The NBN Co has extended its offer to internet providers for an additional 40% capacity at no cost  until 19 August 2020, following heightened demand from work-from-home staffers during the coronavirus pandemic.

By August, the capacity campaign will have run for more than five months, with the NBN Co providing more than $40 million of relief to internet providers.

The NBN Co has also extended its offer to increase data limits for its standard Sky Muster service to 90GB of data on average until the end of August.

The offer came into effect at March end, and offered an extra 45GB for each standard Sky Muster service to internet providers at no extra cost.

“We are proud to have supported the telecommunications industry and the nation through this pandemic as Australians increasingly relied on their home broadband connections for work, study and entertainment,” states Brad Whitcomb, Chief Customer Officer – Residential at NBN Co.

“Alongside this capacity boost, we also increased data download limits for Sky Muster satellite customers and announced up to $150 million of financial relief and assistance packages to help keep low-income households and small and medium businesses facing hardship stay connected.”

The end of the capacity offer comes as average data volumes across the nbn’s main wholesale service indicates signs of slowing down versus March and April – considered the peak of the COVID19 pandemic in Australia.

“In recent weeks we have seen data demand on nbn’s main wholesale network settle into a new normal as more Australians head back to work and school,” states Mr Whitcomb.

“Since the start of March, nbn has added over 400,000 new connections and there has been three months of normal usage growth.”