4 per cent each year and it needs to be dealt with,” she said.

The Australian government with give the NBN a further $3bn cash injection to upgrade the remaining 622,000 homes from the copper network. Picture: NewsWire/ Sharon Smith

Mr Albanese said the sizeable investments into the NBN would provide a return on investment.

“The investment in a public NBN creates private sector activity and private sector investment that allows the economy to grow,” he said.

NBN Co chief executive Ellie Sweeney said “Australians were consuming more data than ever before” and the $3bn upgrade would take place in about 2400 suburbs and towns.

“With something like 20 billion Australians using the NBN network every day, having a robust and reliable future ready internet connection is more important than ever,” she said.

“The nation relies on NBN and we carry more than 80 per cent of internet traffic today.”

In late 2024, Labor began steps to legislate the public ownership of the NBN, with the Bill set to go to the Senate when parliament sits in February.