Everything you need to know about switching to NBN

The rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) is one of the Australian government’s major undertakings. While it’s still facing a number of obstacles, it’s made strides in its goal of providing fast, reliable and affordable broadband services to homes and businesses across the country.

A lot of the coverage of the NBN has focused on the politics, so for now, we’d like to take a closer look at the technology behind it. NBN uses a mixed technology approach to respond to the needs and constraints of different areas across the country.

As the NBN rollout continues, businesses will have to switch away from older connections such as ISDN and ADSL. Here’s an overview of the different technologies that NBN relies on:

Fixed Line Technology

NBN’s Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology uses fibre optic cables to replace copper wire and some HFC networks. These cables use light instead of electricity to transmit data, making them more reliable in high-bandwidth, long-distance transmissions.

Businesses that switch to FTTP—which is only available in certain areas as of now—can expect the following:

• More reliable call quality, especially for long-distance calls.
• Support for more simultaneous users without decreased download/upload speeds.
• Higher-quality video conferencing for better collaboration
• Support for faster response times, leading to better customer service

Fixed Wireless Technology

Fixed wireless technology transmits data using radio signals instead of cables. This technology uses transmission devices, usually directional antennae, to enable broadband connections between two fixed points without relying on satellites.

Businesses located outside of main CBDs—where FTTP wouldn’t be available—can benefit greatly from fixed wireless technology. The growing infrastructure of wireless networks allows failover and redundancy for connectivity that wired connections simply cannot offer, making downtimes significantly lower.

For installation, your business addresses must pass a line of sight pre-qualification to make sure that your area is serviceable.

Satellite Technology

Australia’s vast, complex geography can make it difficult to set up FTTP and fixed wireless technology in certain areas, especially rural and remote ones. Satellite technology is the best option for offices in these areas.

The NBN Satellite Support Scheme (NSS) transmits and receives data from equipment installed at home or in your place of business, through a satellite orbiting the earth. This lets businesses overcome geographic barriers and get efficient access to broadband connections.

Preparing for the Switch

If you’re using an older connection technology like ADSL or ISDN, switching out is a necessity—but it’s not something that will take care of itself. You’ll have to make the effort to find a new service that works for you.

Check which technology is available at your address and when it will be rolled out through Alltel’s NBN coverage map.At Alltel, we are committed to making your move to NBN as smooth as possible. In fact, we provide business phone systems that are NBN ready to make your switch hassle-free.

To know more about how you can prepare your business for NBN, call us at 1300 ALLTEL or visit us at ALLTEL.