Sky Muster® satellite service
The Sky Muster satellite service delivers the nbn network to homes and businesses in regional and remote Australia, via two state-of-the-art satellites. So, people across mainland Australia and Tasmania, and remote islands such as Norfolk Island, Christmas Island, Lord Howe Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands can now enjoy nbn powered plans through Sky Muster satellite providers.
As well as the roof satellite dish installed on the home or business, Sky Muster satellite connections also require an nbn supplied modem to be installed at the point where the cable from the satellite dish enters the premises. This device requires power to operate and can only be installed by an nbn approved installer.
When you contact your phone and internet provider to connect to the nbn network, they should arrange for an nbn approved installer to call you and organise a visit to your premises to connect you.
What to expect on the day of your nbn Satellite installation
nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium
nbn Sky Muster Plus Premium is our premier satellite service for home and small businesses wanting to connect to the nbn network.
Downloads
nbn Sky Muster Troubleshooting Guide
Learn how to optimise your satellite service’s performance.
nbn Sky Muster User Guide
How to keep your nbn supplied satellite equipment in good working order.
nbn Sky Muster Preparation Guide
Useful information for your upcoming stallite installation.
Fair Use Policies and how they affect your peak usage
The nbn Sky Muster satellite service Fair Use Policy is in place to help ensure fair access to the service – especially during peak usage times. This Fair Use Policy applies between nbn and the provider.
Your provider will likely have a separate Fair Use Policy which applies to your premises – as satellite capacity is a limited resource. Some providers may have less capacity, which may not be noticed during off-peak times. But during peak hours, when there is more traffic, congestion may occur if your provider does not have enough network capacity- this can lead to slower speeds and the occasional 'buffering'.
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Other nbn Sky Muster Plus wholesale Consumer Plans
Note: The below content is accurate as at 1 June 2023, but the types of traffic that count towards your monthly data allowance on the nbn Sky Muster Plus product are subject to change. We recommend you check this page (or nbnco.com.au/skymuster-plus) regularly to ensure that you keep up to date with the latest changes. The examples of video streaming1 and VPN usage that count towards your monthly data allowance, between 4pm and 12am midnight, in the table below are examples only and do not comprehensively describe all types of video streaming1and VPN usage that count towards your monthly data allowance on nbn Sky Muster Plus Plans. For further details on which type of activity counts toward your monthly data allowance between 4pm and 12am midnight, please contact your preferred internet service provider.
For Sky Muster Plus plans that have a data usage allowance, only video streaming and VPN use between 4pm and 12 am midnight counts towards the monthly data quota, all other internet activity does not count. Any traffic may be shaped from time to time at nbn’s discretion if nbn considers it necessary to proactively or otherwise protect the network. Other exclusions and fair use conditions may apply.2
With these plans, simply select the monthly data allowance you require for video streaming1 and VPN traffic between 4pm and 12am midnight, with the help of your preferred internet service provider.
Monthly data allowance is only required for video streaming1 and VPN traffic between 4pm and 12am midnight
From 25GB – 150GB
Check with your preferred internet service provider for the plans they offer
Data top-ups
If you exhaust your monthly data allowance during the month and want to purchase more, data top-ups may be available as an option.
Speak to your preferred internet service provider about data top-up options they may offer
Wholesale speed
Plans are based on a wholesale 25/5 Mbps Access Rate (nbn commits to achieve a peak wholesale speed of 25/5 Mbps at least once per day and will investigate otherwise). This plan may be able to burst& up to a wholesale download speed of 50Mbps2 from time to time where network conditions allow 2&3
Examples of applications and how they relate to your monthly data allowance
Examples of video streaming that count towards your monthly data allowance between 4pm and 12am midnight, include: Netflix, ABC iView, Stan, FOXTEL, You Tube, Tik Tok, Play On and embedded video on newspaper and magazine websites.
Examples of Virtual Private Network traffic that count towards your monthly data allowance between 4pm and 12am midnight include: accessing the internet through products like Nord VPN, Norton Secure VPN, Pure VPN and/ or VPNs proprietary to workplaces and companies.
Examples of embedded streaming video content on select social media platforms, and video calling via communication and social media applications, that do not count toward the monthly data allowance include:
- Streaming embedded video content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Tumblr and LinkedIn.
