Sky Muster Trial of Unmetered Sky Muster Plus Plan
Starting in March 2023, nbn are trialling a new completely unmetered Sky Muster plus plan that will offer burst speeds of up to 100mbps down and 20mbps up. The trial will commence on one beam (47) in March and then be rolled out to a further 12 beams in April 2023. In May all Sky Muster Plus users on 100GB and above PLUS plans will be invited to join the trial. The trial will only be available to PLUS users and only to providers who offer PLUS plans (not Bordernet, iiNet and Westnet). After the trial ends it is hoped that unlimited and faster plus plans will be made available to all nbn sky muster PLUS users, BIRRR will be advocating to providers and nbn to ensure these plans are equitable and affordable for our members. More information here
nbn Sky Muster Plus (SM+) is a new product development for satellite users, launched on 12th August 2019, with nbn Sky Muster Plus 2.0 (enhancement version) released on 1 April 2020. nbn Sky Muster version 3 was released on 1 July 2022, with these plans now offering unmetered data for all usage from midnight to 4pm, with only VPN & video streaming counting from 4pm – midnight. You can read about the differences between a normal nbn Sky Muster plan and a plus plan here.
MAJOR CHANGES TO SKY MUSTER PLUS – JULY 2022
SM+ is a plan which will provide nbn Sky Muster users with unlimited unmetered data across all online content and applications, with only two exclusions – video streaming and VPN traffic – which will continue to be metered between 4pm and midnight. They are unmetered outside those hours. More details on the NBN website here.
Unmetered = data that is not measured or counted as part of your monthly usage, this is unlimited and you will never be slowed for unmetered data.
Metered = data that is measured or counted as part of your monthly usage – this is the data that will be counted in your Sky Muster Plus plan.
Refer to the BIRRR Guide on How To Choose an nbn Provider
LINKS TO PROVIDERS OFFERING SM+ PLANS:
SM+ is OPTIONAL, standard Sky Muster plans are still available from your provider (see the BIRRR Standard Plan comparison here) . Not all providers will offer SM+ plans, customers must place an order for a SM+ plan, it is not automatic, you may have several hours of downtime with your internet service whilst being transferred to a plus plan. Plus plans will reset on the 1st of each month. Please note that upgrading plus plans mid-cycle is currently not supported by any provider.
NB: The ability to add top-up data blocks should be available with your RSP.
NBN Fair Use Policies apply to SM+, to ensure the finite satellite capacity is responsibly shared among users.
If you already have a nbn Sky Muster installation, SM+ plans do not require any additional equipment, in most cases you can use the equipment you already have.
BIRRR will continue to work with nbn regarding the wholesale pricing of SM+, with this in mind end-users should be careful of signing up for lengthy contracts in case nbn change the wholesale price in the future.
SM+ is only available on the 25/5Mbps speed tier, but does have the ability to speed burst, subject to network availability.
How was this developed?
BIRRR, along with other regional stakeholders have been discussing with nbn and the Federal Government ways to enhance the experience for Sky Muster users, to cater for the growth in data needs. nbn has been actively looking at ways to optimise Sky Muster, and have spent time reviewing the usage of users. After reviewing the data and conducting extensive research, nbn determined that there is a way to deliver extra capacity on the satellites and thus the new SM+ product was developed. Enhancements to Plus have been worked on since it was launch in August 2019 and with the #COVID19 crisis have been announced sooner to help those who are now required to work and educate from home. nbn Sky Muster v 3.0 was released in July 2022 after regional stakeholders worked closely with nbn to ensure satellite users could access plans that met their data needs to run small businesses, educate children and keep up with the growing need for increased data in the regions.
If you are a BIRRR member who has participated in one of our Facebook Polls or surveys, then you have contributed to some of this research.
How will SM+ benefit me?
Based on the average user, it is estimated that approximately 80% of nbn Sky Muster Plus 3.0 usage will be unmetered (from 1stJuly 2022). However, this will vary depending on how each household or business uses the internet.
Will there be any changes to the peak and off-peak times on nbn SM+?
v 3.0 has changed off peak times to midnight – 4pm, with peak hours being 4pm – midnight. Please note standard plans have NOT changed and off peak remains at 1am – 7am, with peak being 7am – 1am. All time frames are relevant to the time zone you live in.
How else will nbn Sky Muster be enhanced to keep up with the growth in data usage?
BIRRR will continue to collaborate with nbn and the Federal Government on further enhancements to the nbn Sky Muster platform. BIRRR is looking forward to future nbn announcements such as business satellite services and health and education products.
Will SM+ lead to congestion on the network?
No, SM+ plans should not lead to network congestion as the product is designed for nbn to better manage capacity.
Developed for BIRRR by Kristy Sparrow, in conjunction with nbn & updated 1/07/2022
*Please note, while all care has been taken in compiling BIRRR documents, we recommend that you check with your service provider regarding your usage statistics, eligibility and best plans available.
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