What you need to know about NBN & Opticomm new development charges

If you’re a new homeowner and your house has never had an NBN or Opticomm connection, learning about the New Development Charges can take the sting out of any expenses you were unprepared for.

The good news is that this charge only applies if your property is part of a new development and has never been connected to the NBN or Opticomm networks before. This means that if your home or business is in a newly developed area where no previous connection exists, you will be subject to this fee. 

This fee is a one-time cost to get your property connected to the high-speed Internet services.

NBN new development charges

The NBN New Development charge was introduced on 1 April 2016 for homes and businesses in newly developed areas without existing phone or Internet infrastructure and it still stands today.

Wondering if this affects you? Here’s what you need to know about the New Development Charge.

Why was the charge introduced?

The Australian Government brought in a policy to cover the costs of setting up telecommunications services in new development areas. Instead of covering these costs themselves, the government passed them on to households and developers. 

So, if you’ve built or live in a new property that needs to be connected to phone or Internet services, you might need to pay this charge.

Who does the new development charge apply to?

If the NBN identifies your connection as within a new development area, you’ll be charged $300 (including GST). These areas, called 'Greenfields,' are new housing estates where the necessary fibre for the NBN network is installed along with other services like telephone lines.

This charge also applies to new customers signing up for Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) services in areas without an existing nbn connection, usually in Greenfields.

The New Development charge only applies once per address, as long as the number of residences on the property doesn’t increase.

Opticomm new development charges

When you’re connecting to the Opticomm network for the first time, you might face a New Development Fee (NDC) ranging from $300 to $550. This fee is usually applied to newly constructed homes in areas serviced by Opticomm. 

Before an Opticomm technician can finish setting up the necessary equipment at your home, a few things need to be in place, like the initial cabling to your property and sufficient internal wiring. It’s important to note that getting these things sorted is the responsibility of the homeowner or builder.

If a technician comes to your place and finds that the required installation work hasn’t been done, you’ll be hit with a $150 Incorrect Callout Fee (ICF). Plus, you’ll have to schedule a new appointment once everything is ready.

Need to ask questions?

Contacting the expert team at Compare Broadband is a great place to start if you have a new home being built and you’re looking to get connected. 

We’ll break down the best plans and providers for you, giving you options to get your connection date booked in. Call us now on 1300 764 000 today - let’s talk it over.