NBN Co weaves AI and automation into its operational "fabric"

NBN Co is embedding AI and automation “into the fabric of [its] operations”, with tools already live for design, support and knowledge access, and spending in the tens of millions.

CEO Ellie Sweeney detailed the company’s investments to date as part of an annual results briefing, augmenting detail released in regulatory filings late last month.

“We’re embedding AI and automation into the fabric of our operations, as a powerful enabler of better outcomes for our people, our partners and our customers,” Sweeney said.

The company has so far built a generative AI tool it calls “Ask NBN” that Sweeney said “unlocks thousands of pages of technical documentation, making it easier for our teams to access the right information faster.”

It has a second tool called ‘Design AI’ to transform how it plans and builds out its networks, “enabling engineers to design with greater speed, greater accuracy and efficiency.”

Additionally, Sweeney said, “AI-powered support engines are transforming how retail service providers (RSPs) interact with NBN Co, by converting conversations into actionable outcomes, optimising API performance for automated processes, and streamlining access to key information such as our upcoming speed uplift program ‘Accelerate Great’.”

AI tools are also being used by agents “to automatically summarise details of chat interactions”, and as part of a “new voice call centre solution… that’s enhancing service and streamlining operations.”

The company will next introduce AI-powered assistance into the way it schedules and manages appointments to attend premises.

“We’re preparing to launch an AI-powered appointment assistant, guiding next-best actions for missed appointments and reducing frictions for customers and RSPs alike,” Sweeney said.

The detail provided by Sweeney builds on regulatory disclosures last month around the company’s investment into AI and automation.

Actual capital expenditure on AI and automation technology is now expected to be $54.3 million between FY24 and FY26 - that is, up to June 30 of next year. [pdf]

It’s not clear what NBN Co plans to spend beyond FY26 on AI and automation, but it will be at least $11.4 million - just for one part of the business.

“Over FY27-FY29, the finance business unit [will invest $11.4 million to] support the implementation of automation technology - adopt low-code self-service, automation, and AI to digitise and eliminate time-consuming tasks,” NBN Co said in the regulatory filings [pdf].

This will include “establishing a finance-led "Automation COE" [that] will bring together business technology experts to coordinate, govern, and support innovation and automation across all [internal] finance functions.

“It will unlock material value through enabling faster, more informed, and commercially focused decision-making,” NBN Co said.

AI and automation will also play a role in constraining workforce costs between FY27 and FY29, although a number of other initiatives are also at play here, including simplification and “right-sourcing”. [pdf]

For FY25, NBN Co reported revenues of $5.7 billion, up four percent year on year.

It managed to lift average revenue per user (ARPU) for residential users by $3 to $50 for the year, both through price increases and having more users move to 100Mbps services in return for fibre.