Information NBN telcos must give you

Your telco must give you the right information before you buy an NBN plan. These rules are set out in the Telecommunications (NBN Consumer Information) Industry Standard 2018. 

This information should help you choose a plan that’s right for you. It should also help prepare you for the move to the NBN. You can expect to receive the following: 

• key facts sheet
• information on speed and usage in any advertising
• advice on moving to the NBN
• information on medical or security alarms

Before you buy an NBN plan, a telco must give you a key fact sheet that includes: 

• ‘busy period’ download speeds you can expect 
• things you can use the plan for like streaming
• advice on factors that can affect the speed of the NBN service 
• advice to check if medical or security alarms will work on the NBN
• services that won’t operate during a power failure

In any advertising you get a telco must:

• include details of the typical ‘busy period’ download speeds that you can expect 
• not use the term ‘up to’ in any claim about broadband speed
• provide definitions in labelling to show speeds such as ‘basic’, ‘standard’ or ‘premium’

Before you buy an NBN plan, a telco must give you the following advice: 

• if you can keep your phone number when you transfer to the NBN
• solutions they will provide if your connection can’t deliver the speed specified on an NBN plan 

When you ask for an NBN service, a telco must check if you use a medical or security alarm service. If you do have an alarm service, the telco must advise you to:

• check with the alarm service provider to see if it’s compatible with the NBN

We monitor the telecommunications industry and investigate telcos that break the rules.

If we find that a telco has broken the rules, we may apply a penalty or start court proceedings.