User trials of self-replacement kits for households in the FTTC footprint of NBN Co are currently being kicked off by the network. This is to replace NTDs that are fried by lightning.

According to an RSP agreement for the FTTC self-replacement kit, the trial will run from 7 February to 30 June. This is in areas where end-users commonly suffer from NTDs “due to large scale weather events.”

Also, under the terms stipulated in the agreement, the RSPs will be able to offer end-users the option of receiving a kit if their NTD is faulty. In this case, NBN will dispatch and monitor the delivery of the kits.

There is now a mandatory online course that can be accessed via the NBN Academy which forms part of the trial. There is also an optional onboarding workshop that can be requested by an RSP.

Last year, NBN Co CEO Stephen Rue revealed details of the plan to deploy these self-replacement kits. This was to foster the goal of addressing the impact of lightning strikes in areas like the Blue Mountains in NSW.

In a Senate Estimates hearing in March last year, the CEO said that addressing the effects of lightning on the NTDs was a complex issue because it was not a “simple case of lightning travelling down a wire and tripping a fuse.”

The CEO further explained: “When lightning hits the ground, it creates a potential difference between ground and the neutral power connections in premises connected to an NBN-distribution-point unit. Many of the compromised NBN devices appear to contain components that fail when subjected to these particular conditions. Our suppliers have said to us that the components in this scenario fail in a safe way, but that also means the broadband connection to the home is lost.”

"Between 1 October 2021 and 11 November 2021 NBN Co has replaced a total of 21,424 devices. This includes replacements as a result of multiple severe weather events across the eastern states of Australia during October," NBN said in a response to Senate Estimates.

"FTTC NCDs ... can be replaced for a wide variety of reasons, including customers removing the device when they move house, new devices being automatically provided when a customer changes providers, and accidental damage in premises."

According to Rue, the kits were one of a series of “temporary measures”. In parallel to this, adding more technicians ahead of forecast weather events is also another probable measure and so is ensuring it has inventory on hand. Meanwhile, NBN Co is looking at long-term options to minimise the impact of lightning strikes on services in those areas.