My Free nbn FTTP Upgrade Has Been Delayed until 2025

PiggyBoo on 14/01/2024 - 09:33
Last edited 14/01/2024 - 12:40 by 1 other user

We see many posts on weekly basis asking ozbargainers on the modem, router, network switch and cabling assistance when upgrading their FTTP.

I’m more interested to hear from those regional location like mine (Portland, Victoria) where FTTP upgrade isn’t available until end of 2025.

When the nbn released their by month and year launch, we were scheduled for November 2023.
When we checked in November, it changed to September 2024 and in December 2023, it moved to September 2025. (https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/783992)

The government is spending billions on the upgrade and after decades, the Aussie internet infrastructure is still worse than most countries.

I work from home and the internet barely reaches 35mbps as we are far from the nbn box. Looked at Starlink as well but it’s difficult to connect to a mesh network and with other buildings blocking the line of sight, doubtful if we can get good speeds with low latency.

To the regional peeps who rely on high speed internet, what do you do? How do you feel about this delay?

Internet Broadband FTTP nbn

Comments

  • JimmyF on 14/01/2024 - 09:50
    +1

    Pitty MY regional locations won’t have that upgrade until 2025-2026

    Fixed the title for you. Many regional locations have the FTTP option. My parents live in a small (under 3000 people) and got the FTTP upgrade.

    To the regional peeps who rely on high speed internet, what do you do? How do you feel about this delay?

    The post just reads of sour grapes. Hope you didn't vote for the libs which are the ones that gave you the FTTN mess

    • PiggyBoo on 14/01/2024 - 21:28

      Well, I didn’t. Yet we all suffer.

      • Chaddy on 15/01/2024 - 00:21

        Do you have a Business?
        If so you can use your ABN or ACN number / company details and get NBNEE Enterprise Ethernet at home. This will give you full Fibre internet with Symetrical speeds you can get 100/100Mbps for around $200 a month depending on ISP and the speeds go all the way up to 1000MBPS.
        This also comes with a business level service level agreement from NBN as well.

  • SBOB on 14/01/2024 - 09:50
    +1

    Starlink as well but it’s difficult to connect to a mesh network

    Why would it be difficult ?

    Is wireless/4g not an internet option in your area if 35Mbps isn't cutting it?

    • JimmyF on 14/01/2024 - 15:11
      +4

      Why would it be difficult ?

      Its not, just set the mesh units up for wireless mesh, no router features and all works.

      • xylarr on 15/01/2024 - 10:01
        +1

        There is an ethernet option you can buy which allows you to plug your starlink directly into your router.

        • JimmyF on 15/01/2024 - 10:04

          There is an ethernet option you can buy which allows you to plug your starlink directly into your router.

          Depends on the version of starlink modem you have. The gen 3 units have a port built in. But otherwise yes the ethernet adaptor and you go from there as normal.

  • oscargamer on 14/01/2024 - 10:08

    I'm 50km from you OP and have fixed wireless. I dream of FTTanything.

    I'll be trying out starlink shortly. You should probably too

  • piertlethed on 14/01/2024 - 10:38
    +9

    Australians voted Liberal/National who made NBN what it is today. Democracy in action…

    Starlink should be no more difficult to connect to an internal WiFi network within a house as any other network. It is just the Internet access. Gen 2 Starlink has an ethernet adapter and Gen 3 Starlink comes with a built in ethernet port.

    If you don't have good line of sight to the sky for Starlink, there are options to pole mount them https://www.telcoantennas.com.au/?rf=kw&kw=starlink

    If you wanted someone else to quote and install it, then there are a number of people around https://www.jimsantennas.com.au/starlink-installation-q-and-…

    Although if performance is important, then ethernet cabling is significantly better than wireless access. Leave WiFi for mobile phone browsing and other devices that only have WiFi, and run a solid gigabit or 2.5 Gbps ethernet from the computers to the router.

    Most of Portland has coverage from Vodafone, Optus and Telstra. Telstra have rolled out 5G in the centre and have 4G across the rest. If the signal inside isn't that great, then you could have an external antenna. RFshop are in Adelaide, but that's sort of close in the wider Australian context.

    Have you asked NBN for a quote to have a technology change and install fibre directly to your house?

    • piertlethed on 14/01/2024 - 11:42

      If you are on Fibre to the Node (FTTN), have you gone through all the local checks on wiring and with NBN to ensure you've got the best connection? Ideally not using the old phone cables with lots of outlets inside the house, just a clean connection from the demarcation point directly to the FTTN router.

      If you aren't using AussieBroadband, you could churn to them and check the detailed information they have on the signal, noise, NBN profiles to use. AB are also very good at engaging with NBN if there appear to be NBN cabling issues from the node to the demarcation point. https://www.aussiebroadband.com.au/help-centre/internet/serv…

      Do you have a moderately up to date NBN modem which supports the newer VDSL2 SRA, ROC and SOS? https://www.nbnco.com.au/learn/device-compatibility/vdsl2-mo….

      These things don't magically make NBN FTTN perfect, but there are a lot of times where the issues are on the user side, not the NBN side.

      • PiggyBoo on 14/01/2024 - 21:25

        Thanks to you both.
        I am currently using google mesh wifi connected to the Telstra smart modem 2. I had issues with internal wiring but had an nbn technician come by and test all the cabling. We since moved the modem to the port nbn comes into the house to avoid any internal cabling issues. Maximum line speed is 35-37mbps.

        Starlink is my next option with a pole installation. Hoping I can get someone who is available and able to install it.

