The third trigger for NBN Co’s migration strategy would be activated in areas where a significant number of users have already upgraded to fibre. This strategic move is part of the company’s broader vision to modernize Australia’s broadband infrastructure by phasing out older copper-based technologies in favor of more reliable and faster fibre connections. As more users in a given area switch to fibre, maintaining the existing copper infrastructure becomes increasingly inefficient and expensive.

During the transition phase, NBN Co noted the necessity of running parallel street networks, meaning both copper and fibre infrastructure would coexist temporarily. This dual-network approach ensures uninterrupted service for customers who have not yet migrated to fibre, allowing them time to transition while the fibre network becomes more widely available. However, NBN Co emphasized that maintaining these parallel networks is only a temporary solution. As the number of copper-based users continues to dwindle, the costs associated with servicing and maintaining the aging copper infrastructure will eventually outweigh the benefits. At that point, it would no longer be financially viable to support the copper network.

Once this tipping point is reached, NBN Co intends to “manage” the transition of the remaining premises from copper-based services to fibre. This process would involve strategically migrating the last of the copper users to fibre connections, ensuring minimal disruption to their services. The company’s goal is to achieve a complete shift to fibre in these areas, which would allow it to retire the copper infrastructure entirely, reducing maintenance costs and improving overall network performance and reliability.

Although the migration from copper to fibre is still relatively new for NBN Co, the company is not navigating this transition blindly. It is closely monitoring its progress by comparing it with international counterparts, particularly Chorus in New Zealand, which has undergone a similar transition. By studying the experiences and strategies of these international operators, NBN Co aims to optimize its own migration approach, learning from their successes and challenges to ensure a smoother and more efficient transition.

A key focus for NBN Co is to move beyond the current “on-demand” upgrade model, where individual users request fibre connections as needed. Instead, the company envisions a shift towards “mass” migration, where entire neighborhoods or regions are transitioned to fibre in a coordinated effort. This approach would accelerate the adoption of fibre technology, helping NBN Co reach critical mass more quickly. Once a sufficient number of users have switched to fibre, the company would be in a position to “manage” the remaining premises over to fibre as well, ultimately enabling the complete shutdown of Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) networks. This strategic shift would not only streamline network operations but also significantly reduce long-term maintenance costs associated with outdated copper infrastructure.

In addition to residential areas, NBN Co is also looking at ways to accelerate the migration of customers in multi-dwelling units (MDUs), such as apartment buildings and townhouses, from legacy copper technologies to fibre. Currently, the company’s approach involves seeking “co-contributions” from strata bodies or building owners to cover the costs of upgrading the infrastructure within these complexes. This cost-sharing model is designed to ease the financial burden on NBN Co while facilitating a faster transition to fibre for MDU residents.

However, despite these strategic intentions, NBN Co has not yet provided clear details on how it plans to address the unique challenges associated with MDUs. These challenges include coordinating with multiple stakeholders, navigating complex property management structures, and ensuring equitable cost distribution among residents. The lack of a detailed plan has left some uncertainty regarding how and when these customers will be transitioned to fibre. Nonetheless, NBN Co’s commitment to modernizing Australia’s broadband infrastructure remains clear, with a strong focus on achieving a fully fibre-powered network in the near future.