(Image credit: NBN)
Over the last few years, the National Broadband Network (NBN) has been on a determined quest to achieve faster internet speeds for Australians. From a suite of new satellites to boosted wholesale speeds and a free full-fibre upgrade, a plethora of opt-in initiatives have been brought forward by the NBN to benefit everyday Aussies, but now the network is pushing its agenda a little harder, with mandatory FTTP upgrades coming to select suburbs.Until now, FTTP upgrades have been entirely optional for customers, with rollouts occurring nationwide in eligible suburbs for those who ordered a high-speed plan (think 100Mbps or more) through their chosen telecommunications provider. But with this new program, the NBN will be enforcing better performance from July 1, 2026.The NBN announced its Targeted Upgrade program in late April, hoping to supplement a "managed transition for selected homes and businesses from legacy NBN copper to fibre". This program will go hand-in-hand with Fibre Connect by offering a limited number of upgrades to full-fibre, without the customer-based requirement of ordering a high-speed plan.The program will primarily target areas where fibre is already available and where the upgrade will help improve performance for the outlined 130,000 homes and businesses. This may include targeting underperforming copper lines and retiring underused network nodes.The schedule is set to begin in July 2027, starting with notifications from the NBN to selected homes and businesses to inform them of the transition and disconnection of their existing copper service. If these notifications are ignored, the NBN notes that services will be suspended. The first official suspension of legacy copper services in these areas is not expected to occur until January 2028.What you can do to prepare nowAs specified, this change will not impact the majority of Australian homes and businesses; however, that doesn't mean it won't impact you or someone you know. As per NBN's press release, those in select areas will face disconnection if they don't take up the fibre upgrade.If you suspect you might be part of the mandatory movement, there's plenty of time to get ahead of the curve and upgrade your copper connection on your own terms. Even if you're not on the list, if you have FTTC or FTTN at home, you might already be eligible for the free fibre upgrade.Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.Right now, there's a plethora of great NBN deals available, including on the popular NBN 500 tier. In the lead-up to EOFY, introductory prices have been slashed by Tangerine, making its NBN 500 plan the one to beat.If Tangerine's plan doesn't tickle your fancy, you can check out some other top-rated NBN 500 plans in the widget below.
