NBN & Critical Services Information

1. Purpose and relationship to your plan documents

This page gives general NBN information. It does not replace the plan-specific Critical Information Summary, Key Facts information, order or Service Agreement. Before entering an NBN consumer contract, Alder provides or makes available the information required by the Telecommunications (NBN Consumer Information) Industry Standard, including plan speed information, relevant limitations, compatible equipment and other plan-specific facts.

If plan-specific information differs from this general guide, rely on the current plan document for the specific service, subject to mandatory law.

2. Address qualification and NBN availability

NBN availability is determined by the service address and the NBN location record associated with that premises. My Alder can use wholesale NBN service qualification to identify the location ID, available access technology, service class and speed tiers that the wholesale platform reports as available.

A qualification result is not the same as a completed NBN order. Further work, appointments, infrastructure, landlord/body-corporate approval or NBN remediation may still be required. Availability can change if NBN updates network records or build status.

3. NBN access technologies

The NBN uses multiple technologies, including fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), fibre-to-the-building (FTTB), fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC), fibre-to-the-node (FTTN), hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC), fixed wireless and satellite services. The technology at a particular address affects attainable speeds, installation requirements, equipment and fault characteristics.

Alder cannot choose or guarantee the NBN access technology at an address unless NBN provides an eligible technology-upgrade process that the customer elects to use.

4. Speed tiers, typical busy-period speeds and plan information

Your plan’s CIS/Key Facts information sets out the relevant NBN plan speed and, where required, the typical busy-period download speed that an average customer can expect. Residential busy-period information is generally concerned with evening use; business plan information may use the business busy period required by the relevant rules.

A plan speed tier is not a promise that every download will run at the nominal tier speed. NBN advertising and pre-sale information must distinguish the plan/tier from the typical speed customers can expect during congested periods. Alder will not rely on the phrase “up to” as a substitute for required NBN speed information in consumer advertising.

5. Factors that affect actual speed

• NBN access technology and physical line capability;
• distance and copper quality on relevant FTTN/FTTB/FTTC services;
• NBN and wholesale network congestion or routing;
• the remote website, cloud service or content server;
• the performance and configuration of the router or gateway;
• Wi-Fi interference, signal strength, channel utilisation and distance;
• device capability, Ethernet/Wi-Fi standard and background traffic; and
• simultaneous use by other devices at the premises.

Because Alder can support compatible managed networking, we may be able to distinguish some Wi-Fi/local-network issues from WAN/NBN issues more effectively than a connection-only provider, but diagnostic data is still subject to technical limitations.

6. Equipment and compatibility

Your order tells you what router or other equipment is included, purchased, recommended or required. A BYO router must support the relevant connection and configuration. Some high-speed plans require equipment with sufficient Ethernet and Wi-Fi capability to use the plan effectively.

NBN network-termination equipment remains subject to NBN ownership and use requirements. Do not remove or relocate NBN equipment unless NBN permits it.

7. Power failure and emergency use

Do not rely on an NBN service as the sole communications method for a medical, safety, fire or emergency function unless you have confirmed its suitability and backup-power arrangements with the relevant equipment/service provider.

8. Medical alarms, monitored security, lift phones and other critical equipment

Before migrating or changing a service, tell Alder if the connection supports a medical or personal alarm, security alarm, lift/emergency phone, fire panel, EFTPOS terminal or another critical device. You must also contact the device or monitoring provider to confirm whether it is compatible with NBN and whether a backup communications path or power supply is required.

Alder can record critical-device information for migration/support planning, but only the device/service provider can authoritatively confirm the compatibility of their equipment.

9. Moving from an existing service

Switching provider or access technology can create a transition risk. Keep your existing service active until the migration process requires otherwise. If a local telephone number is being moved as part of an NBN migration, specific number-porting and continuity rules may apply.

Do not cancel an existing internet or voice service prematurely unless Alder or the losing provider has confirmed that doing so will not disrupt the intended migration.

10. NBN continuity of service

Alder manages migrations in accordance with applicable NBN continuity and service-migration obligations. The objective is to avoid unnecessary disconnection of an existing service before the replacement NBN service is operational and, where rules require it, to arrange an interim or alternative service when migration fails and qualifying conditions are met.

Continuity obligations vary depending on the legacy service, technology, migration scenario and whether an existing service is being replaced. We assess each migration against the rules applying at the time.

11. Installation, appointments and premises authority

NBN may require a technician appointment, new cabling, an NBN connection box or other work. The customer must have authority to permit work at the premises or obtain landlord, owner or strata/body-corporate approval where required.

Missed appointments, inaccessible equipment, unsafe work areas or missing authority can delay activation. If NBN identifies non-standard or additional work, Alder will communicate available information and any customer decision or charge that must be approved before proceeding.

12. Post-activation checks

Applicable NBN rules require providers to confirm service operation following migration/activation, including post-migration testing and, for relevant copper-based NBN services, checking whether the line can support the speed specified for the plan. Alder may use wholesale status information, service tests and managed-network telemetry to support this process.

A service record showing “active” is not automatically treated as proof that the customer’s live connection is online. My Alder separates service/provisioning status from live connection telemetry where available.

13. If the service cannot support the selected speed

If a line is technically incapable of supporting the speed required for the selected NBN plan, Alder will follow the applicable consumer-information and service rules. Depending on the circumstances and legal requirements, options may include troubleshooting, wholesale escalation, changing to a more appropriate speed tier, price adjustment, contract remedy or cancellation without an inappropriate penalty.

The specific remedy depends on the cause, service type, applicable plan information and law.

14. NBN performance versus Wi-Fi performance

An NBN service and a Wi-Fi network are not the same thing. A healthy NBN connection can coexist with poor Wi-Fi coverage, interference or device limitations. Alder’s managed-network service can assist with Wi-Fi diagnosis and supported network changes, but plan speed commitments are assessed at the appropriate network test point rather than by assuming every wireless device must receive the full line rate.

15. Faults, outages and complaints

Report faults through My Alder or Alder support. We may ask for basic checks, use available telemetry and escalate to the wholesale provider/NBN where the evidence indicates an access-network issue. Significant and major outages are handled under the Outage Communications Policy.

If you are dissatisfied with the handling of an NBN service issue, use the Complaints Handling Policy.