The Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation (TBSF) has expanded its Seafarer Connect program to provide free WiFi connectivity to seafarers visiting ports in Queensland, funded by a grant from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust. The grant has bolstered the long running program which now numbers 50 WiFi devices at Australian ports across the country.
Using TBSF’s new WiFi units funded by the ITF Seafarers Trust, every day over 300 seafarers have accessed free internet during October and November 2025 in Queensland ports, with over 11,000 separate log ins and 36,000GB of data being accessed.
The project has seen the greatest use in Queensland’s busiest ports of Brisbane and Gladstone. However, the project is also able to provide internet access in Geraldton in Western Australia with support from the Mission to Seafarers Geraldton, and the TBSF is looking to expand the free internet access to the ports of Hay Point, Abott Point, Townsville and Weipa.
With the success of this Queensland campaign, the Tas Bull Seafarers Foundation is currently investigating a similar program for the state of Western Australia in 2026.
Robert Coombs, managing director of the Seafarer Connect project, said “Seafarers tell us that Wi-Fi access remains unreliable, patchy, or restricted. Our goal is to make digital connectivity possible and affordable for every seafarer visiting an Australian port. This will have a demonstrable and measurable impact on seafarers’ welfare, mental health and social connection to family and friends back home.”
