NBN Co teams up with RMIT to advance broadband innovation, supporting Australia’s digital future

NBN Co teams up with RMIT to advance broadband innovation, supporting Australia’s digital future

A new three-year agreement between NBN Co and RMIT University will bring together academics and telco industry experts with the aim of developing enhanced broadband outcomes for the nation.

A new three-year agreement between NBN Co and RMIT University will bring together academics and telco industry experts with the aim of developing enhanced broadband outcomes for the nation. 

The agreement known as ASTRID – Advancing STEM, Technology, Research, Innovation and Deployment – will see the establishment of a Broadband Technology Research Unit (BTRU) and provide NBN Co with access to RMIT academic staff, students and postdoctoral researchers. 

The new research team will explore opportunities for collaboration on key projects including development of a digital twin capacity to model the nbn® network for detailed scenario planning and options analysis as well as supporting NBN Co’s AI and robotics programs. 

The agreement will also foster career pathways for university graduates and postgraduate candidates, including key female STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) graduates for NBN Co. 

"NBN Co and RMIT are close collaborative partners, and we’ve achieved some great research outcomes so far," said Guy Scott, Chief Technology Officer at NBN Co.

"Through this exciting new ASTRID agreement, we expect to take things to a whole new level. 

"Our focus will be the development of innovative technological advancement, with a common aim of advancing broadband technologies for households, businesses and communities across Australia. 

"The Digital Twin will be a powerful tool for modelling the nbn® network and our services over the next decade and beyond, using large, real-world datasets for all our access technologies in different locations. 

"It will better enable us to verify forward forecasts on the physical network, cost design and lifecycle decisions. 

"This is crucially important for NBN Co as we continue to optimise and maximise the performance and resilience of the nbn network to mitigate against network congestion, planned and unplanned outages and extreme weather events. 

"The Digital Twin will also help build advanced knowledge of service outages, devise predictive measures and tools for forecasting network availability and performance, predict trends and scenarios, which enable proactive network management, improve resilience of the network and support the delivery of improved customer experience."

L-R: Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos,(Deputy Vice-Chancellor STEM College), Guy Scott (Chief Technology Officer at NBN Co), and Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation). L-R: Professor Catherine Itsiopoulos (Deputy Vice-Chancellor STEM College), Guy Scott (Chief Technology Officer at NBN Co), and Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond (Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation).

The ASTRID agreement with RMIT will give NBN Co access to new research expertise. The approach will also give Australian students an opportunity to launch future careers working on critical digital infrastructure for the nation, nurturing a pipeline of talent for the future. 

"RMIT is proud to be the first university in Victoria, and only the second in Australia, to partner with NBN Co through the ASTRID program," said RMIT Distinguished Professor Calum Drummond, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Innovation.

"This partnership marks a significant milestone in advancing research and development within critical fields such as robotics, artificial intelligence, and digital twins. 

"This landmark three-year collaboration builds on our existing strong relationship with NBN Co, enabling RMIT researchers, staff and students to drive advancements in network intelligence and telecommunications innovation. 

"By combining RMIT’s strengths across research and skills development, this partnership enhances our ability to deliver world-class learning experiences, deepens our relationships with industry, and informs national priorities. 

"Together we are working to make Australia’s digital infrastructure smarter, more accessible, and more resilient, while preparing our researchers and graduates to lead the next phase of transformation in the telecommunications sector."

The ASTRID project scope includes high impact research projects in nbn® relevant technologies, creation of a strategic technology advisor role to advance broadband technologies through a recognised scientific voice, creation of co-funding opportunities with other national agencies and the development of international partnerships and exchange programs.

***

General media enquiries: RMIT External Affairs and Media, 0439 704 077 or news@rmit.edu.au

attendees at the NBN partnership event
09 December 2025

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RMIT University acknowledges the people of the Woi wurrung and Boon wurrung language groups of the eastern Kulin Nation on whose unceded lands we conduct the business of the University. RMIT University respectfully acknowledges their Ancestors and Elders, past and present. RMIT also acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and their Ancestors of the lands and waters across Australia where we conduct our business - Artwork 'Sentient' by Hollie Johnson, Gunaikurnai and Monero Ngarigo.

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