RDAUTBMag2026

spinning ‘wheel of death’ as things buffer gets relegated to history”, explains Jono. “In terms of cost, from July 1 any customer on FTTC can switch to fibre on their current plan, with no need for a higher speed. For FTTN you still need to move up to a 500Mbps plan, but for $2 a month more (compared to a 50Mbps plan), its value is worth the cost.” How the nbn critically supports during Australian emergencies The nbn operates critical network infrastructure with a clear purpose of keeping communities connected before, during, and after emergencies. It’s all about continuing to support local communities. nbn’s emergency assets such as its STAND deployments continue to support communities in their times of need. Its field and community teams, and delivery partners stand ready to reconnect the network and impacted services in challenging conditions, as part of a swift and coordinated operational response when events escalate. The importance of this coordinated approach was clearly illustrated at the beginning of 2026, in support of communities impacted by extreme fire conditions in Victoria and severe weather and flooding in Queensland. So, what exactly is ‘fibre resilience’? Essentially, full fibre connections make Australians’ online PHOTO CREDI: AUSSIE BROADBAND reader ’ s digest 38   MAY 2026 experience safer and more reliable. More than 8.647 million premises are currently connected to the nbn® network, with approximately 35 per cent or 2.99 million premises on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), which cements fibre as the dominant technology. Here’s what you need to know about it. 1. It delivers greater resilience and a better customer experience, and is more resilient and faster to recon- nect after storms, floods and fires, giving more Australians peace of mind during these challenging times. 2. As a passive connection tech- nology, FTTP cabling doesn’t carry electrical current and can operate underwater, making it less vulnera- ble to environmental impacts. There are also fewer points that require power on a fibre cable’s journey to a premises, compared to copper-based technologies. 3. The Fibre Connect program will positively impact millions. Cur- rently, more than 10 million homes and businesses are eligible to order some of the fastest residential wholesale speed tiers ever delivered on the nbn® network, while more than 1 million homes and busi- nesses have already upgraded to full fibre through the Fibre Connect program, with many customers, particularly in regional areas, enjoy- ing an enhanced customer experi- ence on fibre and world-class con- nectivity. Work has commenced for more than 228,000 premises across the country as part of the program to upgrade more than 95 per cent of the approximately 622,000 homes and businesses remaining on cop- per connections, keeping the pro- gram on track to its 2030 target. To discover more about Aussie Broadband and keep in touch about their latest news, visit www.aussiebroadband.com.au PHOTO CREDI: AUSSIE BROADBAND readersdigest.com.au    39 Trusted Brands