The National Broadband Network (NBN) is rapidly expanding its reach through Australia and is the cornerstone to the Government’s quest to turn Australia into a leading digital economy.
As of the 25th May, NBN reached a milestone of 1 million premises that can connect to the NBN. Currently over 870,000 homes and businesses are experiencing faster connectivity due to the NBN.
However, despite the NBN’s high profile in the media, many consumers are still facing confusion on how to sign up to the service, who does what and how to get connected.
The team at Activ8me have a wealth of experience in broadband services across satellite- where we started, fixed wireless and high speed fibre connectivity. We also know that in regional areas, sometimes the transition to a new service may have some extra hurdles and we are mindful of making that as stress-free as possible. So you are in good hands.
To ensure that you have the smoothest ride onto the fast lane of the NBN, let’s take you through the process.
A Brief Guide to NBN Connection
NBN installation is still shrouded in some mystery to a lot of people. Here are the steps that will get you installed and high speed broadband ready.
1/ Pick your provider. Depending on your location there will be a number of competing suppliers. Once you have decided on Activ8me, we will be your registered NBN service provider. NBN provides the wholesale service and Activ8me is one of a group of Internet Service Providers (ISP) that service your area.
2/ Which technology platform? NBN Co deploys three types of technology to deliver broadband services:
- Fibre-optic cable capable of providing speeds of up to 100 Megabit per second (Mbps) to 93% of premises;
- Fixed wireless and satellite connections capable of providing peak speeds of up to 25 megabits per second (Mbps) to 7% of premises.
The location of your home or business will determine what type of technology is available to you. Activ8me can check this for you and connect you to the relevant NBN service. Fixed wireless and satellite are predominately used in rural and remote areas.
3/ NBN Co installs your connection. NBN Co is in charge of the end-to-end installation of your service, as well as any service calls if required. Once you order your home or business’s required and most appropriate service for your area – satellite, fixed wireless or fibre- Activ8me will arrange for an NBN installer to come to your home or business for installation. After NBN installation, Activ8me will handle customer care and billing in the same way that your telecommunications provider does now.
4/ Install day. Allow up to 2-4 hours for a standard NBN installations. The NBN technician will survey your premises and determine the best way to get the fibre, satellite or wireless connection installed. A standard installation is no cost to you If anything additional to standard installation is required they will discuss this with you before work starts. If you would like your installation done in a particular way, please discuss this with your installer as there may be charges associated.
Each service has a very similar installation process, an external outdoor unit is installed at your premise; a satellite dish or a fixed wireless antenna is installed on your roof, or a fibre connection box on an external wall.
A cable is then connected from the external outdoor unit to a modem in your house. The cable connecting the outdoor unit to the modem will run down an internal wall cavity or down an external wall with conduit. The cable is then plugged into your modem to activate your connection.
5/ Not all premises are created equal. Be aware that the installation experience may vary for each dwelling. Structural, environmental and technical issues can cause delays but nothing that is insurmountable. For instance in the case of fibre connections if a building doesn’t already have a fibre-optic cable connected, this may require the digging of a small trench, or, if coming from overhead may need some clearing of trees . The NBN installers will attempt to keep disturbance to a minimum.
6/ Connected! You are now ready to use high speed broadband services on the NBN. Activ8me will handle service, plans and billing. We will also advise you of any technical upgrades that NBN Co may be making in your area.