How to switch to business internet from home internet

A question we often get from business owners, especially those on the smaller end of the scale, is whether they should get business or home internet.

And the answer is always business internet. You need business internet if you have a registered business - an Australian Business Number (ABN) or an Australian Company Number (ACN). It doesn't matter whether you're the director of a large enterprise, run a small business, are a freelancer or have a side hustle. If you've had to register as an Australian business to do what you do, business internet's for you.

In this article, we'll answer your questions about business nbn®, and why it's the standard for anyone operating a business.

Why would you switch from a residential to a business nbn® connection?

Business nbn® costs the same as the equivalent residential nbn® plan but offers exclusive business benefits. You may think you need to be a decent-sized company or use the connection exclusively for work to get business nbn®. But that's not the case. You'll benefit from business nbn® if:

• You occasionally need to access work files from home. 

• You've got a "side hustle" outside of your main job.

• You work as an independent contractor. 

Business benefits at no extra cost:

Here are the business-grade benefits that come with all business nbn® services:

Business-dedicated customer service: Our customer support team are 100% Australian-based business experts. We also have a dedicated business accounts team to ensure you're getting the most out of your telco services. They’ve got a dedicated number you can call during customer support hours . 

Free static IP address: A static IP address lets you access your business's network and IT systems securely, wherever you are. So, if you ever need to access your work files from outside the office, a static IP lets you do so securely. We provide free static IP addresses with all our business nbn® plans, whereas they come at an additional cost on our residential nbn® plans. 

Built for business support: Our nbn® built for business plans offer a range of business-grade support inclusions at little or no extra cost, depending on the plan you choose. Features include an Enhanced Service Level Agreement (eSLA), 7 days a week support, fault monitoring, additional support appointment windows, and access to business-dedicated support technicians.

You can also purchase additional features that are only available to business customers.

Access to higher upload speeds:  Video meetings are a massive part of doing business these days. Being able to "jump on a call" has made keeping in touch with your clients, partners and team more convenient. But if you're at home on a residential connection, that convenience can come at the cost of a poor-quality meeting. Higher upload speeds allow you to power through video meetings without a hitch. What's more, if you're regularly sending large files as part of day-to-day business activities, higher upload speeds speed up the process so you can work efficiently. We know that businesses do a lot more uploading than residential customers, so we offer higher upload speeds on business nbn® plans (compared to residential nbn® with the equivalent download speed.

Access to business-grade service: You can lose money if your business internet goes down. That's why nbn® offers higher support for its business connections. On a business connection, you can choose a higher level of support, such as a 4-hour fault restoration, 24/7 support and 99.95% uptime guarantee.

Find out more about the features we offer in our business nbn plans here. 

In case you're still not convinced, let's clear up some common misconceptions about business nbn®

What are the eligibility requirements for business nbn®?

As long as you've got an Australian Business Number (ABN) or Australian Company Number ACN, you meet the eligibility requirements for business nbn®.

Can I use a business nbn® connection as my home internet connection?

A business nbn® connection is still an internet connection, so as long as you're a business, you're free to use business nbn® wherever you use the internet. You can have as many business nbn® connections as you want. So even if you already have a business nbn® connection at your office, you can get another one for your home or anywhere else you do business regularly.

And yes, you can use your business nbn® connection as your home internet after hours!

So, how can I switch from residential nbn® to business nbn®?

If you're not an existing Aussie Broadband customer and want to sign up for business nbn®, refer to our guide on switching business nbn® providers. In this instance, it doesn't matter if your previous connection was residential or business, as we'll set up a new one for you anyway.

If you're an existing Aussie Broadband customer, here are the steps to transferring your connection from residential to business nbn®: 

1. Download and fill out this Novation Request Form. You'll need to provide details on your business (including your ABN/ACN).

2. Once you've filled out the form, email it to our accounts team at [email protected].

3. From there, all you need to do is wait. It typically takes up to two weeks for us to complete the relevant legal paperwork required to novate your service. In the meantime, you can continue using your existing residential service - we'll only begin to move your service when your new business connection is ready to go online.

4. When we're ready to upgrade you, we'll send a novation agreement for you to sign, confirming the transfer of your account's ownership from yourself to your business.

5. After you're all set to go, We'll inform you of the day and time your novation will occur. You may experience a very short downtime as we upgrade your service to a Business NBN plan (typically around 10 minutes). We perform most upgrades outside typical office hours (before 9 am). If those times don't work, we'll do our best to accommodate any requests to change your service to a date and time of your choosing. If you can't go even ten minutes without downtime, consider getting a mobile connection as a backup in advance. 

If you have any questions about the process, please call our dedicated business team at 1300 480 905 or contact us via our website.