NSW Education beefs up school satellite services

The NSW Department of Education has awarded a $15 million deal to Optus to upgrade satellite services for remote schools, TAFEs and homesteads that conduct distance education.

The five-year contract will see the amount of satellite bandwidth available to schools doubled and internet speeds up to ten times faster than at present.

About 22 schools, six TAFE campuses and 165 homesteads will benefit from the higher bandwidth. These are locations that cannot be serviced by fibre under the Department's Connected Classrooms program.

Optus said in a statement it will perform the upgrades at remote sites "over the coming months", completing works in October.

"The introduction of the enhanced satellite service will provide our most isolated schools and students with opportunities to connect and collaborate like never before," state education minister Adrian Piccoli said.

"It will give them a chance to share in the educational benefits of contemporary web-based tools and give us a chance to close the gap that currently exists between the city and the bush."