The prospect of a future without the $43 billion NBN becomes more real as uncertainty settles over Australia's internet research efforts.

Research agencies have allocated millions into projects that would facilitate the availability of high-speed broadband across Australia since the NBN was first announced in 2007. However, enthusiasm over the projects are weakening since Labor now lack a clear mandate in terms of governance and the uncertainty of NBN's fate at the hands of independent MPs.

The CSIRO, a Commonwealth-funded agency, is currently in pursuit of five research projects that aim to take advantage of the NBN. The most prominent of the projects is the development of Internet speeds of about 100Mbps for wireless broadband. The rate could significantly alter Labor's strategy for NBN for regional and remote Australia.

The other four projects look into advanced tele-collaboration, e-health and energy management systems. The projects also look into advanced remote equipment operation based on emerging augmented reality technology.

David Skellern, chief executive of National ICT Australia (NICTA), said that, right now, most of the agency's broadband projects may continue even without the NBN. However, Skellern said that new projects based on the NBN were being pursued "with less vigour".

"Of all our (broadband) research, 99.9 per cent can continue regardless of the NBN. That doesn't mean that if the NBN wound down or stopped that we wouldn't miss out on projects that we were thinking about," said Skellern.

NICTA currently also has around five projects involving networking systems. Two of the projects in the agency's workload look into improving the way networks use power and resources. "At the present time there isn't any specific research or any NBN demonstrator project that we're engaged in," said Skellern.