In the event of a power outage, it’s worth considering a battery back-up to supply emergency power to your nbn^® connection box.

When you're looking to switch your home or business to a Fibre to the Premises connection you can consider installing a Power Supply unit with a battery back-up. From June 2024, nbn no longer offers a Power Supply Unit with a battery back-up, however, if you require one, speak with your phone and internet provider as they may be able to arrange for a battery back-up unit to be installed. 

For customers with an existing battery backup and Power Supply Unit

If you are experiencing a power outage, the battery back-up will provide emergency power to your nbn connection box for up to approximately five hours.

When it’s time to replace the battery, you will see a red light appear next to the ‘Replace Battery’ marker on the nbn connection box. You’ll also hear an alarm tone, which will beep every 15 minutes to indicate your battery needs replacing. Four beeps per minute means there’s less than half of the battery charge remaining.

For more information regarding battery warning lights and tones, please refer to the Fibre User Guide.

Tip: If possible, avoid turning your main power on and off as this will significantly reduce your battery life. This also applies if you’re disconnecting the Power Supply unit for a significant amount of time.

For customers that no longer want to replace the battery or no longer need the Battery Back-up Service

If you no longer require a Battery Back-up Service to supply emergency power to your nbn^® connection box during a power outage, let your phone and internet provider know so they can stop reminding you when your battery needs replacement.

As long as no other users at the same premises have a Battery Back-up service, you can remove the current battery and dispose of it at your nearest battery recycling centre. Please refer to the Fibre User Guide for instructions for safe battery removal and disposal.

Once the battery is removed, you will have no battery back-up during a power outage, so your phone and internet services will only work when plugged in and receiving mains power. 

Choosing the right replacement battery

Not sure how to get your hands on a replacement battery? Simply speak to your phone or internet provider and ask whether they’ll be supplying replacement batteries, or whether you’ll need to purchase one yourself.

The battery used in an nbn Power Supply Unit (installed before June 2024) is a standard battery type used in a number of different systems. 

12V 7.0 to 7.2Ah 6 cell SLA battery
(F2 terminals)

The safe way to recycle your old batteries

Once used, sealed lead acid batteries are classified as hazardous waste. By throwing them in the bin at home, your old battery heads straight for landfill where if damaged, it could contaminate the soil by leaking acid, lead and other nasty pollutants into the ground water.

Instead of throwing your used battery into the garbage, please take it to a recycling facility. These facilities include specialist battery recyclers, selected battery retailers (see list below) or local council drop-off centres.

Where to buy a new battery 

Most specialist battery retailers stock a compatible battery for an nbn installed Power Supply Unit (installed before June 2024) complete with a battery back-up service. Some battery suppliers may also visit your home and fit the new battery for a fee. Their fees vary and are not set by nbn. Please speak to your phone and internet provider for more information.