NBN Co says it has still not decided whether to provide relief for retail internet providers including Telstra, Optus and TPG Telecom during the current lockdowns.

The telcos appealed directly to the Federal Government to force NBN Co to reinstate pandemic capacity discounts to avoid network congestion.

An NBN Co spokesperson told CDN it sees a larger than normal increase in data demand during the first week of any lockdown, with data demand then stabilising and reducing as restrictions ease.

“We are closely monitoring this dynamic situation and considering our options on how we can work with Retail Service Providers to ensure all Australians are well supported during this time,” the spokesperson said.

NBN Co said national data demand across the NBN peaked at 20.39 Terabytes on the evening of Saturday 17 July, an increase of approximately 8 percent week on week.

During the last seven days, however, daily and evening data demand had subsided from the peak of last weekend, the spokesperson said.