NBN Co can’t say which premises are eligible for a free fibre upgrade – Telco/ISP

NBN Co stated the “specific” range of premises in fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) spots that are qualified for a free fibre upgrade beneath its $two.nine billion overbuild system “is not known” in advance of development is completed.

The operator has progressively produced lists of towns and towns that are presently served by FTTN infrastructure where by it claims “eligible premises in parts” of these areas will be able to request a full fibre support.

With upgrades now formally beneath demo, it is however extremely difficult for FTTN end users, even in named demo suburb areas, to identify if they are qualified or not, and which retail support suppliers (RSPs) are participating.

A Whirlpool discussion board poster stated yesterday they had been proactively supplied what seems to be a area on the demo. The identification of the RSP is unclear.

The motive for the vacuum of data may be that even NBN Co does not actually know which premises are likely to be qualified or not.

The enterprise created the surprise expose late yesterday [pdf] in response to queries requested by Labor senators during the most current senate estimates hearings.

“For just about every suburb picked for the on-need FTTP system, the distinct range of premises within that place who are qualified is not recognized until eventually the completion of the thorough layout and physical development of the community fibre network in that place,” NBN Co stated.

“Once the layout and community fibre network development are completed in just about every place, the distinct unique premises that are qualified are communicated to retail support suppliers by way of NBN Co’s related IT programs.”

NBN Co stated that it would only “have an actual range of premises that will be created all set to get (RTO) all around ten months in advance of just about every suburb is produced.”

The enterprise fully commited only “to giving the distinct RTO numbers for just about every suburb within the very first tranche” of suburbs “on notice” soon after planned estimates hearings in February upcoming 12 months, that means that an formal list is not possible in advance of March, when the trials are intended to finish in any case.

NBN Co’s demo of free fibre upgrades will see it select up to 525 premises from a “pool” of 25,000 qualified premises.

The enterprise stated that community development is total for “around ten,000 premises” so significantly, and that will increase to “up to 50,000 by system start in March 2022”.