IAA members operating as Retail Service Providers (RSPs) will be able to apply for NBN Co’s COVID-19 relief package announced last week.

The relief package, developed in response to an industry consultation process involving internet service providers, government and consumer groups, aims to assist customers and families affected by the pandemic.

$50 million of the package is being specifically directed at RSPs to support low income households with school aged children who currently do not have an active NBN connection at home.

“The current COVID-19 situation has put more emphasis on access to broadband services as families and businesses change the way they conduct their daily lives. With students homeschooling and many more businesses operating from homes, the pressure to have access to the internet has never been more important,” explains IAA General Manager, Narelle Clark.

“Our members have become the backbone of society during the pandemic, ensuring the supply of essential services, both business and social, to everyone around Australia.”

RSPs should contact NBN Co directly through the NBN Co Customer Portal to apply for funding. If you are not a direct RSP you should contact your wholesale provider and request more details to ensure you are not missing out on access to the relief package.

The package will be available from April to the end of September, but retailers have the flexibility to determine the offers they wish to pass on to customers.

The complete relief package is worth a total of $150 million, with the remaining $100 million being split equally between implementing relief measures to support financially distressed households and small and medium-sized businesses.

IX Australia is aware several of our members are currently in NEXTDC’s Melbourne M2 data centre with a line to M1 through a third-party carrier for peering.

The team at IX Australia are keen to hear if our members would be interested in us delivering services at M2. Should we build a new POP there?

Please email peering@internet.asn.au with the topic M2 EOI to express your interest.

IAA has seen a more than 30% increase in aggregate traffic across our IXs over the last two weeks. Previously, it would have taken 6 to 12 months for this sort of growth.

Rather than the usual traffic pattern, the increase is hitting the internet right across the day. With businesses and schools changing the way they work, and migrating almost entirely to streaming and telecommuting, residential services are bulking up during the day. We are also experiencing greater than normal peaks during the evening between 7pm and 9pm.

“People are clearly adjusting to life at home and we’ve seen a massive increase in usage over the last fortnight,” says IAA General Manager, Narelle Clark.

“We normally peak at just over 500Gbps in aggregate across all the exchanges, but last Friday night we almost hit 700Gbps. This is great news for social distancing efforts, and we are working around the clock to ensure all services remain reliable and uncongested.”