For more than 20 years, the NBN Forum has been a valued part of the Network, providing a space for discussion, sharing news and technical updates from the NBN Trust, and enabling users to seek advice and guidance from colleagues across the Network.

However, despite its long and successful service, the Forum can no longer continue in its current form. The software platform on which it operates is no longer supported by its developers and although the Forum is running the latest available version, that is now more than five years old. Continuing to operate unsupported software presents increasing cyber security risks and, as a result, the difficult decision has been made to retire the Forum.

To give members sufficient notice, the NBN Forum will be taken offline by the end of September 2026.

What Happens Next?

While the Forum is no longer used as extensively or regularly as it once was, we recognise that it continues to provide value to parts of the Network and may still have an important role to play in supporting communication and collaboration across our community.

Before considering any future replacement, we would like to hear your views. We are inviting feedback on the current Forum, how you have used it, and what features or services you would like to see in any future platform.

At present, we are not in a position to develop a replacement Forum due to resource and funding constraints. However, understanding the Network’s needs will help us assess future opportunities should resources become available.

We would also welcome hearing from anyone within the Network who may have the experience, skills or capacity to support the development or implementation of a future community platform. The current Forum has benefited enormously from the generosity and expertise of Charles Roper and Mike Weideli over the years, and we would be delighted to hear from other technically skilled colleagues who may be interested in helping shape the next chapter.

In addition, the Forum contains a significant archive of discussions, knowledge and technical information built up over two decades. Preserving this content is important to us, and we would be particularly interested in hearing from anyone with expertise in archiving or migrating online community resources.

Alongside providing feedback on future requirements, you can also register your interest if you are able to assist with future development or archiving work.

Give feedback on the NBN Forum

Looking Ahead: A New Helpdesk Experience

While the retirement of the Forum marks the end of an era, we are pleased to share some positive news.

The NBN Trust will soon be introducing a new ticketing system and help documentation platform for NBN Atlas enquiries. We are moving to Freshdesk, a modern helpdesk solution designed to make it easier for users to access support and manage their enquiries.

The new platform will provide:

A smoother support experience
Faster and more effective responses to queries
Improved tracking of support requests
Easier access to help documentation and video resources
Simpler navigation and search functionality

Our aim is to launch the new helpdesk platform in September 2026, and we will share further details with the Network as soon as the transition is complete.

Although Freshdesk is not intended to replace the Forum as a space for community discussion, we believe it will help address some of the support needs currently served by the Forum and provide a more modern, user-friendly experience for obtaining help and information.

We look forward to sharing more details soon.

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