NBN Co is kickstarting a targeted upgrade program aiming to shift 130,000 properties to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) in the first year and 20,000 more premises per month after that.
Customers in nominated areas will have six months to request a free NBN fibre upgrade with reminders at six months, three months, and 30 days before the deadline. If no action is taken by the deadline, customers will be suspended, then fully disconnected after another 30 days.
Alongside the Targeted Upgrade program, NBN Co is changing eligibility requirements meaning customers no longer need a high-speed plan to qualify for a free upgrade to FTTP. This change will see 600,000 homes become newly eligible for upgrade from 1st July 2026.
The program is designed to shift customers away from copper infrastructure that’s costly to repair, less reliable, and slower than fibre. Fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) and fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) connections are capped at 100Mbps while FTTP is now reaching 2Gbps.
What NBN Co is changing
Until now, Australians on FTTN and FTTC technologies could sit on existing older connections indefinitely. NBN Co will shift these connections to high quality fibre starting with the simpler upgrades first.
Multi-dwelling locations like apartment buildings are more complex so will likely be later in the rollout.
Areas most affected are those where fibre is already available and where the change will provide an improvement, such as those with underperforming copper lines and underused network nodes.
This program is free, and customers can stay on the existing plan after switching to fibre. If you’re on NBN 50 now, you can stick with it after the update.
About 47,000 homes and businesses upgrade to fibre each month under the current Fibre Connect program, and for the first time fibre connections outnumber legacy copper-based services.
The targeted upgrade program is designed to complement Fibre Connect by relaxing the requirements in areas that will benefit most.
What happens if you ignore the notice
Notices will be sent from NBN Co and/or your service provider; they’re legitimate communications and not a scam.
If you ignore all three reminders at six months, three months, and 30 days, your service will be suspended at the deadline. From then, you’ll have another 30 days to request the upgrade and restore your connection.
Otherwise, you’ll be fully disconnected and have to place a new connection order to get back online.
For renters, the typical upgrade is likely a standard installation but to be safe you may want to seek landlord approval. FTTP hardware includes a small wall-mounted box.
NBN Fibre Upgrade: What to do
Check your connection type by entering your address on the NBN website. The results will say what available technology you’re on.
If it says you’re on FTTN or FTTC, your home will eventually be affected by this program. You should get in contact with your internet provider to proactively request the upgrade or see if your area is scheduled.
Getting ahead of the targeted upgrade is a way you can control the timing of your installation appointment rather than waiting around for an install.
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