WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NBN CABLES
You have probably heard about NBN cables and you are wondering what it is and how it works, you are in the right place. You will know all the basic information you need about the Australian internet upgrade. With that said, let’s get started.
What are NBN CABLES?
NBN cables are fixed lines that are buried in the ground to replace your regular copper wires and network cable with optical fibre (a special network wire that is as fast as the speed of light) and other more reliable technology to deliver more efficient and faster internet to your home.
NBN cable which is also known as HFC–hybrid fibre-coaxial is used to bridge the gap where pay-tv or cable networks are used and connect NBN fibre nodes and the surroundings. Any damaged NBN cable requires an approved technician for NBN cable repairs.
NBN which refers to the national broadcast network is an Australian national open-access data network that is publicly owned. It includes wired and radio communication components rolled out to give every household fast data connections.
NBN connection types
There are several ways the national broadcast networks deliver services to your homes. Although the different types of connection can be complicated, three major connection types account for most connections which are: fibre to the premises (FTTP). Fibre to the node (FTTN), fibre to the curb(FTTC). Other existing connection types are subcategories to these.
We will further discuss all the NBN connection types and how to identify your connection. Although the post is mainly about the NBN cable which is the hybrid fibre-coaxial, we will be discussing a few differences about all the existing connections.
- Fibre to the premises
This is also known as FTTP and it is the fastest form of NBN because it involves a fibre optic line connected directly to your homes giving you a consistent and fast speed data connection. It requires small boxes attached outside and inside your property for operation.
- Fibre to the curb
This is known as FTTC and it is a more common form of NBN, FTTP fibre-optic lines are connected to a small distribution point where copper wires from telephone lines are used for internet services. Due to the copper wire and the sharing of the bandwidth the FTTC isn’t as fast as the FTTP.
- Fibre to the node
The FTTN is one of the cheapest forms of NBN, it uses cabinets on various streets distributed to all neighbourhoods around the country. Your speed is dependent on how far you are from the node, the closer you are to the node the faster your connections would be.
- Hybrid fiber-coaxial
HFC is almost the same as the FTTN connections except they make use of a preexisting pay-tv cable to complete the fibre connections to your homes. Due to the shared wire and bandwidth, your connection is dependent on whether your neighbours are using the services at the same time which would decrease your internet speed.
- Fibre to the building
FTTB is also directly connected to your building just like the FTTC. They are now completed by the existing connection in that building be it HFC or copper wires.
- NBN fixed wireless connection
NBN fixed wireless connections make use of radio signal connections rather than fibre or cables. It requires a transmission tower that is as far as 14 Kilometers away from the property to receive and transmit to the tower.
- Sky muster satellite
Sky muster satellite NBN connections are also mostly used In regional areas. As the name implies it uses a satellite dish installed on the property receiving the internet. The connection type is transmitted to the dish instead of the fibres and cables.
How to identify your connection type
There are practically two ways to do this, the first is to look closely at the NBN connection around your home. Different NBN connections have different connection configurations and they can be easily identified. Fibre to the premises have NBN utility boxes inside and outside your house, it requires power to operate and would need an approved NBN technician to install it.
Fibre to the node will connect to nodes instead of boxes while fibre to the curb is used for specific streets and it shares the same kind of connection with hybrid fibre-coaxial. Sky muster satellite uses a radar dish on your property are most suitable in regional areas. The other way is to simply check online by typing your address onto the NBN rollout map and see the connection type for your house.
Benefit of NBN
There are many benefits of NBN to your homes and businesses. The Australian government will deliver high-speed internet access to the majority of the population and are also responsible for any NBN cable repairs. Some of these benefits are: fast internet access, flexible work such that team members can now work from their home, better productivity is possible when internet lagging is avoided, cloud services integrations and their benefits are now available and accessible to almost everyone and so on
Troubleshooting your NBN connection
After your connections are successfully installed by an approved NBN technician and you have picked your desired plan. If you encounter an issue you can check the quick guide on how to fix common problems on NBN, if the issue persists your telco is responsible for fixing any other issue you may come across. Contact them to inform them about your connection problem, if they do not fix the issue or they are not responding contact the telecommunications industry ombudsman (TIO) to help you resolve any issue with your telco.
It is important to know you need an approved NBN technician for any NBN cable repairs. The use of unapproved technicians might lead to destruction of internet service for a lot of regions.
Since you made it this far, you have the basic knowledge about NBN, connection types and how it works. NBN being an upgrade from regular internet connections, feel free to utilize and enjoy the speed at will if you stay in Australia.
Disclaimer: This is a generic Information & post; content about the services can be changed from time to time as per your requirements and contract. To get the latest and updated information, contact us today or visit our website.