New nbn Sky Muster plans offer up to 300GB monthly data

NBN Co has advised that "Phone and Internet providers have started offering a range of increased peak and off-peak satellite broadband packages on the nbn access network."

The news follows nbn’s announcement in June (as covered in iTWire) to "increase the maximum monthly wholesale data limits and increase average wholesale peak downloads plans by up to 50 per cent on the Sky Muster satellite service."

We're told that "some 240,000 homes and businesses in regional and remote Australia can now access new peak and off peak packages of up to 300GB of maximum data per month through phone and internet providers, which will allow local residents and businesses the ability to use more capacity on the satellite service."

{loadposition alex08}NBN Co points to "UK research firm Ovum having named the nbn Sky Muster satellite service as “world-leading” because of its data allowance and wholesale download speed and upload speed. It provides access to fast broadband by delivering beams from nbn’s Sky Muster satellites to a dish on the roof of your home or business."

nbn’s Chief Customer Officer, Brad Whitcomb said: “We are committed to helping bridge the digital divide by providing access to fast broadband for Australians.

nbn Sky Muster satellite dish“Following the announcement of our new wholesale Sky Muster satellite service plans earlier in the year, we received overwhelmingly positive feedback from our retail customers, regional Australians and industry stakeholders and are excited to share the news that retailers have started offering the new plans.

"The offerings will see users be able to upload and download larger files, spend more time on video conferences and stream their favourite movies.

"We encourage eligible households and businesses to shop around to find a package which suits their needs as they should now be able to benefit from larger and more flexible offerings.”

NBN Co proudly boasts of having "one of the world’s leading satellite services" and says it will "continually look at ways" it can optimise its wholesale pricing model and data plans.

The company says its team "is already beginning to investigate new enhancements on the service such as an education multicast product to help to deliver long-distance education and an enterprise grade wholesale product to provide additional capacity and customer service support for regional businesses.”

To learn more about the nbn Sky Muster satellite service, you can visit NBN Co's blog series. 

If you're ready to say hello to the great NBN Sky Muster Man in the Sky (see image below), you can "order a plan over the Sky Muster satellite service" by visiting the nbn Sky Muster retail providers page and contacting a retail service provider.

Note: A retail service provider is New Speak for "Internet service provider". A retail service provider provides no access to physical retail stores like those at your local retail shopping centre. A retail service provider can, however, provide access via the Internet to online retailers, but that's only because you are choosing to visit an online retailer of your own accord.

The standard set of facts, figures, disclaimers and YMMVs that NBN Co applies to the end of its media releases is as follows, and probably serves as a catch-all for "why we're spending as much money (or maybe even more) as building an FTTP network but not delivering one:"

• nbn is building a new and upgraded, fast wholesale broadband network to enable communities across Australia to access fast broadband from their retail service provider. Our goal is to connect eight million homes and businesses by 2020.
• The rollout of the nbn access network sets the scene for one of the biggest transformations to Australia’s telecommunications industry involving retail service provider network upgrades and the establishment of a network to provide fast broadband to Australians.
• Connecting to the nbn network is not automatic and is a process which may take some time and preparation. nbn is working with the service providers and industry to help them better understand who is responsible for which portions of their internet experience and what steps they can take in order to receive the best possible service.
• The speeds experienced on services over the nbn access network are determined by a range of factors such as the technology used to deliver the network as well as some factors outside our control like equipment quality, software, broadband plans, signal reception and how your service provider designs their network.
• Fast broadband like that delivered via the nbn access network can provide a range of benefits for Australians such as opportunities to work from home, access to online education tools and options for on-demand entertainment.
• Your experience including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn broadband access network depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like your equipment quality, software, broadband plans, signal reception and how your service provider designs its network. Satellite customers may experience latency.

Here's NBN Co's 'video news release' with some happy Sky Muster users from earlier this year: