NBN Co extends offer of extra internet capacity

NBN Co has extended its offer to provide up to 40 per cent extra capacity to internet providers at no extra cost for another two months to help internet users stay connected during the coronavirus pandemic.
The doubling of download data limits for the NBN’s standard Sky Muster service from 45 GB to 90 GB of data (on average) has also been extended for another two months.
“We are extending these offers by another two billing periods because we know how crucial it is for the nation to have access to reliable and fast broadband services as Australians continue to work, study and be entertained at home,” NBN Co chief customer officer (residential) Brad Whitcomb said.
“Whether it’s through this additional up to 40 per cent capacity available to internet retailers at no extra cost, our support for Sky Muster customers, or the $150 million of financial relief and assistance we recently announced to help keep low-income households and small and medium businesses facing hardship stay connected, NBN Co is here to support internet providers and Australians through this pandemic.”
NBN Co initially offered the extra Connected Virtual Circuit (CVC) capacity for the three months through to May, but it will now continue through July.
CVC is the capacity that internet providers buy from NBN Co as the wholesaler and then sell as broadband services to residential and business customers.
When internet providers do not purchase or provision sufficient CVC, it can lead to traffic congestion and slower speeds for customers.
Australians are using more internet data than ever, with NBN Co recording its highest throughput peaks for both uploads and downloads late last month.
On the evening of April 29, data usage peaked at 13.9 terabits per second (Tbps) for downloads and 1.05 Tbps for uploads. This coincided with the release of updates to several popular video games.