SA high-speed internet rollout reaches 100,000 students

Over 100,000 students can now access fast, reliable internet at school under the South Australian (SA) Government’s $80 million fibre-optic network rollout.

The Telstra-driven rollout — announced last year — is set to reach 507 school sites by mid-2020, with four remaining sites using other solutions to achieve high-speed connection, according to the SA Government.

Its deployment will also put fibre-optic internet infrastructure “within reach of more non-government schools, government agencies and small businesses across the state”, SA Premier Steven Marshall said.

Schools across metropolitan Adelaide, Mount Gambier, Murray Bridge and Port Augusta have already been hooked up to the fibre-optic internet, receiving speeds up to 1000 times faster than their previous connection.

SA Education Minister John Gardner said that the upgrade will help “improve teachers’ access to the tools they need to deliver high-quality education” while allowing students to “tap into a wealth of learning resources that would otherwise be beyond their reach”.

Norwood Primary School Principal Melissa Evans — who is the latest to receive the high-speed internet — affirmed Gardner’s statement, adding that her school “has a really strong focus on STEM, with online coding, robotics and 3D printing all integrated into what [they] do, so a connection that supports [their] use of digital technologies is great”.

Telstra State Manager, SA and NT, Adam Oliver said that having access to technology and connectivity is essential for education.

“We believe Telstra’s partnership with the Department for Education will benefit schools, teachers and students in both regional and metropolitan areas, and will lead to great outcomes for South Australia in the future,” Oliver said.

Image credit: © stock.adobe.com/au/Zoriana