Member for Hume Angus Taylor is encouraging residents eligible for the NBN ‘Sky Muster’ satellite service to pre-register now with a retail service provider.

“The first of two Sky Muster satellites was launched last October and is a few weeks away from being switched on. It is designed to service those outside of the fixed line and fixed wireless footprint,” Mr Taylor said.

“Satellite broadband is fast and reliable and, unlike past experience, we will be providing enough capacity for regional users. It is designed to deliver wholesale speeds of up to 25/5Mbps and data allowances of up to 150GB per month.

“Internet service providers will provide retail plans at different price points and data allowances, so you can choose a plan that best suits your needs.

“This is the most exciting part of the NBN technology mix for me - bringing fast internet to families, students and businesses who had virtually given up because of their location.”

Mr Taylor said Sky Muster was a giant technological leap forward from the current Interim Satellite Service (ISS) established by Labor.

“The ISS fell well short of the intended delivery speeds to 250,000 households, the service only had capacity to serve a fifth of that leaving frustrated customers plagued by connectivity issues, dropouts and slow speeds, making access to distance education services virtually impossible,” he said.

“In contrast, the high-capacity Sky Muster satellite is expected to cover more than 250,000 homes and businesses.”

Mr Taylor said Sky Muster would also transform educational access for the most isolated students and ensure the Coalition Government's $2 billion investment in satellite broadband was put to its greatest possible use.

“It’s important to pre-register for the service so that orders and applications for dish installations can be processed as soon as possible,” he said.

For factsheets, service providers and more information visit www.nbnco.com.au/connect-home-or-business/information-for-home/satellite.html