NBN Forcing 130,000 Homes to Upgrade to Fibre or Face Disconnection

NBN Co will force about 130,000 homes and businesses still running on its ageing copper network to upgrade to full fibre or face disconnection, under a Targeted Upgrade program set to begin in July 2027.

The government-owned broadband wholesaler confirmed in a media statement that premises relying on fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) and fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) connections — technologies now considered legacy — would be the first targeted. NBN Co chief customer officer Anna Perrin said the programme aimed to improve reliability while drawing down the cost of maintaining two parallel networks.

“This programme will target upgrades from specific nbn legacy copper-based connections to nbn full fibre, delivering a faster and more reliable customer experience while strengthening the resilience and future readiness of the network,” Ms Perrin said.

Eligible households and businesses will receive a formal notice giving them six months to request a free fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) upgrade. Those who fail to respond within the window will have their copper-based service suspended, with the first cut-offs expected from January 2028, according to NBN Co’s programme outline.

“By taking a managed approach — with strong safeguards and clear timeframes — we’re helping customers transition smoothly, while strengthening the network for the long term,” Ms Perrin said.

The upgrade is fully funded by NBN Co — customers pay nothing for installation or the new connection box installed at the premises. For those affected, the performance gain is substantial: existing FTTN and FTTC services are capped at 100 Mbps, while the replacement FTTP technology supports speeds of up to 2 Gbps.

More than 1 million premises have already migrated to full fibre under NBN Co’s existing Fibre Connect programme, with about 47,000 homes and businesses upgrading each month — a pace 32 per cent higher than the prior year.

The Targeted Upgrade programme differs from the on-demand model in one key respect: NBN Co selects the premises and sets the schedule, rather than waiting for individual customers to initiate the process. After the first year, the rollout will continue at approximately 20,000 premises per month.

Tara Donnelly, managing editor — utilities and finance at comparison site Canstar, said the shift was ultimately beneficial for households despite the short-term disruption.

“It’s understandable why so many Australians are yet to upgrade their NBN connection, but the push to switch to full fibre is ultimately a huge win for customers,” Ms Donnelly told Canstar.

The timeline coincides with a separate expansion: from July 2026, approximately 600,000 additional homes on FTTC connections will become newly eligible for on-demand fibre upgrades, after NBN Co removed a speed-tier requirement that had previously locked them out of the Fibre Connect programme.