Apartment owners, strata committees and strata managers were offered face-to-face help with full-fibre nbn upgrades at a free Rockdale Library drop-in session on Tuesday 15 September.
The session has now finished, but the upgrade information remains relevant to eligible apartment buildings and strata complexes across Bayside.
Why the session was held
Bayside Council said thousands of apartments and strata buildings across the local government area were eligible to investigate fibre to the premises, or FTTP. The process can be more complicated for apartment buildings because an upgrade generally needs to be organised for the building or complex rather than by one unit acting alone.
The nbn team attended the Rockdale session to explain why some buildings had not upgraded, what options may be available and the practical steps needed to start the process.
How apartment upgrades work
According to nbn, eligible buildings or complexes generally need shared communications infrastructure and an authorised representative such as an owners committee, body corporate or building owner.
For tenants and individual owner-occupiers, that means an upgrade is not usually something one apartment can arrange independently. Residents can speak with their owners committee, body corporate or building owner about whether the property is eligible and whether there is support to investigate an upgrade.
Eligibility is assessed case by case and can depend on the building, existing infrastructure and other technical considerations.
What full fibre can change
FTTP replaces the remaining copper component of eligible fixed-line connections with fibre running to the premises. nbn describes full fibre as its fastest and most reliable residential connection technology, although actual speeds still depend on the retail plan, provider, equipment and other network factors.
Residents who missed the 15 September session can still check their address and current upgrade options directly with nbn and discuss any building-wide requirements with their strata representatives.