Frequently Asked Questions

NBN

NBN Installation

The NBN™ service can be delivered in a variety of ways. OCCOM supports five types of connections.

FTTC – Fibre to the Curb is the latest technology available bringing fibre optic cable all the way to the edge of the premises – usually the curb, as the name implies. The connection then travels through the existing copper lead into the home. A NBN™ connection device, called NCD for short, is then set up inside the premises and connected to the primary telephone wall socket.
FTTN – Fibre to the Node runs fibre optic cables to the nearest node. The signal then travels down the existing copper lines to the primary telephone wall socket. This type of connection requires a VDSL 2 compatible router.
FTTB – Fibre to the Building uses fibre optic cable all the way to a shared point in the building’s communications room. From there, the connection travels along the existing copper lines to each customer. This type of connection requires a VDSL 2 compatible router.
HFC – Hybrid Fibre Coaxial is used where there is an existing cable network. As with the FTTN and FTTB, the fibre optic cable runs to a nearby node. From this point on, a coaxial cable connects to an NBNTM device installed inside the customer’s premises.
FTTP – Fibre to the Premises has fibre optic cable connecting directly to the customer’s premises. A nbn™ device is installed inside the customer’s premises.

Most NBN™ speed tiers are labelled based on a theoretical maximum download speed that is ordered by OCCOM on a wholesale level from the NBN™. As the connection continues to your premises, the service will be affected by other factors, which will determine the performance of your service.

Plan	nbn12	nbn25	nbn50	nbn100	nbn250
Suitable for:	VoIP, phone, Email, Singles and couples	Standard Video, Streaming Music, Streaming Online, Gaming	High-definition video streaming, Online gaming, Families with multiple devices, Large file downloads	4K (Ultra-HD) video streams, Online gaming, Multiple heavy users, Large file downloads	4K (Ultra-HD) video streams, Online gaming, Multiple heavy users, Large file downloads
Suitable People	Singles and couples	Singles and couples	Family and gamers	Family, gamers and heavy users	Family, gamers and heavy users

Please note that not all speed options are available on all NBN™ technologies.

Speed	Advice about choosing this speed
Basic (nbn12)	A basic speed to cover the essentials. Ideal if you're a small household with one or two devices connected.
Boost (nbn25)	Perfect for families and households with multiple devices and broadband users. This plan provides some extra speed to go around, so everyone is happy.
Boost Plus (nbn50) - Recommended	The top choice for internet enthusiasts or bigger households. Browse, download, watch and play with ease across multiple devices.
Superfast (nbn100)	Got the need for speed? This option is sure to impress. If you work/study from home or have a household full of gamers and media-buffs, this will be right up your alley.
Rocket (nbn250)	If you want to go faster than fast, then this speed is for you. You and your household can stream, download and play more without compromising any comfort.

You can check your address on our handy NBN™ coverage map. It pulls information directly from NBN Co, so it's updated as often as they update their systems. However, sadly we cannot provide any timeframes if the NBN™ rollout hasn’t commenced in your area. If you join our NBN™ Wait List, we’ll let you know when you can get NBN™.
Alternatively, you can become an OCCOM broadband customer today and we’ll help you switch over as soon as NBN™ is available.

If NBN™ is available at your address, all you’ll need to do is pick out an NBN™ plan and sign up online or call our sales or customer service teams on 1300 299 999. If you’re already with OCOM, you can contact us to update through LiveChat.
Remember: Moving to NBN™ broadband will not necessarily cancel your existing broadband and phone services. Once you've upgraded, please contact your existing provider to ensure that your old services are cancelled - otherwise you may continue to be billed for them.

Carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT, also known as large-scale NAT), is a method of sharing a single unique public IP address with multiple services to allow providers to extend their pool of usable IPv4 addresses. This means your modem or router will be assigned a private IP address instead of a unique public IP address. Our network will then translate that into a shared public address allowing you to access the Internet.

Why is OCCOM using CGNAT by default?
OCCOM has opted to use CGNAT as a method to share our current unique public IPv4 addresses to multiple customers, helping extend the life of IPv4 within our network while IPv6 is still being deployed. IPv6 is still being adopted throughout the Internet and is not a solution on its own at this time.

How does this affect me?
This will not affect the majority of OCCOM customers, and it should be business as usual - the only difference is that you will have a different IPv4 address assigned to your modem or router. If you have purchased a static IP bolt-on or are a business customer there will be no change to your service and your IP address will not change - you will not be participating in CGNAT.

What are some things that may not work with CGNAT?
There are some things that may depend on NAT and its features to work. They are services related to port forwarding and may include:

Servers: Web Servers, Email Servers, File servers and so on.
Home Utilities: Security Cameras and systems, home automation, Printers
Remote Access: Access to computers or devices remotely If you have any concerns about these items please feel free to call our support team and have a chat.

