nbn and Victoria fund $133 million fibre upgrade for 19,000 premises in 70 towns

Fibre to the premises will become available to more than 19,000 homes and businesses in 70 Victorian towns and suburbs under a $133 million program announced by the Victorian Government on 22 October 2026. The money comes through a partnership between nbn co. and the state's Connecting Victoria initiative. The government says the fibre runs right up to each premises and allows download speeds of up to one gigabit per second.

The government expects the first upgrades to be finished in 2027, with later stages continuing to 2030. nbn's own listing says construction has started in Sebastopol and surrounding areas, and that every location should be ready to connect by December 2030. In the first phase, more than 2,000 premises in Ararat, Donald, Castlemaine, Horsham, Mortlake, Sebastopol and Wendouree can switch from fixed wireless to fibre.

All the listed communities are currently served by nbn's Fixed Wireless network. The list also includes Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Mildura, Traralgon and Warrnambool. Six Goulburn Valley towns are on it: Benalla, Cobram, Echuca, Kyabram, Numurkah and Tatura. nbn gives fixed wireless to fibre dates ranging across 2027 to 2030 and tells users to keep checking for updates.

nbn cautions that the program covers eligible premises in selected areas, so not every premises in a named community is necessarily included. It adds that premises estimates and rollout details are indicative and could change as design and construction proceed.

The work depends on nbn co's wider national fibre upgrade program, which has a Commonwealth funding package of $3.8 billion announced in January 2025, of which $800 million is from nbn co. The Victorian Government says the new money follows Connecting Victoria projects that have improved connections for more than 100,000 homes and businesses in more than 180 towns and suburbs. nbn said more than 1.3 million Victorian homes and businesses can now reach fibre through its upgrade programs.

nbn says that as premises move to fibre, demand on the wireless network falls, leaving more capacity for those who stay on it. Minister for Government Services Enver Erdogan said, "Fast, reliable internet shouldn’t be seen as a luxury – In the bush, it keeps communities safe, families connected and businesses open." NBN chief development officer, regional and remote, Gavin Williams said the extra upgrades would help more Victorians get the connectivity they need.