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Customer overview of Broadband Connect

Broadband Connect is an Australian Government program providing access to higher bandwidth services for people in regional, rural and remote Australia at prices comparable to those available in metropolitan Australia. The program builds on the success of the Australian Government’s Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme (HiBIS).

Internet Services Providers (ISPs) can register with Broadband Connect, and receive an incentive payment for each registered Broadband Connect Service provided to an eligible customer.

Providers are able to use these incentive payments to reduce the price of existing broadband services like satellite or to roll out new broadband infrastructure like ADSL or wireless local loops, where consumer demand might otherwise have been insufficient to justify such investments.

Incentive payments

There are two categories of incentive payments paid to ISPs registered under Broadband Connect:

• a Standard payment of $1540 for each Broadband Connect service provided to premises which had ISDN access at the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004; and
• a High Cost payment of $3300 for each Broadband Connect service provided to premises which had no ISDN access at the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for a Broadband Connect service, you must be:

• an eligible customer;
• applying for a service at eligible premises in the defined Broadband Connect area of regional Australia; and
• not have been able to receive a service that is metro- comparable in price, functionality and performance at those premises at the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004.

A metro-comparable service is defined as having a peak download data speed of at least 256kbps and a peak upload speed of at least 64 kbps with a monthly usage allowance of at least 500MB and be offered at a price for a three year package (including equipment, installation and monthly fees but not travel costs) of up to:

• where the service is an ADSL service:
  • a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $1500; or
  • subject to approval by DCITA, a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $2500 where additional features or functionality of a value equal to or exceeding the additional price allowance are provided; or
• where the service is a two-way satellite service:
  • a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $2600; or
  • subject to approval by DCITA, a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $3600 where additional features or functionality of a value equal to or exceeding the additional price allowance are provided; or
• where the service is not an ADSL service or a two-way satellite service:
  • a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $2000; or
  • subject to approval by DCITA, a package including equipment, installation (but not travel costs) and monthly usage over three years at a price of up to $3000 where additional features or functionality of a value equal to or exceeding the additional price allowance are provided.

The eligibility requirements are explained further immediately below.

Am I an eligible customer?

To be eligible for a Broadband Connect service you need to be one of the following customer types:

• a residential customer; or
• a small business with 20 or fewer full time equivalent employees; or
• a not-for-profit organisation with 20 or fewer full time equivalent employees; or
• a not-for-profit organisation that intends to provide public access Internet facilities.

One Broadband Connect service can be provided to each eligible premises for each customer type. For example, one Broadband Connect service for a resident and one for a small business customer could be provided to the same premises.

Are my premises in the Broadband Connect area?

Broadband Connect is available to customers whose premises are in the Broadband Connect area, which covers all of Australia beyond the Metropolitan Exclusion Area (MEA). The MEA is:

• the capital cities of Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Hobart and Darwin; and
• the adjacent high population centres of Wollongong (NSW), the Central Coast of NSW, Newcastle (NSW), Geelong (Vic), Palmerston (NT) and the Gold Coast (Qld), including Tweed Heads (NSW).

Could my premises get a metropolitan-comparable service at the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004?

Customers can check their eligibility under this criterion by checking the prescribed list of such services and areas elsewhere on this site or by contacting DCITA at BroadbandConnect@dcita.gov.au.

• If customers are in the general area of such a service, they must check availability of the service with the prescribed ISP.
• If such a service is available from that ISP, the customer is not eligible for a Broadband Connect service unless the service has been made available since the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004, as identified on the Broadband Connect website.
• A customer is eligible for a Broadband Connect service if they cannot access a metro-comparable service at any time.

Customers with an existing high-priced broadband service may be able to benefit under Broadband Connect by transferring their existing service to an equivalent Broadband Connect Service. Once a Premises has been provided with a HiBIS or Broadband Connect Service, the Premises is no longer eligible for further Broadband Connect Services, except as provided for in the Broadband Connect Guidelines.

Broadband Connect Services

Under the new Guidelines which take effect from 1 July 2006 and will therefore apply to all applications for registration under Broadband Connect prior to the cut-off of 30 June 2006 all Broadband Connect providers must offer a Threshold Service equivalent in functionality and price to the metro-comparable service.

Providers must also offer at least one Added Value Service. These are services that provide a peak Data Speed of at least 512 kbps to the Customer and 128 kbps from the Customer and a minimum monthly usage allowance (download and upload) of at least 1 GB and/or offer greater functionality and features. Added value services are subject to more flexible pricing arrangements.

Features of Broadband Connect services

For each Broadband Connect service a Broadband Connect provider must:

• offer each customer the service at its registered price for at least three years from connection
• comply with data speed and service availability standards
• provide full information to the customer about the features of the service
• comply with a range of other consumer safeguards

How can I find out about getting a Broadband Connect service?

Indicative maps can be checked for areas currently being serviced by Broadband Connect service providers.

You can contact ISPs offering broadband services to check whether they are registered with Broadband Connect and are offering Broadband Connect services.

You can also register your interest in being supplied with a Broadband Connect service through the Broadband Connect Customer Demand Register. Information entered in the Broadband Connect Demand Register is available to Broadband Connect service providers.

Broadband Connect Contacts and further Information

For further information visit other parts of the Broadband Connect website for:

• the Broadband Connect Guidelines;
• maps of the Metropolitan Exclusion Area;
• maps of metro-comparable coverage at the start of HiBIS on 8 April 2004;
• indicative maps of areas currently being serviced by Broadband Connect service providers;
•  ISDN coverage maps.

Disclaimer HiBIS is the Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme and is not related to, endorsed by or otherwise connected with Hibis Corporation Pty Limited or the trade mark Hibis owned by that company.

 

Document ID: 35222 | Last modified: 5 February 2008, 7:40pm