- Video calling via Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, FaceTime, Google Duo, Snapchat, Instagram Live, Viber, Zoom, Google Hangouts, Line, Tango, MyVMR and GoToMeeting
Wholesale shaping rate
(applies to video streaming1 and VPN between 4pm and 12am midnight once monthly data allowance is exhausted)
Download 512 kbps
Upload 256 kbps
Other usage that may be shaped from time to time
To proactively protect and ensure the fair access to the nbn broadband access network for all users, nbn may from time to time, at its discretion, shape the following activities to maximum wholesale upload and download speeds of 256kbps :
- streaming video between midnight and 4pm;
- VPN between midnight and 4pm;
- uploads and downloads via peer to peer;
- uploads and downloads to cloud storage platforms;
- PC and smartphone operating system updates;
- software/application updates;
- gaming software updates; any other uncapped data traffic related to applications which nbn cannot identify;
- Other activities that nbn considers may cause adverse network impacts may also be added to the above list to be shaped.
Standard Installation
Installations are professionally carried out and not charged by nbn to internet service providers as long as they meet nbn’s criteria.4 Check with your preferred internet service provider whether they have any other fees.
Standard nbn Sky Muster Plus satellite equipment
Not charged by nbn to internet service providers. Standard satellite equipment is owned and maintained by nbn. Check with your preferred internet service provider whether they have any other required equipment or fees.
The satellite dish may alternatively be mounted on your roof or gutter.
nbn™ Sky Muster™ plans have two wholesale speeds tiers available. Speeds that you actually experience will fluctuate but wholesale speeds will peak at 12/1Mbps or 25/5 Mbps depending on the tier chosen.
nbn provides wholesale services to phone and internet providers. Note that your experience, including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ broadband access network, depends on the nbn™ access network technology and configuration over which services are delivered to your premises, whether you are using the internet during the busy period, and some factors outside of nbn’s control (like your equipment quality, software, chosen broadband plan, signal reception or how your provider designs its network). Wholesale speeds for an nbn™ Sky Muster™ plan may be reduced if the metered data allowance is exceeded. Satellite end users may also experience latency.
These considerations may help if you’re experiencing performance or speed issues on your Sky Muster™ satellite service:
• Networking equipment: Check the quality of your networking equipment, for example, a better router/modem could improve your experience.
• Wi-Fi signal strength: Wi-Fi modems can vary in signal strength, so it’s best to check with your provider if the modem that they’ve supplied meets your performance expectations.
• Where you position your Wi-Fi modem: Other electronics can impact your Wi-Fi signal – mobile phones, microwaves and TVs rely on radio signals. Having your router placed as far away from these devices as possible can help.
• The number of devices online at the same time: If you regularly have many users and devices actively online at the same time, and stream videos on a regular basis, ask your provider about whether a plan based on a higher wholesale speed tier is available.
• Network congestion: How your provider configures their network and manages traffic (particularly during peak periods when more people are online) can have an effect on your internet experience – particularly during peak usage times. Ask your provider how they approach their congestion during peak times to help you to understand what’s right for you.
If you’re still experiencing issues with your nbn™ service, you’ll need to chat with your provider for further assistance.
Read more on optimising your experience at home.
Your VPN is a private network that accesses the internet over a secure connection. Using a VPN can cause limitations on your device when using the internet and can cause your connection to slow down. This experience may be prominent over nbn™ Sky Muster™ satellite services due to latency (delayed transmission) which is inherent to satellite technology due to the distance that data needs to travel to the Satellite and back (a 72,000km round trip in the case of nbn™ Sky Muster satellites).
Note that internet traffic via VPN is metered* on plans via the nbn™ Sky Muster™ or nbn™ Sky Muster™ Plus satellite services.
You may consider these options to help optimise your connectivity via a VPN:
- Firstly, check and compare your service’s speed with and without a VPN over the nbn™ network. +If you notice a poor result without being connected to the VPN, contact your phone and internet provider for assistance.
- Use a VPN only when required. Note that websites beginning with https:// indicate secure browsing. Common email platforms such as Microsoft Outlook and Gmail use Secure Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and cloud-based services (like Office 365 applications and Google Suite applications (Google Docs, sheets, Drive etc) are inherently secure).
- Avoid using a VPN for video conferencing where possible. Platforms like MS Teams and Google Meet are typically secure.
- Connect to your nbn™ connection box with an ethernet cable rather than via Wi-Fi when using VPN.
The existing copper lines and services at your premises will not be altered or changed by an nbn™ Sky Muster™ satellite installation.
In Sky Muster™ satellite areas, premises will have the choice to keep their existing phone service over the copper network active, or switch over to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service on the nbn™ access network through a preferred phone and internet provider – connecting your new phone via the nbn™ supplied equipment. Your provider can assist with your phone and internet services.
Read more about the services that may be affected.
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