NBN Co, Telstra work to prevent FTTC connection limbo

NBN Co and Telstra have built safeguards into the fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) rollout to ensure new connections actually work before the legacy ADSL service is disconnected.

The safeguards were jointly drafted to ensure passage of an amendment to the regulated migration plan for moving customers off Telstra infrastructure and onto the NBN.

Both Optus and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) raised concerns last year that FTTC disconnection processes being proposed could see customers left without a working internet connection.

“The existing Telstra legacy services would be disconnected 10 to 20 days after NBN Co has connected the FTTC service,” the ACCC said.

“This would occur irrespective of whether or not there was confirmation of a working FTTC service.”

That “could have resulted in people being left without a phone or internet service before their FTTC service was operating,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims said in a statement.

NBN Co has now altered processes at its end to prevent this from occurring.

“NBN Co have now agreed to change connection processes and undertake data testing to ensure FTTC services are operating prior to disconnection of existing services,” Sims said.

The agreed rules mean that “if no data traffic is detected from an FTTC-connected premises after 30 calendar days, NBN Co will cancel the FTTC order”, the ACCC said.

“Where an FTTC order is cancelled, the premises will not be included on the daily migration file sent to Telstra that triggers legacy service disconnection,” it said.

The FTTC network is expected to be commercially launched sometime this month.