Find out how to check the status of your NBN connection and its availability in your area.
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If you're keen to join the National Broadband Network (NBN) or want to know more about your connection status, it’s important to check whether it’s currently available at your address. That’s why NBN Co and various internet providers have made it easy for Australians to find out the status of connections at their residential or business addresses. Find out more about conducting an NBN check in Savvy’s helpful guide!
The simplest way to look up the NBN connection at your home is to use the address check tool through NBN Co. This is an extremely simple function which enables you to search the relevant address and find out if the NBN is available where you live or work. NBN Co distinguishes between residential and business internet connections, allowing you to check both.
Once you’ve filled in the relevant address, it’ll tell you whether you’re connected to the NBN and the type of connection available. It’s also useful if you’re unsure about what connection type is in place at your home or business. For example, if your search shows that you’re connected (or can be connected) to the NBN via a Fibre to the Node (FTTN) connection, this will inform the plans you can choose from, as FTTN only supports those up to NBN 100.
The NBN check tool on the NBN Co website also allows you to search for outages if your connection has dropped out. This is one of the first steps to take in the event of an NBN outage, as it’ll help you determine whether the outage is present in your wider area due to maintenance or if it’s localised purely to your property.
There are also other similar resources you may be able to use to find out this information, such as a tool on your provider’s website (if available). These can be particularly useful for outage purposes, as NBN Co won’t necessarily keep you updated with connection issues specific to certain providers.
When the NBN is first rolled out in your area, you won’t get a choice of the connection type present at your home or business. However, there are some Australians who may be eligible to upgrade their existing connection to a more optimal Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection for free in some cases. This is thanks to NBN Co’s initiative to improve selected Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and FTTN connections to give more homes and businesses access to faster internet. This will usually require you to upgrade to a faster internet plan, such as NBN 250 or NBN 1000.
NBN Co’s lookup tool will provide you with an indication of whether you’re eligible for one of these free upgrades. However, not all homes and businesses on one of these connection types will qualify under this program. In these situations, you may still be able to upgrade your connection to FTTP, but it’s likely to cost a significant amount. Also, those with Fibre to the Building (FTTB), Fixed Wireless and Satellite connections generally won’t have the option to upgrade their connection type.
Disclaimer:
Savvy is partnered with Econnex Comparison (CIMET Sales Pty Ltd, ABN 72 620 395 726) to provide readers with a variety of internet plans to compare. We do not compare all retailers in the market, or all plans offered by all retailers. Savvy earns a commission from Econnex each time a customer buys an internet plan via our website. We don’t arrange for products to be purchased directly, as all purchases are conducted via Econnex.
Any advice presented above is general in nature and doesn’t consider your personal or business objectives, needs or finances. It’s always important to consider whether advice is suitable for you before purchasing an internet plan. For further information on the variety of internet plans compared by Econnex, or how their business works, you can visit their website.
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