If you're moving offices, signing a new lease, or trying to work out why an NBN order is taking weeks instead of days, one number drives most of the answer: your address's Service Class. It tells your business NBN provider what technology serves your premises, what equipment is already installed, and how much work is left before activation — in other words, whether you'll have internet on day one or whether you're waiting on a technician.
We'll run a wholesale check across NBN, Opticomm and our fibre suppliers and tell you the Service Class, available plans and install timeframes — usually within minutes.
At a glance — every Service Class
Find your Service Class in the table below for a quick answer on whether you're ready to connect, whether a technician needs to visit, and roughly how long activation will take. Click any SC or PC number to jump straight to the detailed breakdown for that technology, where each step of the install is explained.
| Technology | Class | Ready? | Tech visit? | Activation ETA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FTTP — Fibre to the Premises | ||||
| SC 0 | – | Wait for area build | ||
| SC 1 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 2 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 3 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
| HFC — Hybrid Fibre Coaxial | ||||
| SC 20 | – | Wait for area build | ||
| SC 21 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 22 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 23 | Sometimes | 1–2 weeks (or self-install) | ||
| SC 24 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
| FTTC — Fibre to the Curb | ||||
| SC 30 | – | Wait for area build | ||
| SC 31 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 32 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 33 | Sometimes | 1–2 weeks (or self-install) | ||
| SC 34 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
| FTTN / FTTB — Fibre to the Node / Building | ||||
| SC 10 | – | Wait for area build | ||
| SC 11 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 12 | At cabinet only | 1–5 business days | ||
| SC 13 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
| Fixed Wireless | ||||
| SC 4 | – | Wait for tower build | ||
| SC 5 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 6 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
| Satellite (Sky Muster) | ||||
| SC 7 | – | Wait for infrastructure | ||
| SC 8 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| SC 9 | No | Activated remotely | ||
| Opticomm (Property Class) | ||||
| PC 1 | Yes | Coordinate with Opticomm | ||
| PC 2 | Yes | Allow several weeks | ||
| PC 3 | Yes | Allow 1–2 weeks | ||
| PC 4 | Possibly | A few days to weeks | ||
| PC 5 | No | Often hours, up to 1–5 business days | ||
Jump to detailed breakdown:
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) — Service Classes 0 to 3
Pure fibre all the way into your building — the premium NBN technology. More on FTTP.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 0 | Not ready yet. FTTP is planned for your area, but the local network hasn't been built. You can register interest, but you'll need to wait until NBN Co declares the area "ready for service" before an order can progress. | |
| SC 1 | Install needed. FTTP is available in the area, but no NBN equipment has been installed at your premises yet. A technician will need to bring fibre to the building and fit the external Premises Connection Device (PCD) to the outside wall. | |
| SC 2 | Internal install needed. The fibre run is done and the Premises Connection Device (PCD) is mounted on the outside of the building, but the indoor Network Termination Device (NTD) hasn't been fitted yet. A technician will need to run fibre through the wall and install the NTD. | |
| SC 3 | Ready to connect. The fibre, the external PCD and the indoor NTD are all in place. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days, with no technician visit. |
Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) — Service Classes 20 to 24
Fibre to a street distribution point, then existing pay-TV style coaxial cable into your building.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 20 | Not ready yet. HFC is planned for the area but the local build isn't finished. You can register interest only — no orders yet. | |
| SC 21 | Install needed. HFC is available in the area but the cable from the street to your building hasn't been run. A technician visit is required. | |
| SC 22 | Internal install needed. The cable to your building is in place, but the wall outlet and the Network Termination Device (NTD) still need to be installed inside. A technician visit is required. | |
| SC 23 | NTD needed. Cabling and the wall outlet are done, but the NTD itself isn't fitted yet. In some cases you can use a self-install kit; otherwise a technician visit is needed. | |
| SC 24 | Ready to connect. Cable, wall outlet and the NTD are all in place. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days, with no technician visit. If a previous occupant took the NTD with them, get in touch early so we can arrange a replacement. |
Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) — Service Classes 30 to 34
Fibre to the pit outside your premises, with a short copper run finishing the connection inside.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 30 | Not ready yet. FTTC is planned for your area but not yet built. Register interest only. | |
| SC 31 | Install needed. FTTC is available, but the cable from the street pit to your building hasn't been run yet. A technician visit is required. | |
| SC 32 | Install needed. The building is reachable, but extra work is required to connect it to the FTTC junction box in the pit. A technician visit is required. | |
| SC 33 | NCD needed. Cabling is in place but the Network Connection Device (NCD) hasn't been fitted yet. Sometimes a self-install kit will do; otherwise a technician visit is required. | |
| SC 34 | Ready to connect. Cabling, junction box and NCD are all in place — activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days. If a previous occupant took the NCD with them, get in touch early so a replacement can be ordered. |
Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Building (FTTB) — Service Classes 10 to 13
Fibre to a street cabinet ("node") or building riser, then existing copper telephone wiring into the premises. Both technologies share the same Service Class range.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 10 | Not ready yet. FTTN/FTTB is planned for your area but the network hasn't been built. Register interest only. | |
| SC 11 | Install needed. The copper network reaches your area, but additional cabling work is required at your premises. A technician visit is needed, and you may want to arrange any in-building cabling ahead of time. | |
| SC 12 | Small work at the street cabinet. A small wiring change ("jumper cabling") at the street cabinet is needed to connect your line. The technician won't visit your premises — all the work happens at the cabinet. | |
| SC 13 | Ready to connect. The line is fully cabled and has been active before. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days, with no technician visit. |
On a long FTTN copper run? Real-world speeds often fall well below the headline 100/40 Mbps — check if a free FTTP upgrade is available.
