Broadband Subsidy Rules For Rural Users Get Tougher

The government-backed Australian Broadband Guarantee scheme is designed to ensure rural customers don’t get rorted when it comes to broadband. However, changes to the rules around the scheme might see some customers turned away.

Picture by rubenerd

As Mitchell Bingemann at AustralianIT reports, the rapid expansion of Telstra’s Next G service means that it now represents a viable option for rural customers who might previously have lacked any realistic broadband alternatives other than satellite. While the overall requirements for the Broadband Guarantee have been strengthened — the minimum speed is now 1Mbps — Next G options might be a viable alternative in some instances, and one which the government does not have to subsidise. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, of course — having an equitable service that isn’t subsidised is an improvement over the alternative.

Have you benefitted from the broadband guarantee scheme? Share your experience in the comments,

Broadband subsidy gets new rules [Australian IT]


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