As part of a push to ensure as many Australians as possible are connected to fast, reliable internet, NBN Co has for the past few years offered homes currently connecting to the landline via older copper-based technologies – such as fiber to the node (FTTN) and fiber to the curb (FTTC) – the option to upgrade to superior fiber to the premises (FTTP) technology for free.
Until now, the FTTP upgrade has been entirely optional for eligible premises, with the only caveat being that potential upgraders must sign up to one of the fastest NBN plans through a supporting Internet Service Provider (ISP). From 1 July 2026, however, the latter requirement will be scrapped for certain premises – and the upgrade itself will no longer be optional.
If you’ve been holding off on upgrading, your hand may soon be forced as NBN Co has announced a new targeted upgrade program which it says will require 130,000 specific homes and businesses to upgrade from copper-based services to full-fibre technology. The program is currently scheduled to start mid-2027.
NBN Co says premises identified to receive the upgrade will start being sent official notices from July 2027. If your home or business is one of those identified for the programme, then there’s no real downside to taking it up – NBN fiber optic connections support massively faster speeds and are generally more reliable than older, legacy technologies.
What’s more, NBN Co has made clear in the official press release that it plans to eventually cut all copper services in the premises targeted by the program, saying “the first suspensions of legacy copper services where a fiber upgrade order has not been placed are not expected to occur until January 2028.”
In short, if you don’t take the free upgrade to full fibre, you’ll end up without a landline internet connection. Reminders will be sent six months before disconnection, three months before and 30 days before. If you ignore all of them, your service will eventually be suspended.
NBN Co adds that there will be safeguards in place, however, including “the ability to extend or defer before a service is suspended and case-managed support, particularly for customers who require additional assistance.”
Don’t wait, upgrade today
If you know your home is currently connected via FTTN or FTTC technology, now is a good time to start preparing for the upgrade. Even if your home isn’t one of the first 130,000 selected, it probably will be eventually.
Whether you’re on the list or not, if you’re connecting via older copper technology, there’s a good chance your home is already eligible for an upgrade. If what’s holding you back is uncertainty about which provider to choose, I’ve selected a few of my favorite NBN plans below that make the most of the superior full fiber technology.
In fact, it’s actually a good time to consider switching your NBN provider, as the annual price increase is also just around the corner, and you can almost always find a better deal if you shop around.
