What Happens If You Don’t Upgrade to Fibre? | MATE

Uncategorised, Home & Business Internet Blog | MATE, Mobile Phone & Internet Blog | MATE | 14 October 2026

What happens if you don’t upgrade to fibre?

The short answer

Nothing happens straight away. If your address is in nbn’s Targeted Upgrade program and you don’t order the free fibre upgrade within six months of your first notice, your service is suspended. Ordering the upgrade during the suspension restores it. If you still take no action, the service is disconnected.

The program’s first notices aren’t due until July 2027, and nbn doesn’t expect any suspensions before January 2028. If you’ve received a letter about fibre already, it’s most likely a voluntary upgrade offer. Our guide to what your nbn upgrade notice means explains how to tell the difference.

The sequence, step by step

nbn hasn’t published every detail of the process yet, so some of the steps below are based on industry reporting. Here’s what’s expected to happen if you take no action:

1. First notification. You’re told your address is in the Targeted Upgrade program. Notices come from your provider, and nbn will also send letters directly.
2. Six months to order. You have six months from your first notice to order the free fibre upgrade.
3. Reminder notices. You’ll get more notices as the deadline gets closer. Industry reporting says these will come at around three months and one month before the deadline.
4. Suspension. If no upgrade has been ordered by the end of the six months, your copper-based nbn service is suspended.
5.  A short window to restore it. During the suspension, ordering the fibre upgrade restores your connection. Industry reporting puts this window at around 30 days.
6. Disconnection. If nothing is ordered during the suspension, the service is disconnected.

The key difference: suspension can be reversed by ordering the upgrade. Disconnection can’t.

What disconnection means in practice

If your service is disconnected, you’d need to order a brand-new nbn service to get back online. That means:

• placing a new order with a provider
• waiting for a new installation to be scheduled
• no home internet, and no nbn home phone, in the meantime.

There’s no penalty fee for not upgrading. The consequence is losing your service, not a bill. And because the copper is being retired, any new service at your address would be on fibre anyway.

Who this applies to (and who it doesn’t)

It applies to homes and businesses on copper-based nbn in areas nbn selects for the program. Industry reporting identifies these as Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) connections. nbn says it’s starting with around 130,000 homes and businesses in the first year, with industry reporting suggesting around 20,000 a month after that.

It doesn’t apply today if you’re on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), Fixed Wireless or satellite. If your address is included, your notice will say so.

Not sure which connection you have, or whether you can upgrade already? Check your address here.

Your options if you don’t want to upgrade right now

Here’s the honest answer: you can defer the upgrade, but you can’t refuse it forever if your address is in the program. The copper your service runs on is being retired.

What you can do is take control of the timing. nbn has committed to:

• multiple notifications before anything changes
• the option to extend or defer before your service is suspended
• case-managed support for customers who need extra help.

The upgrade is free for a standard installation, and nbn says you can stay on your existing speed tier where applicable, so you won’t be pushed onto a more expensive plan.

The most important thing: talk to your provider. A conversation keeps your options open. Silence removes them. MATE customers can contact our Australian-based support team on 13 14 13.

If you decide to go ahead, our guide to whether you should upgrade your nbn to fibre can help, and do you need a new modem when you upgrade to fibre? covers the equipment side.

Special cases

• If you rent: you’ll need your landlord’s or property manager’s permission for the installation. Ask as soon as you get a notice, not close to the deadline.
• If you’re away for a long time: tell your provider before you go. You can ask about deferring, or arrange for someone over 18 to be home for the installation.
• If you need help with the process: contact your provider and ask for support. nbn has committed to case-managed support, and industry reporting says nbn will set up an Australian-based support centre for people who need extra help.
• If the timing just doesn’t work: whether you’re renovating, unwell or about to move, ask your provider about extending or deferring before the deadline. If you’re moving out, let them know that too.
• A note on scams: expect scammers to copy these notices. nbn doesn’t sell broadband directly and won’t ask for payment over the phone. Here’s how to spot and stop phone scams.