Currently the NBN cable network only has 410,000 active premises, and while NBN previously said it would serve three million, it now clarifies it will serve "up to" three million. The NBN relies on the metro-centric Telstra pay TV cable network rolled out in the 1990s for its HFC services, after deciding to scrap the Optus network. There are indications that some premises originally slated for cable are being moved to fibre.

Premises originally scheduled to receive the NBN via Optus cable should now receive a Fibre to the Curb connection, unless the Telstra cable also runs down the street.

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Since HFC connections were halted, a handful of suburbs in the Telstra cable footprint have changed from HFC connections to Fibre to the Curb or Fibre to the Node, according to the rollout map. NBN is favouring the faster connections for these homes as part of the push to make 50 Mbps connections standard.

Behind the scenes, NBN Co continues to upgrade and repair the ageing HFC infrastructure in preparation for resuming the rollout and significantly increasing the load on the network. It is preparing field trials of the DOCSIS 3.1 cable upgrade, capable of delivering 1000/100 Mbps connection speeds.

As part of NBN Co's new approach to the HFC upgrade, it has started providing every home destined for HFC with a cable lead-in; with installers working their way along each street, rather than returning to install a lead-in for individual homes after they order an NBN service. This change is designed to reduce installation delays of several months after an area is declared Ready to Connect.

Even with new connections on hold, homes in HFC areas without an existing cable lead-in are still receiving NBN Installation Notices, some citing a large installation window stretching from March to August. These homes will not receive another letter as their installation date draws closer, instead NBN engineers will knock on the door when they are ready to start work.

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The installation process doesn't require the occupants to be home, as it only involves running a lead-in from the HFC cable in the street to a utility box on the outside of the home. At this point, the home remains connected to its legacy broadband service.

Updated installation procedures now require installers to test every cable connection before the premise is declared Ready to Connect. Cable connection faults currently account for around two-thirds of the million premises declared unserviceable, possibly to be the last homes to connect when the rollout is completed in 2020.

Homes with an existing cable lead-in won't receive an NBN Installation Notice. Instead they will receive a Ready to Connect notice some time after connections resume, with the NBN rollout map to provide more details in March.

As part of the HFC overhaul, NBN's engineer's have deemed roughly half the cable network "high-performing", primarily in areas with a high number of existing Telstra cable connections.

These areas will be declared Ready to Connect first, some perhaps before the middle of the year, while the rest of the cable network requires great remediation work, forcing homes and business in those areas to wait longer before they can sign up for an NBN service.