How do I Opt-Out?
If you have a valid reason and need to opt-out of CGNAT you can call our customer service on 1300 299 999 or contact us through LiveChat and we can opt-out your service. Opting out of CGNAT will result in your unique public IP address changing unless you have a static IP applied to your service. If you have a static IP address you do not need to opt-out as you will not be part of CGNAT.

What happens with my current static IP?
Nothing, if you have a static IP address on your service at the moment you will retain this address and not be part of CGNAT, your service should function unaffected by the roll-out of CGNAT.

What is an IP Address and NAT?
An IP Address is a unique address that is assigned to a device, this includes computers, phones, tablets and even network printers. Every device connected to the network or the Internet needs its own address so that it knows how to communicate. This is similar to how your house needs its own address so that it can receive mail. IPv4 addresses come in 2 types, public and private. Your public IP address is your address on the Internet and allows you to get online - every device that wants to communicate online needs to have a public address. A private IP address is what can be used internally. These do not allow connection to the internet as they are private or internal addresses but do allow your devices to communicate with each other. A technology called NAT is then used to translate the private address to public and allow all of your local devices to connect to the Internet.

NAT is a technology that has helped to extend the life of IPv4 by sharing one public address to multiple private addresses. This is what allows you to get online with all of your devices at home without having a unique address for each device.

What about IPv6?
OCCOM is committed to delivering IPv6 as soon as possible. Currently we are testing the deployment of IPv6 on selected connections, and we look forward to sharing more news about this deployment when it is ready to be extended. Unfortunately, we are not able to delay the roll-out of CGNAT until this is ready due to the limited addresses that are available.

OptiComm

OptiComm Installation

OptiComm is one of Australia’s biggest Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) wholesale network infrastructure carriers, who provide fibre connections to new homes, apartments and business buildings. OptiComm designs, builds, operates and maintains fixed line access, fibre-based telecommunications networks, much like NBNCo does. Opticomm operates an open access telecommunications wholesale service in Australia and have been building fibre infrastructure since 2007. In the open access system, internet service providers (also known as retail service providers) such as Occom purchase bandwidth from wholesale providers (e.g. OptiComm) and deliver internet services to end users.

One of the main differences between OptiComm and NBNCo is the connection technology they use. OptiComm uses FTTP(Fibre to the Premises) technology in most of their projects . FTTP exclusively uses fibre optic cables, enabling the fastest speeds in Australia. FTTP benefits from the higher capacity of a full fibre connection, and will have a more stable connection and speed in general. However, in addition to FTTP, NBNCo also adopts other technologies like a combination of fibre and copper (FTTC, FTTN/B) or fibre and coaxial cable (HFC). FTTC, FTTN/B and HFC technologies may slow down and become unstable during instances of poor weather.

Various speed tiers are available for OptiComm’s fibre internet connections. Opticomm’s broadband plans have maximum download speeds of 12 Megabit per second(Mbps), 25 Mbps, 50 Mpbs, 100 Mbps, 250 Mbps or 1000 Mbps(1Gbps). Currently, the 1Gbps Lightning Plan is the highest internet speed available to residences in Australia. Occom is one of the few OptiComm service providers who can provide the 1Gbps Plan. Customers are able to choose between these plans depending on their speed preference.

Usually Opticomm will be found servicing new or recently developed apartments, estates and communities. In most cases, OptiComm will be the sole fibre provider for a residence, and you will not be able to use NBNCo or other companies’ fibre in OptiComm serviced properties. If you are uncertain about whether OptiComm services your property, our support team will help you check. Even if your residence is not covered by OptiComm, we will help you find the best solution and get you connected quickly and efficiently.

The termination equipment in any telecommunications carrier’s network is called a Optical Network Terminal (ONT). This device may also be referred to as a “fibre box” at times, and some companies may confusingly refer to the ONT by a different name such as NTU (Network Termination Unit). OptiComm refers to this device as the ONT. This device takes the data transmitted from fibre optic cables and converts it to electronic signals that your router can use. In the case of Opticomm’s Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) networks, one ONT can support more than one active internet service.

The New Development Charge is a fee charged for all connections made in areas that the fibre infrastructure provider (e.g. OptiComm) have identified as within the boundary of a new development. Essentially, it means if fibre internet has never been used at a property before, this one-time fee will be charged to the end user no matter which internet service provider is used. The implementation of this fee was a decision made by the Australian government to offset part of the fibre infrastructure’s cost onto “the parties that use or benefit from them”. Service providers (including Occom) charge this fee on behalf of the upstream fibre provider (e.g. OptiComm) when the internet service is activated.

Occom is a top-rated OptiComm service provider in Australia, rated 4.9/5 stars from over 1000 Google reviews. Occom has higher bandwidth and smart internet routing to ensure we provide the speeds we promise. On top of that Occom offers flexible, affordable plans and a selection of hand-picked modems from the world’s best brands. Our customer service team will be glad to help with configuration if you wish to BYO. We are proud of our fantastic customer reviews, and strive to provide the services and customer support to meet the highest standards.

Others

Other Installation