As the NBN rollout continues, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has stressed that connection is not automatic and that consumers will need to arrange for a new connection ahead of the upcoming disconnection of old telephone and internet services.With Telstra to soon disconnect services in areas where the NBN is up and running, the ACCC has urged consumers to understand how the rollout will affect their telephone and internet services.
Once a region is declared NBN ready, consumers will have 18 months to move their landline and internet services, with any services not cancelled or moved to be disconnected at the end of the period.
NBN Co will let consumers know by direct mail their region’s ready-for-service date.
The ACCC has put together information on how the NBN’s rollout will impact phone and internet services, which can be found here.
ACCC commissioner Cristina Cifuentes stated consumers will need to take action ahead of disconnection date.
“Our message to consumers is to seek as much information as you can about what you need to do to migrate to the NBN,” Cifuentes stated.
“If you want to keep your landline phone and internet services, you should place an order for an NBN service by the disconnection date for your region or your current services will eventually be permanently disconnected.”
The ACCC has released a new discussion paper on Telstra’s migration to the NBN, seeking industry feedback on the telco’s revised plan lodged last month, which details how Telstra will disconnect telephone and internet services from its copper and HFC networks as part of the migration.
The revised plan follows the move to a multi-technology mix (MTM) model in the NBN’s rollout, with Telstra and NBN Co having negotiated revised Definitive Agreements to facilitate the implementation of the MTM-model NBN.
Telstra’s proposed amendments to the Migration Plan are extensive, the ACCC stated, and reflect the recently revised commercial agreements between Telstra, NBN Co and the government, enabling NBN Co to use parts of Telstra’s copper and cable networks in the NBN rollout.
“The revised plan also reflects a number of changes to the migration and disconnection arrangements recently adopted by Telstra and NBN Co with the ACCC’s consent,” the ACCC stated.
“Overall, the new disconnection arrangements are likely to provide greater service continuity assurance for consumers in the migration process.”
The ACCC has stated it is currently minded to approve the revised plan, however is seeking feedback from industry on whether there would be any unintended consequences from its implementation.
