As part of an effort to ensure that as many Australians as possible are connected to fast and reliable internet, for the past few years NBN Co has been offering households that currently connect to the fixed line network via older copper-based technologies, such as fiber to the node (FTTN) and fiber to the curb (FTTC), the opportunity to upgrade to superior fiber to the premises (FTTP) technology for free.
Until now, FTTP upgrading has been completely optional for eligible installations, with the only caveat that potential upgraders must sign up for one of the faster NBN plans through a compatible Internet Service Provider (ISP). However, starting July 1, 2026, this last requirement will be removed for certain installations and the update itself will no longer be optional.
If you’ve been holding out on rolling out the upgrade, you may soon be forced to do so, as NBN Co has announced a new targeted upgrade program which it says will require 130,000 targeted homes and businesses to upgrade their copper-based services to full fiber technology. The program is currently scheduled to begin in mid-2027.
NBN Co says premises identified to receive the upgrade will begin receiving official notifications from July 2027. If your home or business is one of those identified for the scheme, then there’s no real downside to accepting it – fiber optic NBN connections support massively faster speeds and are generally more reliable than older legacy technologies.
What’s more, in the official press release, NBN Co made it clear that it plans to eventually disconnect all copper services at premises targeted by the program, saying that “the first suspensions of legacy copper services where no fiber upgrade order has been placed are not expected to occur until January 2028.”
In short, if you don’t opt for the free upgrade to full fibre, you will eventually be left without a fixed line internet connection. Reminders will be sent six months before disconnection, three months before and 30 days before. If you ignore them all, your service will eventually be suspended.
NBN Co adds that safeguards will, however, be put in place, including “the option to extend or defer before a case-managed service and support is suspended, particularly for customers who require additional assistance.”
Don’t delay, upgrade today
If you know your home currently connects using FTTN or FTTC technology, now is a good time to start preparing for the upgrade. Even if your home isn’t one of the 130,000 initially selected, it likely will eventually be.
Whether you’re on the list or not, if you connect via legacy copper technology, there’s a good chance your home is already eligible for an upgrade. If uncertainty over which provider to choose is holding you back, I’ve selected some of my favorite NBN plans below that make the most of superior full-fibre technology.
In fact, now is a good time to consider switching NBN providers, as the annual price increase is also just around the corner and you can almost always find a better deal if you shop around.
