The partnership with Telstra will bring much faster internet speeds to over 2,000 state public schools, with the rollout involving over 5,200 kilometres of fibre.
According to Education Minister Sarah Mitchell, students at the state's public schools will soon be equipped with access to the fastest internet available for any public education service in Australia. She said the latest initiative will allow students to have every opportunity to reach their potential, adding:
"This upgrade will bypass existing network constraints meaning all our schools will be on a high-speed connection in the next 18 months, three years ahead of schedule."
The new service will help alleviate situations where demand by hundreds of teachers and students has led to access problems, according to Mitchell. She said the speed is expected to be about 10 times faster than previously, which will enable professional development and video conferencing opportunities that are much more reliable.
Mitchell said the new service will not only allow faster downloading of videos and websites, but will also provide students with access to new opportunities in immersive learning.
The many advantages of faster internet services have often been the focus of informative brochure printing campaigns in recent years. Once complete, the 5,200-kilometre fibre network will be among the world's largest.