¶ Fibre Upgrade Appointment
Fibre Upgrade Guide
Upgrading to fibre can sometimes be a complex process, especially depending on the age of your property and how the existing copper line was originally installed.
To make things easier, we’ve put together this straightforward guide to help you understand what needs to be done and by whom to get your internet service up and running on full fibre.
You will need to commit to a high-speed plan to be eligible to upgrade to Fibre to the Premise on a 12 month contract.
https://unidenvoice.com/internet-uplift
¶ Realistic timeframes and expectations
Urban areas typically complete upgrades in 19-25 business days while regional and remote areas require 24-29 business days. FTTN upgrades generally process faster (19-24 business days) compared to FTTC upgrades (25-29 business days).
Individual steps break down as: immediate eligibility checking, 1-3 business days order processing, 1-2 weeks for site surveys when needed, 2-4 weeks for installation appointment scheduling, and same-day to 3 business days for service activation post-installation.
Multiple rescheduling attempts are common due to missed appointments, weather claims, and contractor availability issues. Build buffer time into your expectations and avoid scheduling critical commitments around initially booked installation dates.
¶ Risk management and troubleshooting
Service disruption risks include 30-60 minute power outages and up to 4-hour internet interruptions during installation windows. Existing services remain active until upgrade completion, providing continuity throughout the process, with up to 18 months notice before old technology switchoff.
Common complications involve missed appointments, equipment placement disputes, complex installations requiring multiple visits, and landlord or body corporate complications in apartment buildings. Technical issues may include equipment incompatibility, initial service dropouts, and speed performance below expectations.
¶ Existing Lead In Conduit Condition
The existing lead-in conduit, which currently services your copper connection, must be in suitable condition for the technician to install the fibre cable. During the initial appointment, the technician will inspect the lead-in conduit and, if necessary, arrange for remediation works to be carried out by NBN Co’s civil works team before proceeding with the fibre installation.
¶ NBN Equipment
As part of the upgrade, NBN equipment will need to be installed. This includes fibre cabling, an NBN utility box (installed outside your premises), and an NBN connection box (installed inside your premises).
Please note there are specific guidelines that determine where these items can be placed, which will be explained by the technician during installation.
nbn Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) Connection Box Installation Guidelines
¶ NBN Utility Box
The NBN Utility Box (also known as the PCD or Premises Connection Device) is typically installed on the outside of your premises, near the point where the existing copper lead-in cable enters the building. This box serves to protect and house the fibre connection, safely joining the external fibre cable to the internal optical cable that runs inside your property.
¶ nbn Connection Box
The NBN Connection Box (also known as the NTD or Network Termination Device) is a powered device supplied by NBN Co that you will connect your router to. It is connected to the PCD via an internal optical fibre cable.
¶ Installation Guidelines:
The NTD must be installed in a location that meets the following conditions:
It is within 1.5 metres of a General Power Outlet (GPO); and It meets one of the following placement criteria:
- Within a 12-metre radius of the PCD,
- and on the internal surface of the same wall where the NBN Utility Box (PCD) is installed; or
- Where an appropriate customer-installed cable pathway has been provided from the PCD to your preferred NTD location (see note below).
¶ Important Notes:
NBN Co technicians are unable to work at heights or enter roof cavities.
The general rule of thumb for nbn Co technicians completing fibre upgrades is, they are unable to work at heights, and are unable to enter roof cavities. If either of these would need to happen to complete the upgrade, the responsibility to remediate these items may fall on you.
Note: If you wish to have the NTD installed in a location that falls outside these standard guidelines, you will need to engage a registered cabler to install an internal pathway from the PCD location to your preferred connection point. Requirements for Customer Installed Cable Pathways can be found here.
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Preparing for Installation Day
To help ensure your installation goes smoothly, this video outlines what you can expect on the day:
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What to expect on Installation Day
We’ll be installing nbn equipment including: fibre cabling, an nbn utility box outside your premises, plus an nbn connection box inside your premises. Here’s a video that details what you need to know about where we can and can’t install these boxes:
¶ What happens to my original nbn service?
The nbn approved technician will install Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection in parallel to your existing Fibre to the Node (FTTN) or Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) connection.
Once you are satisfied that your new FTTP service is up and running, you will need to disconenct your old service.
– If your existing service is with Lightning IP, we’ll automatically disconnect your old service as soon as we confirm that you’ve transitioned to the new FTTP service.
– If your existing service is with another provider, you will need to contact that provider to arrange disconnection of the old service.
We always recommend checking with your original provider that your plan on the original technology (FTTN or FTTC) has been cancelled, so that you can avoid being charged for services on both technologies.
¶ Will there be any disruption to the land on/near my premise?
nbn will select the optimal way to service the premises based on site conditions. There may be slight disruption (i.e. hand digging) around your premises.
Additionally, movement of items like bins or gardening pots may be required to clear the pathway for installation. The nbn approved technician can be expected to return all items to their original location.
¶ What nbn equipment will be installed by the technician?
On the day, we’ll be installing nbn equipment including: fibre cabling, an nbn utility box outside your premises, plus an nbn connection box inside your property.
See the nbn FTTP supplied equipment set-up below:
- Outside the premises: nbn utility box. The maximum size of the box is 250mm (w) x 260mm (h) x 80mm (d).
- Inside the premises: the nbn connection box. The box size is 235mm (w) x 195mm (h) x 70mm (d).
- Clearance around the equipment needs to be considered dependent on installation locations.
- nbn fibre cabling will be installed from the street to the external nbn utility box. This can utilise existing cable pathways or include activities like mounting cable pathways on the surface of walls or using hand tools to shallow bury cable.
- The nbn utility box will be installed close to your existing telecommunications utility box, usually at the front of the premises, no lower than 400mm to the ground and clear from other utilities.
- The nbn approved technician will also install fibre cable between the nbn utility box and the nbn connection box.
¶ Fibre Upgrade - NBN Co Availability
In some cases you may read that NBN Co state that an upgrade is available, however, we may not have access to that. In most of those cases, it's because your building needs to be upgraded. To find out more about that, please goto: https://www.nbnco.com.au/residential/upgrades/more-fibre-for-buildings
Speak with the authorised representative of your building / Owners Committee (where applicable) about applying to upgrade the nbn® technology to access faster, more reliable nbn speeds