NBN address tracker gets an update, helps to resolve availability questions

A refresh to the NBN website has sought to provide clarity on when hopeful users can expect to be connected to the network.

The NBN’s address checker has undergone a major update, which the provider says will allow almost every Australian to find out when they can reach out to their preferred ISP and request a connection to the NBN.

The announcement comes as the provider plans to ramp up construction work across suburbs in the metropolitan areas of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. The company said the rollout had reached more than one in three homes and businesses across the country.

Typing a residential or business address into the checking form on the NBN’s website now produces information regarding the expected commencement date of building or service availability, depending on location and current status of the connection. Addresses that provide no specific information on anticipated build or availability note that the service is expected to be complete by 2020.

NBN chief customer officer John Simon said the update addressed the number one question asked of the company: “when am I getting the NBN?”

“On average we are making the network available to around 60,000 new homes and businesses each week, so it stands to reason that there is growing interest in when the network will be available across the country,” he said.

“With this in mind, we have moved away from telling people when we'll be building in their neighbourhood to when they can contact their retailer to buy a service. The change means we can better meet the interests of our retail customers as well as the Australian homes and businesses which will benefit from fast broadband services powered by the NBN network.

“The update also means for the tech enthusiasts, who are interested in what kind of technology their retailer will connect them to via the NBN network, that this information is available to them.”

Simon also said noted some of the circumstances surrounding connection times relied on various factors sometimes out of the influence of the company itself.

“It’s not until we are in the streets that we have a clear view of the technology available to individual homes so there are times where a different solution is determined to be better than that which was planned. The sheer size and complexity of the network build means there will always be a need for flexibility on our technology choice and service availability dates,” he said.