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NBN vs Pickle-Managed Services

Last updated on Apr 07, 2026

Understanding Your NBN Service: What Pickle Manages and What NBN Co Controls

If you have ever wondered why an internet issue sometimes takes longer to resolve than expected, or why your provider cannot simply "switch on" a faster speed immediately, the answer often comes down to how the NBN works — and the difference between the network itself and the

service delivered over it.

What Is the NBN?

The National Broadband Network (NBN) is Australia's national wholesale fixed-line broadband infrastructure. It is owned and operated by NBN Co, a government-owned corporation responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the physical network.

NBN Co does not sell internet services directly to consumers or businesses. Instead, NBN Co wholesales access to the network to Retail Service Providers (RSPs) — Pickle is an RSP.

Think of it like a toll road: NBN Co owns and maintains the road, and Pickle provides your vehicle, your fuel, and your customer service — but Pickle does not own the road itself.

What Pickle Manages

As your RSP, Pickle is responsible for everything on the retail side of your service:

  • Your service plan — speed tier, data inclusions, pricing, and contract terms

  • Provisioning and activation — setting up and activating your service on the NBN network

  • Customer support — your first point of contact for any questions, issues, or changes

  • Fault management — investigating faults, determining cause, and lodging with NBN Co on your behalf when required

  • The connection from the NTD to your router — via the UNI-D port on the Network Termination Device

  • Add-on features — static IP addresses, bandwidth prioritisation, or managed router services (where applicable)

You do not need to contact NBN Co directly. Pickle manages the entire relationship with NBN Co on your behalf.

What NBN Co Controls

  • Physical NBN infrastructure — underground cables, street nodes, pits, exchange equipment, and all cabling up to and including the NTD at your premises

  • The Network Termination Device (NTD) — owned by NBN Co, not by you or Pickle

  • Field technician attendance — NBN Co contractors attend to NBN-owned infrastructure only

  • Network capacity at the wholesale level

  • The technology type at your premises — determined by the infrastructure already in place and cannot be changed by Pickle

NBN Technology Types

The technology type at your premises affects performance and reliability. NBN Co determines this — Pickle cannot change it.

  • FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) — fibre runs directly to the building; most reliable, supports highest speed tiers

  • FTTN (Fibre to the Node) — fibre to a street cabinet, then copper to the premises; speed affected by distance from the node

  • FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) — fibre closer to the premises than FTTN; generally better performance than FTTN

  • HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) — uses existing cable TV infrastructure for the last leg; performance can vary

  • Fixed Wireless — signal delivered via radio tower to an antenna on the building; covered in a separate article

Contact Pickle to confirm which technology type serves your address.

Fault Management: Who Does What

  1. Pickle investigates first — diagnostics to determine whether the fault is on the Pickle side or the NBN network side

  2. If NBN-side, Pickle lodges a fault with NBN Co — managed entirely by Pickle; you do not contact NBN Co

  3. NBN Co investigates and resolves — timeframes are outside Pickle's direct control; Pickle will keep you updated

  4. If a field technician visit is required — NBN Co schedules the appointment; Pickle coordinates and communicates details

Pickle is your single point of contact. You contact Pickle — Pickle manages the rest.

Speed and Performance

Outside Pickle's control:

  • NBN technology type at your premises

  • Distance from NBN infrastructure (particularly relevant for FTTN)

  • In-home copper wiring quality (for FTTN and FTTC)

  • Peak-hour congestion at the wholesale network level

Pickle's responsibility:

  • Delivering your plan speed to the NTD at your premises

Customer's responsibility:

  • Router and internal network performance — speeds beyond the NTD depend on your own equipment

  • Ensuring your router is fit for the speed tier subscribed to

If speeds are consistently below the minimum guaranteed for your plan, contact Pickle to investigate.

Outages

  • Planned NBN outages — scheduled by NBN Co; Pickle communicates where advance notice is received

  • Unplanned NBN outages — managed by NBN Co; Pickle monitors status and updates customers as information comes in

  • Outages affecting Pickle's own systems — entirely Pickle's responsibility to resolve

If unsure whether an outage is affecting your service, contact Pickle and the team will advise on current network status for your area.

Key Takeaways

  • NBN Co owns the network. Pickle delivers the service over it — responsibility for issues depends on which side the fault originates

  • You never need to contact NBN Co directly — Pickle manages the entire relationship with NBN Co

  • Some factors are outside Pickle's control — including NBN Co's fault response timeframes and the technology type at your premises

  • Your router and internal network are your responsibility — Pickle delivers the service to the NTD; performance beyond that depends on your equipment

  • Contact Pickle first for any issue — Pickle will diagnose, determine cause, and manage NBN Co where needed

Contact Pickle

  • Portal: Pickle Customer Portal — 24/7

  • Email: [email protected]

  • Phone: 1300 688 588 (business hours)

  • After hours: Available for clients with an extended hours agreement

Pickle

Office 12, 7-9 Churchill Ave, Strathfield NSW 2135