On the nbn™ network, not all support levels are the same.
Only services with an enhanced Support Service Level Agreement (eSLA) have guaranteed response and restoration time frames. Services without an eSLA are handled on a best-effort basis.
Understanding this difference is important when choosing a business-grade service or deciding whether your service needs an eSLA add-on.
What is an eSLA?
An enhanced Support SLA (eSLA) is an nbn™ defined support level that provides:
A defined operational period, and;
A guaranteed fault rectification time frame
If your service does not have an eSLA, nbn™ does not guarantee how quickly faults will be restored once acknowledged.
Why an eSLA matters for businesses
If your business depends on reliable connectivity, best-effort support is often insufficient.
An eSLA provides:
Predictable fault handling
Faster restoration
Reduced operational risk
Clear accountability during outages
For business-critical services, an enhanced SLA is one of the most effective ways to minimise disruption.
The two key things that define an eSLA
When your service has an eSLA, fault handling is governed by two key parameters.
1. Operational period
The operational period defines when faults can be raised and worked on.
The eSLAs offered by Neptune operate on a 24/7 basis, meaning that once a fault is acknowledged by nbn™, they can work on it at any time, including nights, weekends, and public holidays.
2. Rectification time
The rectification time is the maximum time allowed to restore service after the fault has been acknowledged.
Because eSLAs offered by Neptune operate 24/7, rectification work can continue uninterrupted until the fault is resolved.
How Neptune works with nbn™ eSLAs
Neptune’s support team operates:
9am – 9pm, 7 days a week
During this period:
We raise faults with nbn™ on your behalf
Once nbn™ acknowledges the fault, the nbn™ eSLA clock begins
Fault rectification is then governed by the eSLA attached to your service
In practice, this means faults can be acknowledged between 9am and 9pm, 7 days a week. Once acknowledged, restoration continues in line with the 24/7 eSLA, even outside Neptune’s support hours.
NBN enhanced Support SLAs
Below are the eSLA options available on business-grade Neptune nbn™ services or services with an eSLA support add-on:
Enhanced 12 (24/7)
Guaranteed service restoration within 12 hours of acknowledgement
24/7 operational period
Suitable for services where short outages are tolerable but predictability matters
Enhanced 4 (24/7)
Guaranteed service restoration within 4 hours of acknowledgement
24/7 operational period
Intended for mission-critical services where downtime has a direct business impact
You can review pricing for eSLA add-ons at our Critical Information Summary.
What about best-effort restoration?
Most standard TC-4 services fall into this category, where service restoration is best effort.
On best-effort services:
Faults are handled as soon as possible
There are no guaranteed response or rectification time frames
Typical nbn™ support availability is limited
Because there are no guarantees, outages may take significantly longer to resolve.
Important things to know
Not all faults relate to the nbn™ access network, and nbn™ eSLAs only apply to faults within the nbn™ network itself.
Issues may instead involve:
Our network
Equipment at your premises
Internal wiring or third-party services
Rebates and service credits
If an nbn™ fault exceeds its eSLA timeframe:
Rebates must be requested through Neptune Support
Claims must be submitted within two months of the outage