NBN Co delays copper disconnections in 58 areas

NBN Co and Telstra have pushed back the disconnection of copper services for 58 areas in which fibre has been rolled out.

The two companies had originally slated for copper services in the 58 fibre servicing area modules (FSAMs) to be disconnected in the Christmas and New Year period, but now say they want to make sure affected users are around to be notified of the disconnection.

An NBN Co spokesperson said the dates had been deferred "so everyone can enjoy their summer holiday period".

Telstra sent an email to wholesale customers today advising it had agreed with NBN Co to delay the disconnection dates for FSAMs scheduled for December 2014 and January and February next year.

The pair also decided to organise the disconnection dates into three groups falling once a month, to "reduce the number of dates and simplify the approach" for industry and end users.

The 58 FSAMs will now either be disconnected on the 20th February 2015, 20th March 2015, or on the 17th April 2015.

Eight FSAMs in NSW, two in Victoria, four in Queensland, five in Tasmania and one FSAM in the Northern Territory city of Darwin will now be disconnected in February.

Seven FSAMs in NSW, three in Victoria, seven in Queensland, one in Western Australia, three Tasmanian FSAMs, two in Darwin and one in the ACT suburb of Crace will be disconnected in March.

Six FSAMs in NSW, three Victorian FSAMs, two in Queensland, and one each in South and Western Australia have been given a new disconnection date of 17th April 2015.

"This approach will need to take account of the fact that grouping the disconnection dates for these FSAMs together, while making things simpler for industry and consumers, does have its operational challenges," Telstra Wholesale's David Adams advised customers in the email, sighted by iTnews.

NBN Co began turning off copper-based telecommunications services for 31 FSAMs in 15 of the first regions to receive fibre-to-the-premise services in May 2014, which impacted 19,000 homes and businesses. 

It gave end users 18 months to move onto the NBN ahead of their disconnection date.