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The days of having an active phone line to get an Internet connection are over. With the NBN completing its rollout in December 2020, you can now get online without needing a landline.
Most NBN plans don't come with a phone service attached, so you now have the choice over whether you want to use your home phone or not.
Do I need a phone socket for the NBN?
Depending on what NBN technology is available at your house, you might still need a phone socket to get connected. Technology types like FTTC, FTTB and FTTN use existing telephone lines as part of the Internet connection and will need to be inserted into a phone socket.
However, these are only used where a phone socket has already been installed, so no extra installation should be required. They do not involve an active home phone service.
Can I still get a home phone with the NBN?
Yes, you can. For fixed-line NBN connections, a different technology is used to traditional copper telephone lines for you to make and receive home phone calls. This is because the old copper lines used for calls are removed within 18 months of NBN installation.
NBN phone lines use Voice over IP (VoIP) technology, which converts voice signals into a digital form that can be sent through the fibre cables of the NBN. Many providers give you the option of bundling a home phone line with your NBN plan.
Satellite and fixed wireless NBN
Unlike fixed-line NBN, satellite and fixed wireless customers won't have their copper telephone network decommissioned. This means any home phone services you buy will use the traditional copper network, rather than VoIP.
Compare NBN plans
Since you no longer need a phone line to get online, you're free to compare NBN plans in the table below.
We update our data regularly, but information can change between updates. Confirm details with the provider you're interested in before making a decision.
Landlines are increasingly a thing of the past. 48% of Australians surveyed didn't have a landline phone. Our consumer sentiment tracker found that only 17% of people have one and regularly use it.
Emergency devices and the NBN
The installation of the NBN involves decommissioning existing copper landlines that used to operate, even without power.
On the NBN, certain emergency devices, such as fire, medical or security alarms, may stop functioning if the power goes out.
If you have a device you can't afford to fail, you'll need to discuss solutions with your device provider. It may be able to provide you with a back-up battery or similar that will allow your device to continue functioning.
You should also register your priority device before connecting to the NBN, which can help prevent interruptions.
Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney.
NBN wholesaler nbnco offers four NBN speed tiers to ISPs, which dictates how fast your Internet connection will be, and here's how to choose the best plan.
You will be able to sign up for home phone as an added extra with most NBN Satellite providers. Some providers will offer a traditional home phone service over the copper cable network, but many are transitioning to voice over IP (VoIP) services, which use the Internet to handle phone calls. This is because, 18 months after the NBN has rolled out in any particular area, the traditional phone network will be switched off and VoIP will be the only way to make and receive phone calls.
If you want to future-proof your phone service, then, you might want to look into VoIP services rather than traditional phone services to go along with your NBN satellite service.
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Can I get home phone with NBN satellite
Hi Tamara,
Thanks for your question.
You will be able to sign up for home phone as an added extra with most NBN Satellite providers. Some providers will offer a traditional home phone service over the copper cable network, but many are transitioning to voice over IP (VoIP) services, which use the Internet to handle phone calls. This is because, 18 months after the NBN has rolled out in any particular area, the traditional phone network will be switched off and VoIP will be the only way to make and receive phone calls.
If you want to future-proof your phone service, then, you might want to look into VoIP services rather than traditional phone services to go along with your NBN satellite service.
I hope this helps.
Regards,
Matt