Federal NBN satellite investment improving connectivity in regional Tasmania

The federal government's investment in the NBN's Low Earth Orbit satellite service — delivered through the Starlink network under a wholesale agreement with the NBN Co — is providing reliable high-speed broadband to tens of thousands of Tasmanians in rural and remote areas for the first time, transforming the ability of regional residents to work remotely, access telemedicine, and participate in the digital economy without relocating to a capital city.

The LEO satellite service, available from the NBN at speeds of up to 100 Mbps with latency of approximately 40 milliseconds, is a fundamental improvement over the previous Sky Muster satellite service that provided slower speeds and significantly higher latency that made video calls and real-time applications impractical. The switch to LEO technology has been described by regional Tasmanian residents as having more impact on their daily lives than any federal policy change in the past decade.

Federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said Tasmania, with its combination of dramatic geography and dispersed population in rural and remote areas, was the state that benefited most from the LEO satellite investment. "For a farming family in the Western Tiers or a fishing community in the Huon Valley, fast internet from a satellite means their children can do homework, their business can operate, and they can consult a doctor without driving an hour to Hobart," she said.

Regional telecoms advocacy group Communication Alliance estimated that the LEO satellite service had enabled more than 2,400 Tasmanian small businesses in rural areas to adopt digital tools — accounting software, e-commerce platforms, video consultation — that had not been practical on the previous slow connections.

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