NBN's forced fibre upgrades: Everything you need to know

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 04 May 2026

Contents

In this NBN upgrade guide:

Why is NBN Co forcing fibre upgrades?
When will NBN Co start forcing fibre upgrades?
Who will be made to upgrade?
What if I don't upgrade?
Will I need to pay more?
Can I upgrade to fibre early?

NBN Co will kick off what it's calling the "Targeted Upgrade" program in the middle of next year, in effect, forcing some Australians to upgrade to Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) or face getting cut off.

The program will focus on those already eligible for free upgrades to FTTP: Australians connecting to the NBN via Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) technology types.

While there's still plenty of time before the Targeted Upgrade program kicks off, here's what we know so far.

Why is NBN Co forcing fibre upgrades?

The Targeted Upgrade program is designed to reduce reliance on copper in the NBN. FTTN and FTTC have lower speed potential than FTTP due to the amount of copper used as part of the technology. FTTN and FTTC customers are limited to maximum speeds of 100Mbps, while customers on FTTP can get NBN plans as fast as 2Gbps. That's 20 times faster.

In addition, copper is more expensive to repair and less resilient than fibre. Last year, NBN Co told WhistleOut that in the event of extreme weather, FTTP services can be restored in a few hours, while FTTN services took days.

When will NBN Co start forcing fibre upgrades?

NBN Co expects to start the Targeted Upgrade program in July next year. An initial 130,000 premises will be part of the program in the first year, followed by a cadence of 20,000 premises per month.

Who will be made to upgrade?

The Targeted Upgrade program is aimed at those on FTTN and FTTC connections in areas where free fibre upgrades are already available. The initial tranche of the Targeted Upgrade program will be based on complexity. Areas where upgrading individual premises is straightforward will be prioritised over those where the upgrades will be harder.

You can check the technology type of your address below:

NBN TECH TYPE CHECKER

Find your NBN Technology Type

Some fixed-line NBN plan availability depends on your technology type. Check your address to find out yours.

Your address will be used to check against the nbn’s technology type database. It will not be stored by us.

What if I don't upgrade?

Customers who don't take up a free fibre upgrade as part of the Targeted Upgrade program will face disconnection. After an area becomes part of the Targeted Upgrade program, customers will have six months to request an FTTP upgrade. Customers who don't do this will have their connection suspended.

Requesting a fibre upgrade will restore connectivity. If a customer doesn't request a fibre upgrade within 30 days, their internet will be disconnected entirely. If this happens, the customer will need to order a new service to get back online.

Customers in an area part of the Targeted Upgrade program will be notified about the need to upgrade three times: at six months before disconnection, at three months, and at one month.

Will I need to pay more?

Customers upgrading as part of the Targeted Upgrade program will be able to stay on an NBN 50 plan when they switch over to fibre. This means pricing will stay the same - NBN 50 plans from providers are identical, no matter what technology type they're delivered on.

While customers on FTTP have the option to get a faster, more expensive plan, those that migrate over as part of the Targeted Upgrade program won't be required to take one of these up.

Can I upgrade to fibre early?

Over five million addresses are already eligible for free upgrades to FTTP, but just over one million have taken these up. The five million addresses represent everyone on FTTC and the majority of the FTTN footprint.

Anyone at any of these eligible addresses can request a fibre upgrade whenever by ordering an NBN 500 plan. Here are the most popular NBN 500 plans from participating providers:

#1	Dodo Editor's Pick	Dodo FTTP, HFC Editor's Pick nbn500 Unlimited Plan FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/48 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $30/mth discount for 6 months based on the standard price $92.99/mth. Ends 08.12.26. T&Cs apply. $62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99 Go to Site*	$62.99/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.99/mth Min. cost $62.99	Go to Site
#2	Tangerine Telecom	Tangerine Telecom FTTP, HFC Speedy Max NBN 500/50 FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/42.5 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $33/mth off for the first 6 mths, $59.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth. Ends 30.10.26 $59.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth Min. cost $59.90 Go to Site	$59.90/mth for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth Min. cost $59.90	Go to Site
#3	Superloop	Superloop FTTP, HFC Family Max nbn500/50 FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/45 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $21/mth off for 6 mths! $74/mth for 6 mths, then $95/mth + Bundle & Save $74/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $74 Go to Site	$74/mth for first 6 mths, then $95/mth Min. cost $74	Go to Site
#4	TPG	TPG FTTP, HFC nbn Home Fast Unlimited Plan FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/42 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Save $240 over 12mths! $74.99/mth for first 12 months, then $94.99/mth. Min cost $84.99 if modem returned. T&Cs apply $74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99 Link not supplied	$74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99	Link not supplied
#5	iiNet	iiNet FTTP, HFC nbn500 Liimitless FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/42 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for 6 mths - $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $94.99/mth. Use code SAVE25FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#6	SpinTel	SpinTel FTTP, HFC Home Turbo 500/50 FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/42 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20.95 off your plan for first 6 months! $69/mth for first 6 months, then $89.95/mth. $69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.95/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths, then $89.95/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#7	Exetel	Exetel FTTP, HFC One Plan 500/50 FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/45 Mbps Unlimited Data $80/mth Min. cost $80 Go to Site	$80/mth Min. cost $80	Go to Site
#8	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband FTTP, HFC Fast Fibre - Unlimited FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/44 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SPRING20. $99/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $79/mth for first 6 months, then $99/mth Min. cost $79 Link not supplied	$79/mth for first 6 months, then $99/mth Min. cost $79	Link not supplied
#9	Flip	Flip FTTP, HFC Unlimited Fast Speed nbn500 FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/42 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Incl. $19.90/mth off for 6 months - $69/mth for first 6mths then $88.90/mth. New customers only. Ends 31.10.26. T&Cs apply. $69/mth for first 6 mths then $88.90/mth Min. cost $69 Go to Site	$69/mth for first 6 mths then $88.90/mth Min. cost $69	Go to Site
#10	iPrimus	iPrimus FTTP, HFC Premium Plus Plan FTTP, HFC nbn® 500/47 Mbps Unlimited Data $100/mth Min. cost $100 Link not supplied	$100/mth Min. cost $100	Link not supplied

NBN Co plans to waive the requirement to order an NBN 500 plan for customers on FTTC from July this year. This means FTTC customers will be upgraded to FTTP while staying on an NBN 50 plan.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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