NBN Co has begun making service calls within areas of Townsville to raise community awareness, help older Australians and inform households and businesses on the steps required to connect to the National Broadband Network (NBN).

The NBN is scheduled to replace 2,875 existing home and business landline phones, ADSL internet and Telstra cable internet services in parts of Townsville, which will be officially switched off from 23 May 2014. Residents and businesses within this area need to move their existing landline phone and internet services to the NBN ahead of the scheduled disconnection date.*

Houses, units and small businesses will be visited by NBN Co Ambassadors with important messages on services affected by the copper disconnection. **

The NBN Co Ambassadors will be wearing clearly identifiable branded uniforms and carrying photo identification. They will also be requesting information about homes or businesses to help them understand what existing services may require migration before the copper disconnection. ***

Residents and businesses can expect visits during 10 – 29 March 2014, between the hours of 12pm-7pm weekdays and 9am-5pm on weekends. If no one is available it is planned that clearly marked information will be left under the door or in the mailbox.

NBN Co spokesperson Trent Williams said: 

“We want to ensure nobody is left behind, so we’re taking the extra step of going door-to-door to visit those in the community who have not yet connected to services over the NBN.

“This is the latest in our community outreach activity which has included advertising, information kiosks, direct mail, and community information sessions hosted in the local area.

“The most important thing for residents and businesses to know is that the move to the NBN is not automatic. Residents and businesses relying on special equipment including medical and security alarms and EFTPOS terminals must contact their preferred phone or internet company as soon as possible to make sure their services can continue to operate.” ****

NBN Co is hosting an information session at Aitkenvale PCYC on Friday 21 March 2014, 10-11am. Townsville residents and businesses are invited to join the session to learn more about making the switch to the NBN.

More information about the steps residents and businesses need to take to switch to services provided over the NBN as well as a list of service providers can be found at: www.nbnco.com.au/switch 

MEDIA ENQUIRIES:

Dan Chamberlain Melanie Wellington

Mobile: 0400 569 951 Mobile: 0413 709 081

MEDIA MATERIALS:

Supporting image and video files can be downloaded from the below link:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wq6wyht7mi0wwi4/qnv4BCfWW1

Townsville – Area to be disconnected on 23 May 2014

NOTE TO EDITORS:

 

• People who can order a service and want to make the switch to the NBN should search ‘getting connected’ on the nbnco.com.au website.
• Areas within suburbs may have different switch off dates depending on when the NBN becomes available to a particular premise.
• Home and business owners who are scheduled to have their landline phone, ADSL internet and Telstra cable internet services disconnected will receive letters from NBN Co with details about how to switch to the NBN.*
• Homes and businesses that have an existing medical or security alarm systems should contact their alarm provider and preferred phone / internet service provider to enquire about their current system and how it will work over on the NBN.

*Services not being replaced by the NBN include some TransACT, OptiComm, some Telstra Velocity services and others. For a full list please visit www.nbnco.com.au/switchoff or call us on 1800 687 626. Optus cable internet services may be switched off on a different date and existing customers will be advised separately.

**Services affected by the copper disconnection include:

• Landline phones
• ADSL and Telstra cable internet services
• Monitored/ non-monitored medical alarms/ pendants
• Monitored/ non-monitored security alarms
• Fire alarms
• Elevator phones
• EFTPOS and ATM machines
• Teletypewriters (hearing impaired machines)
• Fax machines

***NBN Co Ambassadors will be requesting the below information about the business or home owner:

• Number of visits
• Key Decision Maker
• Telephone/Internet/Both/Neither
• Reason for not connecting to NBN sooner
• Monitored Medical Alarm/Pendant
• Whether Priority Assistance Customer status is attached to premise
• Non-monitored Emergency Call Button/Pendant
• Fire Alarm
• Security Alarm
• Elevator Phone
• Eftpos/ATM
• Teletypewriter
• Householder Name
• Householder Contact Number
• Householder Email

****Residents and businesses who have special equipment that operates using a landline phone connection, such as a medical monitoring device, monitored security or fire alarm, EFTPOS machine or lift phone, should contact the supplier of the device or monitoring service for advice on what needs to be done for it to work on services run over the NBN. For more information visit nbnco.com.au/alarms.

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