No new fibre take-up target is set by NBN Co

NBN Co has refrained from publicly specifying targets for the number of premises to transition from fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) and fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) to full fibre in FY24, a critical metric in its upgrade program. The absence of set targets in the company’s inaugural service improvement plan raises questions about the ongoing disclosure of take-up targets. Although NBN Co previously fell short of its activation target for FY23 under the ‘fibre connect’ program, recent reports indicate a recovery, with 5000 premises being upgraded weekly. However, no specific targets for the number of upgrades in FY24 are outlined in the service improvement plan. While NBN Co emphasizes the importance of take-up in realizing the benefits of the FTTP upgrade program, it cites the dependency on Retail Service Providers (RSPs) promoting upgrades and effectively marketing them to end-users. The company is working on backend IT enhancements to facilitate easier take-up for RSPs and end-users, aiming to improve visibility and marketability of full fibre upgrade locations. Despite acknowledging the centrality of full fibre to future service standard improvements, NBN Co’s upgrade timeline suggests a multi-year endeavor. Limited commitments to interim standards on copper segments of its network are explained by the costliness of meeting higher standards in the short term.