Fixed Wireless — Service Classes 4, 5 and 6
A roof-mounted antenna talking to a nearby NBN tower — mostly used in rural and semi-rural areas.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 4 | Not ready yet. Fixed Wireless is planned for your area but the tower hasn't been built or activated. Register interest only. | |
| SC 5 | Install needed. Fixed Wireless is available, but the roof antenna and indoor Network Termination Device (NTD) haven't been fitted yet. A technician visit is required to install both. | |
| SC 6 | Ready to connect. Antenna and NTD are already installed. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days, with no technician visit. |
Satellite (Sky Muster) — Service Classes 7, 8 and 9
For the most remote parts of Australia. Caznet doesn't sell Sky Muster — you'll need to find a satellite-capable provider via NBN Co's address checker.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| SC 7 | Not ready yet. Satellite is planned but the supporting infrastructure isn't ready. Register interest only. | |
| SC 8 | Install needed. Satellite is available, but the dish and Network Termination Device (NTD) haven't been fitted yet. A technician visit is required. | |
| SC 9 | Ready to connect. Dish and NTD are installed — activation can be done remotely. |
Opticomm Property Classes
Opticomm is a separate wholesale fibre network covering many newer estates and apartment buildings. If your address sits on the Opticomm network, you'll have a Property Class (1–5) instead of an NBN Service Class — same concept, different network.
| Class | Ready? | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| PC 1 | Coordination needed. Your address is within Opticomm's network footprint, but the cable to your building hasn't been run yet. Orders at this stage usually need to be coordinated with Opticomm directly. | |
| PC 2 | Major install needed. The site is reachable but extra construction or installation work is required. A technician visit is needed to finish the install. | |
| PC 3 | Install needed. The cable to your building is in place but the equipment install isn't finished. A technician visit is typically required. | |
| PC 4 | Almost there. Most of the install is done; only a small amount of activation work remains. | |
| PC 5 | Ready to connect. A one-off New Development Fee normally applies the first time a service is connected at the address — future connections aren't charged again. |
Wording and process can vary slightly between Opticomm estates — send us your address and we'll confirm where you sit.
How to find out your Service Class
NBN Co's address checker at nbn.com.au/connect shows technology type and serviceability, but doesn't always display the full Service Class number. The fastest way to get the exact answer is to send us the address — we'll run a wholesale Service Qualification (SQ) check across NBN and Opticomm and confirm Service Class, available business NBN plans, and any install work needed in a couple of minutes.
Frequently asked questions
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An NBN Service Class is a code assigned to every Australian premises that tells your provider what NBN technology serves the address (FTTP, FTTC, FTTN, HFC, Fixed Wireless or Satellite) and how far through the build and install process the premises is. The number determines whether you can connect within days or whether a technician visit, lead-in cabling or civil works are still required.
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Service Class 13 means your premises is fully cabled with FTTN or FTTB and the line has been previously active. No technician visit is needed and activation is often within hours of placing an order, up to 1–5 business days.
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Service Class 3 means your premises has FTTP fully installed — both the external Premises Connection Device (PCD) and the internal Network Termination Device (NTD/ONT) are in place. No technician visit is required and activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days.
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Service Class 24 is the fully ready HFC class — lead-in coaxial cable, wall outlet and Network Termination Device (NTD) are all in place. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days, with no technician visit needed.
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Service Class 34 means your FTTC premises is fully installed — fibre to the curb, lead-in cabling and the Network Connection Device (NCD) are all in place. Activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days from order, with no technician visit required.
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The fastest way is to ask a business NBN provider like Caznet to run a wholesale Service Qualification (SQ) check on your address. NBN Co's address checker at nbn.com.au/connect will show technology type and serviceability, but it doesn't always display the full Service Class number. Caznet can return the exact Service Class, available plans and install timeframes within minutes.
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If your new address is at the highest Service Class for its technology (SC3, SC13, SC24 or SC34), activation is often within hours, up to 1–5 business days. Lower Service Classes require a technician visit and possibly lead-in cabling or civil works, which can extend installation to several weeks. For a guaranteed install timeframe before signing a lease, request a Service Class check on the address up front.
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NBN Service Classes apply to premises served by NBN Co's national network. Opticomm Property Classes apply to premises served by Opticomm — a separate wholesale fibre network commonly found in newer estates, master-planned communities and apartment buildings. Both systems serve the same purpose: telling your provider how complete the install at your address is.