Medical alarms and the nbn™ broadband access network

Register your medical alarm

Do you use a medical alarm? Register your device before connecting to the nbn™ access network to help identify and manage potential interruptions to your alarm service.

Your registration makes a difference

If you or a loved one rely on a medical alarm at home, it’s important to register your device with our Medical Alarm Register. This will allow us to assist you in a range of ways.

Receive notifications

We will call you when the nbn™ broadband access network becomes available at your home.

Help you prepare

We will advise you of the approaching disconnection date of your old phone
service. See important note 1.

Verify your alarm

We will work with you to verify your alarm is working once you’ve connected to the nbn™ access network.

You have no additional obligations once you have registered. This is simply our way of providing extra assistance. Please keep in mind, you will need to re-register your medical alarm details with us if you move to a new address.

Where else to get help

Once you've connected to the nbn™ access network and your alarm is working correctly, we will close your registration. Any further support requests will need to be directed to your alarm supplier or phone and internet provider.

If you have special needs or a serious medical condition, please speak to your phone and internet provider today about any assistance services they may offer. As a wholesaler, nbn does not offer these services. 

Telstra is required by the Australian Government to offer Priority Assistance services to people with a life-threatening medical condition. Other phone or internet providers may also offer Priority Assistance (or similar arrangements) to their customers. More information is available from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Register an individual medical alarm

For users of a medical alarm or a carer of someone using a medical alarm

Register multiple medical alarms

For managers responsible for assisting multiple people who use medical alarms

Frequently asked questions

Check your medical alarm compatibility

Speak to your alarm provider or manufacturer to check if your device is compatible with the nbn™ broadband access network. Your provider may suggest upgrading to a new alarm that has a back-up battery and connects via a mobile network. That way your alarm can still work during a power or nbn™ access network outage.

Connect your phone and internet service

Your phone and internet service will not automatically move across to the nbn™ access network. Therefore, you will need to speak to your phone and internet provider about establishing your new phone and/or internet services on the nbn™ access network. Once your new phone and/or internet service is active on the nbn™ access network, you can connect your medical alarm to the network if your device manufacturer advises you to do so.

Test your medical alarm

You will need to test your alarm after it’s been successfully connected to the network. We will also call you to verify your alarm is working correctly.

Once you've connected to the nbn™ access network and your alarm is working, we will close your registration. Any further support requests will then need to be directed to your alarm supplier or phone and internet provider.

Have questions?
Once you’ve registered your medical alarm and connected to the nbn™ access network, your registration will remain active until we have verified your alarm is working correctly. Following this, we will close and archive your device registration with nbn. Any additional questions will need to be directed toward your phone and internet provider from this point forward.

If you or a loved one have special needs or a serious medical condition, please speak to your phone and internet provider today about any assistance services they may offer. As a wholesaler, nbn does not offer these services.

Telstra is required by the Australian Government to offer Priority Assistance services to people with a life-threatening medical condition. Other phone or internet providers may also offer Priority Assistance (or similar arrangements) to their customers. More information is available from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Some providers also offer modems with mobile network and battery backup. These are helpful in the event of a power outage, where the nbn™ access network may not be available. If you decide to choose one of these modems, be sure to ask if it will continue to provide phone services when running in mobile backup mode. We also recommend those with medical conditions carry a charged mobile phone at all times. 

If your home is covered by our Fixed Wireless or Satellite networks, you have the option to keep your existing home phone line.  We strongly recommend asking your phone and internet provider to keep your existing phone line connected. This is because phone or internet services running over nbn’s Fixed Wireless and Satellite networks will not work in a power outage.
Impacted landline phone and internet services, including critical devices that operate over those services such as medical alarms, may stop working once the existing network is disconnected. If you don't want to connect to the nbn access network, ask your device provider about other options, including mobile phone and/or mobile broadband.
Upgrade your unmonitored medical alarm
Eligible users of unmonitored medical alarms have the opportunity to upgrade to an eligible new alarm that uses a mobile network for a reduced cost.
Find out more
Power outage information
Talk to your provider about whether your device will work during a blackout when connected to the nbn™ access network.
Find out more

Additional contact information

Services for people with hearing or speech impairment

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, contact us through the National Relay Service:

  • TTY phone 1800 555 677 and enter 1800 227 300
  • Speak and Listen users phone 1800 555 727 and enter 1800 227 300
  • Internet relay users connect to internet-relay.nrscall.gov.au and enter 1800 227 300
Translating or interpreting services

If you need an interpreter, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask for the NBN Co Contact Centre on 1800 227 300

A note on privacy

If you are disclosing others’ personal information to nbn for inclusion in the Register, you should have their consent to provide the information to nbn. You will also need to notify those individuals that you have provided their information to nbn, and advise them of the purpose for which you provided it.

If you would like to access, correct, or update your information on the Register, you can contact nbn by calling 1800 227 300.

The Register has been carefully designed with privacy in mind, including the Australian Privacy Principles. nbn's privacy policy can be found at www.nbn.com.au/privacy.

Important note 1. The nbn™ broadband access network is replacing most of the existing fixed-line phone networks that medical alarms rely on with newer technologies. Although most existing services will be replaced by the nbn™ access network, there are some services that should not be impacted, including those provided over non-nbn fibre networks and some business and Special Services. nbn strongly recommends you contact your current phone and internet provider, and your current device provider, about whether your services will be impacted by the rollout of the nbn™ access network. You can also visit nbn.com.au/switchoff for more information or call 1800 687 626.