Special Services frequently asked questions

With the publishing of the “Temporary Special Services” (TSS) White Papers for key business services, four key Temporary Special Services disconnection dates have been set.

The publishing and acceptance of these White Papers now sets in motion the mandatory disconnection of certain services generally used by small, medium and large businesses. Businesses should start disconnecting and switching over affected copper-based legacy services if they wish to continue using these business services.

The release of the White Papers has triggered disconnection dates for the classes of Temporary Special Service covered by the White Papers. Disconnection dates vary and some Temporary Special Services will not be disconnected. In addition, product exits have been announced for certain copper-based services. To find out if your services will be affected, and applicable disconnection dates, contact your service provider.

Previously, the services covered by nbn’s White Papers did not have disconnection dates, but a White Paper process has now established Temporary Special Services disconnection dates, the first one being November 2018. In areas where the normal 18 month migration window has already finished, Temporary Special Services will be disconnected by the Temporary Special Service disconnection date. If the normal 18 month migration window has not yet finished, then the Temporary Special Service will be disconnected in accordance with the relevant White Paper.

Disconnection dates vary and some Temporary Special Services will not be disconnected. In addition, product exits have been announced for certain copper-based services. To find out if your services will be affected, and applicable disconnection dates, contact your current service provider.

Special Services are a set of business telecommunication products delivered on copper, other than your standard landline phone or internet services, generally used by business segments e.g. Ethernet Lite BDSL, Wholesale Business DSL, Frame Relay, ISDN and ISDN2, ATM over copper and CustomNet Spectrum (and certified equivalent services).

The complete list of Temporary Special Services affected by the White Papers can be viewed on the Affected Special Services page.

Temporary Special Services are treated as having a temporary exception to disconnection and may be provided after an area’s normal disconnection date until after nbn releases a White Paper that demonstrates how the nbn™ broadband access network can be used to deliver the same or better services.

The release of the White Papers has kicked off disconnection obligations for these services. To find out if your services will be affected, and for information on the applicable disconnection dates, contact your current service provider.

The key disconnection dates will impact those with Temporary Special Services covered by the White Papers – mainly small, medium and large businesses. To find out if your services will be affected, and for information on the applicable disconnection dates, contact your current service provider.

We understand that many business owners need time to prepare to switch. With that in mind, we acknowledge it’s a complex process to migrate services so we want to ensure that business owners have ample time to move if they choose to do so.

We have worked hard in consultation with the industry and our customers to develop a solution that will help businesses as they move to the nbn™ broadband access network.

If the normal 18 month migration window has not yet finished, then the Temporary Special Service will be disconnected in accordance with the relevant White Paper.

To find out if your services will be affected, and applicable disconnection dates, contact your current service provider.

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Although most existing services will be replaced by the nbn access network, there are some services that should not be impacted. These include those services provided over non-nbn fibre networks, some services in some apartment complexes, and some business and Special Services. nbn strongly recommends you contact your current phone and internet provider as soon as possible to find out if your services are impacted. You can also find out more at nbn.com.au/switchoff.
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Disconnection dates vary and not all Special Services will be disconnected. When a service will be disconnected, and the timing of disconnection, will depend on factors including the type of Special Service, when the nbn™ broadband access network is available, which nbn™ access technology is available and whether Telstra has issued a BAU product exit in respect of a Special Service. To find out if your services will be affected, and applicable disconnection dates, contact your current service provider.