Telecommunications policies

• The Australian Government’s Statutory Infrastructure Provider regime enforces a legislative requirement on NBN Co and other wholesale network carriers to connect premises to their network(s) and supply wholesale broadband services on reasonable request to end users via their Retail Service Provider. The obligations for Statutory Infrastructure Providers are set out in the Telecommunications Act 1997.
• NBN Co is the default Statutory Infrastructure Provider for all of Australia, except in those geographic areas where an alternative network carrier has been declared the Statutory Infrastructure Provider.
• This means that in all areas where NBN Co is the Statutory Infrastructure Provider, NBN Co will connect a premises to the nbn™ network upon reasonable request from a Retail Service Provider (on behalf of a customer), subject to some legal, environmental and technical limitations. You can learn more in our Connection Approvals Policy.
• NBN Co’s default obligation to connect premises applies to those areas where no other network carrier has been declared as the Statutory Infrastructure Provider. For an up-to-date view of all carriers in Australia with Statutory Infrastructure Provider obligations, and for which carrier is the Statutory Infrastructure Provider at a particular address, please refer to the SIP Register on the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) website .
• Connection requests approved in accordance with our Connection Approvals Policy will be subject to Connection Terms and Conditions that relate specifically to the connection of the nbn™ infrastructure to the premises. These Connection Terms and Conditions are separate to the Supply Arrangements that set out our terms of supply in accordance with Part XIC of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.  

I'm a customer and my premises isn’t Ready to Connect, what should I do?

• If you wish to connect your home or business to the nbn™ network, please visit your preferred Retail Service Provider who can determine if your premises is within nbn’s Statutory Infrastructure Provider area and, if required, place a SIP Connection Request on your behalf.  
  
• SIP Connection Requests are separate to NBN Co’s New Developments program and do not apply to new developments. For customers and developers seeking more information about connecting a New Development, you can visit NBN Co's New Developments page. Please be aware that the terms and conditions for Telecommunications Infrastructure in New Developments will apply. These terms meet specific criteria which is guided by the Australian Government’s Telecommunications Infrastructure in New Developments Policy .
• For customers seeking information about connecting specific nbn™ infrastructure to a home or business that is already connected to the nbn™ broadband access network, NBN Co’s Technology Choice Program provides an option to pay for a change to the nbn™ access technology at your premises (residential or business).

• The Australian Government announced a new Universal Service Guarantee (USG) which aims to ensure all Australians have access to voice and broadband.
• The USG utilises the nbn™ broadband access network to deliver broadband services, and will continue to use Telstra's existing Universal Service Obligation (USO) in rural and remote Australia to guarantee voice services in nbn™ Fixed Wireless and Satellite areas.
• You can find out more about the USG by visiting the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications website .

• The nbn™ access network is an open access, national wholesale telecommunications network. The nbn™ access network will replace existing copper networks and some HFC (Hybrid Fibre Co-Axial) networks, which will progressively shut down as the nbn™ Fixed Line network is rolled out.^ Most homes and businesses using these copper and HFC networks in nbn™ Fixed Line roll out areas will need to move to the nbn™ access network (or another network) to maintain landline phone and internet services.^
• The Government’s Migration Assurance Policy  has been developed in conjunction with NBN Co, Telstra, and the industry, featuring a policy statement and framework that sets out who is involved in the migration process, and what they need to do to support the transition of services.

• The Regional Broadband Scheme which commenced in January 2021 was established by the Commonwealth to ensure transparent and sustainable funding arrangements are in place to support essential broadband services to regional, rural and remote Australia. 
• Under the Scheme, telecommunications providers that own or are responsible for fixed line networks capable of providing comparable services to the nbn^® network are required to pay a contribution to help fund the cost of providing high-speed broadband to regional communities. 
• As of 30 June 2023, approximately 490,000 premises across Australia were connected to an nbn Fixed Wireless or Satellite service and more than one million premises were “ready to connect”. 
• Given the scale of the nbn fixed line network in Australia, nbn is the biggest contributor to the Regional Broadband Scheme. 
• The RBS Transparency Report is published according to obligations under section 80 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.

• Most services over Telstra’s existing copper and HFC networks will cease to be offered once the nbn™ access network becomes available at a premises in nbn™ Fixed Line areas. 
• Telstra’s Migration Plan  requires Telstra to cease supplying most types of new copper and HFC services to premises that are serviceable by nbn after the Cease Sale Commencement Date for an area. Generally, this date occurs ten business days after the area is classified as ‘ready for service’ by nbn.
• Premises in nbn™ Fixed Wireless or Sky Muster™ satellite areas can choose to maintain their existing services over the copper network.

• The Australian Government has published a policy on the provision of telecommunications infrastructure for new developments. It details what you should do if you are a new home buyer or developer – to ensure your development has timely access to modern broadband and phone services.
• Under the Telecommunications in New Developments Policy , developers are responsible for contributing to the cost of delivering telecommunications infrastructure to a new development.
• To support the roll out of telecommunications in new developments, Part 20A of the Telecommunications Act  and associated rules requires developers to provide ‘fibre ready facilities’ in each building unit or lot in a new real estate development.
• Under the Telecommunications in New Developments Policy , the standard notice period to a carrier is six months (180 calendar days) prior to the development’s estimated first occupancy date. Six months is the minimum notice developers must give and the maximum notice carriers can ask for – parties are entitled to agree to alternative arrangements if it suits them.

• Developers are entitled to choose any telecommunications carrier to service their development.
• nbn is the Default Infrastructure Provider for broadband, Australia wide. This means that regardless of where the developer chooses to locate their development, nbn must provide the developer with a commercial offer for telecommunications services.
• Telstra is obliged to provide a voice service upon reasonable request nationally as part of its universal service obligation (USO). Telstra will generally provide a voice service where required using NBN Co’s infrastructure and wholesale services. Where Telstra does not use NBN Co’s infrastructure, it may need to provide its own infrastructure to supply voice services
• To avoid delays in having a development serviced, we encourage all developers to apply for the nbn™ access network as soon as possible. The first step is to visit www.nbn.com.au/newdevelopments and fill out an online application form. nbn asks that developers  building a small development, such as a sub-dividing a lot into two residential units, allow a minimum of three months’ notice before the required service date to help ensure the network can be connected in time for new residents. For all other developments please allow a minimum of six months’ notice before service connections are required. 
• Please note: nbn will endeavour to achieve these timeframes, but cannot guarantee these timeframes in all cases.
• If nbn acting as the Default Infrastructure Provider is not given sufficient notice to provide telecommunications services, this may result in occupants being without broadband or phone services for longer than they expect.

• Where there is a significant legal impediment to connection or the owner or occupier has made a conscious and persistent decision to refuse connection to the nbn™ network (including reasons related to allocated technology or intended construction method) the premises is referred to as ‘Frustrated’.
• This status indicates that an nbn service will not be available at the affected premises unless the owner makes contact with nbn with the intent to ‘un-frustrate’ the premises. Occupants will need to engage their building owner/owners representative if they are seeking an nbn service at a Frustrated Premises.
• More information is available in the Frustrated Premises Protocol document below.