What is the NBN?

It has been almost impossible not to have heard about the NBN in the past few years, however many people may not know what exactly it is. The NBN stands for the National Broadband Network, and with the Government’s backing, it will be managed as a wholesaler by NBN Co. This means simply that cable retailers, such as Telstra and Optus will have to pay NBN Co. for use of their broadband network, in order to sell to their customers.

 

How does the NBN affect me?

Switching home internet connections over to the NBN is compulsory, meaning you won’t get a say in the matter. The network is replacing Telstra’s old copper phone lines, which will affect all ADSL and ADSL2 connections, as well as existing cable plans. Once the NBN is officially live across the nation, then all these current methods of having internet access will be switched off for good. 

 

Though switching to the NBN is compulsory, you or the household owner does have to be proactive in arranging with the internet provider to switch over the connection. This is because switching over to the NBN requires having to pick the best plan from an internet provider of your choosing. Also note, that if you have house alarms or other services that use the landline, then check with your provider whether they will be compatible with the NBN.

 

Which connection will my house have?

The Multi Technology Mix uses a combination of technologies in order to provide households with fast and reliable internet. While it is not mandatory to know what all the different connection methods are, it is useful to find out which connection your house will have, as it may impact on which internet plan you can have.

 

• • Fibre to the Premise (FttP): This connection delivers a fibre optic cable right into your property.
• • Fibre to the Node (FttN): This connection has a fibre optic cable running into a node (those green roadside cabinets that you may have seen), which can then service up to 384 households via the existing copper cables.
• • Fibre to the Curb (FttC): This connects the fibre optic cable to a telecom pit that is generally found outside premises. Similar to the FttN, the telecom pits then transmits the broadband through the existing copper line.
• • Fibre to the Building/Basement (FttB): This connection is used for Multi-Dwelling Units (MDU), or apartment buildings. Similar to the FttN, a fibre optic cable will run into the buildings communication room, with the existing copper lines dispersing the internet throughout the complex to each apartment.
• • Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC): In some households, an existing cable or ‘pay TV’ network can be used to connect to the nearest fibre node. This connection requires an nbn installer to fix an access network device where the lines enters your premises.
• • Sky Muster Satellite Service: Thanks to the NBN's state-of-the-art satellites, the Sky Muster service allows for broadband access to be transmitted to households with a rooftop satellite dish. This will be the connection type for regional and remote areas of Australia.

 

You can find out which connection your household will have, by searching for your address, as well as the estimated delivery date of when the NBN service will be live in your area.

 

Compare NBN Broadband Plans

Once you have found out which broadband connection your household will have, then it is time to compare broadband plans. Check out our NBN Broadband Plans for a list of all the available offers from our large range of broadband providers. 

If you don’t know which connection your household will have, then simply call Youcompare at 1300 321 160 and one of our broadband experts will be able to help you. 

To learn more about the NBN or other broadband connection types, then visit our Broadband Guides.