Changes to Reconnection Charges
Shortly, we’ll begin passing through the $5.50 (inc GST) wholesale service connection charge that applies each time a service is connected or reconnected.
This charge applies when a service is connected or unpaused — there is no charge to pause your service.
Why This Is Changing
When we originally built our free pause/unpause system, NBN did not charge a reconnection fee. That changed several years ago.
Since then, we’ve strongly advocated for the removal of this charge and delayed passing it through in the hope it would be withdrawn. For a while, it appeared that might happen. However, NBN has now made it clear the charge will remain. It has also been formalised across other wholesale networks under ACCC-regulated agreements (SBAS and similar frameworks).
In short: the reconnection charge is now embedded in the wholesale structure.
Up until now, we’ve absorbed that cost.
As usage of pause and unpause has grown, the wholesale reconnection charges have become material. Rather than increasing pricing across the board, we’ve decided to pass the charge through only when a reconnection event actually occurs.
What This Means
- The wholesale reconnection charge is $5.50 per event.
- It applies when a service is connected or unpaused.
- There is no charge to pause your service.
- The initial “no credit card required” 7-day free trial will remain unaffected — we will continue to absorb the charge for first-time activations.
We don’t have an exact go-live date yet, but it may be as early as March 2026.
How We’ll Communicate It
We won’t be sending a mass email notification.
Most customers won’t be affected unless they reconnect or unpause their service, and we don’t want to clutter inboxes unnecessarily.
Instead, when you connect or unpause your service, you’ll see a notification explaining that:
- The wholesale network charges $5.50 per reconnection.
- We’ll cover the first one.
- Future reconnections will incur the wholesale charge.
Our intention is to be very clear and transparent.
Who Is Affected?
This will mainly affect customers who frequently pause and unpause their service — for example:
- Turning the service off while away on holidays
- Activating it intermittently at a holiday home or shack
For many customers, pause/unpause will still provide meaningful savings, even with the reconnection charge factored in.
If you use your Launtel service continuously — the way most traditional providers operate — you won’t see any additional charges.
Alternatives
If you want to temporarily reduce usage without triggering a reconnection charge, our “Standby” speed tier remains available.
While Standby doesn’t reduce your daily cost to zero, it avoids a disconnection and reconnection event and therefore avoids the wholesale reconnection fee.
Why Other Retailers Don’t Charge This
Most retailers don’t offer the same on-demand pause functionality we do. Because reconnection events occur far less frequently in traditional month-to-month models, they absorb the cost as part of their standard pricing structure.
Our approach has always been different: flexibility first. Passing through the wholesale reconnection charge allows us to keep that flexibility without increasing pricing for everyone.
We very much regret having to make this change, but the wholesale reconnection fee is now a permanent part of the network cost structure. Our goal remains the same — transparent pricing, no lock-ins, and the flexibility to use your service the way you want.
Damian Ivereigh
Launtel
25 Feb 2026