nbn™ Hybrid Fibre Coaxial explained (HFC)

After your phone and internet provider confirms your order, an appointment window will be scheduled and confirmed by us via SMS, please reply to this message with your preference. You will receive a call a few days before your installation appointment to confirm that all the requirements are ready – and to make sure that there will not be any access restrictions at the site on the day.

Note: You will need to call your provider if you wish to make an appointment outside of the appointment window or reschedule an existing appointment.

On the day of installation an nbn™ technician will visit your premises to complete the following tasks:

1. Determine and discuss with you the location(s) to mount/install nbn™ supplied equipment.
2. If necessary, install a lead-in cable from the street to your property.
3. Install, activate and test the installed nbn™ supplied equipment.
4. Clean up after they have finished the installation.

The installation may include ducting and drilling works. If your premises has a communications cabinet, access will need to be arranged with your building or property manager before your appointment. If you know of any nbn™ supplied equipment currently on site, be sure to let your provider know before the day.

Installation with existing pay TV or cable internet service:

A standard installation may take two to four hours. If there are complexities or if the coaxial cable is not connected to the nbn™ utility box (also referred to as a ‘PCD’), the installation may take longer – sometimes up to eight hours.

Yes. Someone over the age of 18 must be present at the premises for the entire duration of the installation.

Yes. If you wish to reschedule an installation, you will need to call your provider at least 24 hours before your scheduled appointment to avoid any applicable charges.

Please note that you cannot reschedule an appointment via SMS.

Technicians aim to have all the required work completed in a single visit. Due to the complex and limiting nature of connecting some types of premises, there is the possibility that your technician may have to schedule an additional visit on another day to complete the installation.

Before your technician arrives, it is important to consider the possible internal (and external) mount and install locations of the nbn™ supplied equipment (nbn™ connection box and Power Supply Unit) – your technician will help advise where they can be installed. Be sure to discuss the location with your technician before they begin.

Things to consider when choosing the location of your nbn™ supplied equipment:

• No more than 80cm away from a power point – the equipment will need to stay plugged in.
• A cool, dry, ventilated area (not a damp or wet area such as a kitchen, bathroom, laundry or under a window that opens).
• Away from busy areas where it could be knocked or damaged.
• Somewhere easy for you to access and check the indicator lights.
• In the same building as the main electric meter box or distribution board (i.e. not in a detached garage).

If available, you may request to move the location of your main wall outlet free of charge as part of the installation process – you will then have two functioning wall outlets. The nbn™ connection box will be connected and activated on the new outlet, and the existing (old) outlet will continue to work if needed in the future.

You will be required to approve all aspects of the installation before the technician starts, so take the time to think about the install location(s). If you are not happy with all of the proposed locations or need further assistance, advise your technician that you do not want to progress with the installation and then contact your provider to discuss your options.

No, this step usually involves a simple self-installation – your provider will supply you with the instructions to complete this step. You will need to connect the provider-supplied modem to the yellow connector on the rear of the nbn™ connection box. Contact your provider if you need any help completing this step.

If you’re renting, you need to make your landlord aware that you want to install the required equipment, to ensure they do not object. If you’re not in direct contact with your landlord, contact your property manager or real estate agent. 

To help you prepare for the switch to the nbn™ broadband access network, here is a guide on what you need to consider.

When your technician has finished the installation, you should be able to self-install the provider-supplied modem and access your service – connecting the modem they have supplied you to the yellow connector on the rear of the nbn™ connection box.

The service activation process:

1. We will notify your provider that your installation has been initiated.
2. Your provider will then provision your service.
3. Your technician finishes your installation – testing and activating your service.
4. You can then self-install the provider-supplied modem – connecting the modem to the yellow connector on the rear of the nbn™ connection box.
5. After a few minutes, the lights on your modem should light up and your service should be active.

If you encounter any issues activating your service, you will need to contact your provider for assistance. If you are switching providers, please allow two to three business days for us to liaise with your provider to activate your service.

nbn™ technicians do their best to keep every appointment and notify customers if they can no longer make the agreed time. On the rare occasion that a technician is delayed due to the complexities of another installation and misses your appointment, you will need to contact your provider to reschedule your appointment.

If you have a complaint regarding your installation experience, please refer to the Contact us section of our site.

If the requirements of the installation are ‘non-standard’, your technician will refer you to contact your provider to discuss options and/or potential charges that may be involved. There are some cases where you may be required to organise and pay for digging a trench to prepare your premises to connect to the nbn™ infrastructure.

No. If you are connecting to the nbn™ access network and also have a pay TV service (i.e. Foxtel), your technician will use a splitter to distribute the single connection across two cables; one to your TV or set-top box, and the other to the nbn™ connection box.

To allow full functionality of your pay TV services, we recommend that you connect your TV or set-top box to your provider-supplied modem via ethernet or Wi-Fi. Talk to your pay TV provider if you need more assistance with this setup.