My name is Timothy, live in an apartment block in Port Macquarie. Like many Australians, I believed the National Broadband Network would bring fast, reliable internet to everyone. Instead, after eight years, we’re still stuck on Fibre to the Building (FTTB) — a system that struggles to deliver speeds beyond 100 Mbps.

Our building is just apartments, full of everyday families and renters. We all pay the same NBN prices as people in fibre-connected homes, but we don’t get the same service. Streaming, working from home, online classes, video calls with family — everything is slower, less reliable, and more frustrating than it should be in 2025.

When I asked about upgrading our building to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), the answer was a quote for $50,000 for 29 apartments. That’s just to run fibre less than 50 metres from the basement to our apartments. As a tenant, I can’t make that decision. The cost falls on the owners’ corporation, many of whom don’t use the internet daily the way tenants do. That leaves residents like me powerless — forced to lobby landlords just to access the modern internet we were promised.

The reality is that this isn’t just about one building in Port Macquarie. Across Australia, hundreds of thousands of apartment residents are trapped in the same position. The NBN’s Technology Choice Program (TCP) offers a way to apply for fibre, but only if you can afford to pay tens of thousands of dollars. That isn’t a solution — it’s a barrier.

Meanwhile, government announcements about “free fibre upgrades” are misleading, because they mostly apply to houses and some FTTC/FTTN users. FTTB apartments are left out almost entirely.

The pandemic proved how critical the internet is. Remote work, telehealth, and education all depend on it. Yet in 2025, apartment dwellers in Port Macquarie are still stuck on outdated copper connections — paying the same for a fraction of the speed.

This is not fair. This is not what was promised.

 
We call on the Australian Government and NBN Co to:
Fund universal fibre upgrades for every household — including FTTB apartments.
Remove financial barriers on tenants and owners. Internet is a utility, not a luxury.
Ensure regional towns like Port Macquarie aren’t left behind.
Publish a clear upgrade timeline so Australians know when relief is coming.
The NBN was meant to connect us all. Right now, it divides us — into the lucky few with fibre and the many still stuck on copper.

Sign this petition to demand that the government finish the job and deliver the NBN Australia was promised — fast, reliable fibre internet for everyone.

 
The Facts Behind the Story
Technology Choice Program (TCP):

By March 2017: 221 applications, 113 quotes, 30 completions.
Average cost: $7,395 per premise.
By 2020: 9,274 applications, with only 2,998 progressing to quotes; NBN Co collected $24 million in builds.
Typical quotes: $700–$2,000 per apartment; whole-building upgrades often $50,000–$100,000.
FTTB footprint: About 700,000–800,000 premises.

By the end of 2024: only 3,968 flagged as fibre-eligible — less than 1%.
MDU co-contribution program (Fibre Connect):

Subsidised upgrades at $275 per apartment.
Over 50,000 buildings (≈700,000 apartments) expected to be eligible.
But most FTTB apartments excluded.
COVID-19 impact: Proved internet is a basic utility for work, study, and health — not an optional luxury.