        • piertlethed on 15/01/2024 - 17:53

          I think (only roughly) that should put your distance to the the FTTN node at around 1000 meters, unless there is something else with poor signal that is increasing the attenuation. AussieBroadband diagnostics would also have a bit more about being able to see if that is the right length being reported from the NBN end as well. Plus to play around with different noise profiles to see if that can improve anything. While it is a small effort to churn to a different provider, it isn't too hard to move .

          That Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2 ( DJA0231?) appears to be SOS/ROC compliant which helps with preventing drop outs.

        • piertlethed on 15/01/2024 - 17:55

          Even if there are other cables still running on phone outlets around the house, then can also have a small negative effect on the signal back to the node. Best to have just one cable coming in from NBN from the FTTN node and the modem plugs in there, with nothing else hanging off it.

          • PiggyBoo on 16/01/2024 - 07:49

            @piertlethed: When we first moved in, I had the modem in the home office. After multiple dropouts, nbn technician came and found out that the nbn cable was coming into the house through kitchen and then daisy chained to bedroom 1, 2, 3 and then home office. Since then, we have disabled those ports and I have plugged in the modem at the point it enters the house to avoid such issues.

            Speeds have increased since then but from 15mbps to 35mbps.

            • piertlethed on 17/01/2024 - 19:14

              @PiggyBoo: OK, that sounds OK. Hopefully 'disabled' means they were physically disconnected from the wires that come into the first point so they don't pick up any spurious signals.

              The last NBN checking point then is whether the 35Mbps down speed is correct given the physical distance to the NBN node. I think 35Mbps implies a 500 to 600 meter cable distance to the node. If the node is closer, there that implies other noisy or poor cabling. Have you found your node?

              The other check is with your neighbours, if they also have NBN FTTN. They should each be getting similar rates, gradually getting slower the further away from the FTTN node.

  • AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 12:42
    +7

    You shouldn't have voted against the ALP. We'd have 10gigabit internet in cities and gigabit in regional areas by now.

      • AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 14:09

        Of course people need it. A single Apple TV+ stream in 4K HDR can go over 35Mbps.

        • Hirolol on 15/01/2024 - 08:45

          Yeah that’s what I’m saying.
          Thinking fttn would be better when fulll fttp was planned in the first place.

    • xuqi on 14/01/2024 - 14:43
      +5

      We can all thank the mad monk of Warringah for the NBN omnishambles:

      https://www.computerworld.com/article/3466613/in-his-own-wor…

  • hasher22 on 14/01/2024 - 13:27
    +2

    Interesting how a developing country such as Philippines offered 1000mbps in random flyers I saw in a telco store……………. 10 years ago!

    Why is Australia like this?

    • SBOB on 14/01/2024 - 14:18
      +3

      Perhaps the relative population densities and country size may have something to do with that?

      • hasher22 on 14/01/2024 - 14:24
        -1

        Don't think so, Chile, another developing country, has a population of 19 million and they off 500mbps download and 500mbps and Chile is in the top 10 worlds fastest internet

        Hong Kong, population: 7 million. Offers 1000mbps and more and from sources they set up their fibre optic lines between 1995 to 2003. They are in the top 5 worlds fastest internet.

        I'm just saying Australia lags behind too much.

      • AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 15:26
        +3

        We had a plan to roll out fibre. It was fully costed and even with the highest cost overruns it would have paid for itself eventually. Instead the Coalition rolled out more copper after the full power of News Corpse railed against national fibre every day for years.

        I just hope the cure for cancer isn't discovered by government scientists when the ALP is in power or else Rupert and the Noalition will kill that too.

        • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 14/01/2024 - 20:58
          -1

          and Telstra got the biggest of biggest pay days for their shit infrastructure that has since been, or about to be, turfed. Yet no one batted an eyelid then 'cause Libs are gOoD MoNey ManAgErs.

    • AustriaBargain on 14/01/2024 - 15:14
      +2

      Rupert Murdoch.

  • BigBirdy on 14/01/2024 - 15:29
    +1

    I'm regional Qld (Noosa area), on FTTN that's slower than yours (<30mbps). I was offered FTTP upgrade a few months ago. I booked the upgrade, but NBN didn't turn up to the appointment they made. Finally they attended last week, and couldn't use the existing conduit, so I'm back waiting for them to fix that.

  • AlienC on 14/01/2024 - 23:53
    +1

    every time i check it gets pushed a year later

    last time it was meant to be end of 2023 now it is end of 2024

    schrodingers schedule

  • geekcohen on 15/01/2024 - 07:14

    Looked at Starlink as well but it’s difficult to connect to a mesh network

    It isn't, just set it up as a separate WiFi SSID. The default Starlink WiFi Box has crap WiFi anyway.

    and with other buildings blocking the line of sight

    What sort of buildings? Put it on a pole? I've done installs with Trees being an issue, put it on a 3m pole and works well!

    doubtful if we can get good speeds with low latency.

    Most likely going to be better than NBN Satellite or any 4G/5G solution. Here are some speed tests from installs I have done and show latency and speeds.

    Starlink will give you a lot more speed and installs I have done for people also WFH and has moved from other solutions because they are so poor. Starlink is a game changer.

  • Cashy78 on 15/01/2024 - 12:07
    +1

    there is a small section of my street that still cannot get FTTP, I am 2 houses away from it and it has been this way for months, I have been stonewalled by my provider and you cant complain to NBN about it. the worse thing is they just jacked up the prices for 50mb plans. I have lost all patience with the internet providers over this, I wish I had the money for Starlink.

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