Community
Upgrade to NBN fixed wireless network

Upgrade work continues on the nbn® Fixed Wireless network in Hilltops to provide access to faster speeds and extended coverage of the nbn Fixed Wireless network.

The upgrade works on the tower in south Young will mean some homes and small businesses in the area may experience impact to their nbn service over the coming weeks.

nbn is looking to minimise service interruptions as much as possible during this time, such as migrating users over to temporary connections, however there are occasions when towers may be taken offline and we appreciate the community’s patience while the work is underway.

Faster speeds, especially during busy periods, help meet the growing data demands of regional Australia and supports the rise of remote healthcare, working and learning from home, connects rural entrepreneurs to the world and allows people to stay connected to family, friends and their community.

The tower upgrades will mean some planned outages that may impact homes and businesses and their ability to use their nbn service while the work is underway.

nbn will take all reasonable efforts to minimise service interruptions; however, there are occasions where towers will need to be taken offline.

The tower works will not impact nbn fixed line or nbn Sky Muster satellite services.

Impacted homes and businesses may have been notified of these planned outages via their retail service provider.

Tom O’Dea, head of nbn Local NSW, said the increased demand for faster internet is the reason behind the upgrade.

“There is increasing demand for faster internet from homes and business across Australia and we are continuing to invest in the nbn network to stay ahead of demand," he said.

“We are excited to have begun work upgrading the nbn Fixed Wireless network in the region, which will be a game changer for up to a million households and businesses across Australia.

“These tower works are critical to the delivery of our program but will mean some planned outages that may affect homes and businesses and their ability to use their nbn service while the work is underway.

"After the tower works are completed, we expect that faster download speeds during the busy period will become available across the nbn Fixed Wireless network.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and appreciate the community’s patience while the work is underway.

The $750 million investment in the nbn Fixed Wireless and nbn Sky Muster satellite network – $480 million from the Australian Government and $270 million from nbn.

When complete, the investment will expand the reach of the existing nbn Fixed Wireless footprint by up to 50%, as well as enabling two new high speed fixed wireless plans – Fixed Wireless Home Fast and Fixed Wireless Superfast.

The additional capacity and reach available on the upgraded network will also enable approximately 120,000 existing Sky Muster satellite-only premises to access nbn Fixed Wireless for the first time.

To get the benefits of the upgrades, homes and businesses may also need to update the nbn device at their premises. nbn will contact those impacted directly. Not all devices will need to be replaced.

For more information and to register for updates, customers are encouraged to visit our blog for an update on nbn’s Fixed Wireless and Satellite Upgrade Program: www.nbnco.com.au/blog/the-nbn-project/delivering-abetter-broadband-experience-for-the-bush.