Was Telstra Looking After Your NEC Phone System? That Safety Net Has Gone.
Telstra's PABX maintenance exit named NEC and took effect on 30 September 2026. Summit moves your business to a cloud phone system with new handsets, your numbers ported free, and a free assessment first, so you know exactly what you have before you decide.
Free for businesses moving off an old phone system
Free site assessment and free local number porting
Offer: a free assessment of your current phone system, and free porting of local (geographic) numbers when you move to a Summit voice plan. 1300, 1800 and 13 numbers are excluded. $0 upfront hardware is included on our MAX plans. Available until 31 December 2027 unless extended. Terms apply.
Overview
If there is a grey NEC cabinet in your comms room or under the stairs, with a row of keysets on the desks to match, this page is for you. It has probably been rock solid. That is the problem: nobody thinks about it until it stops.
We will keep this honest, because it matters more than usual. We do not have an end-of-sale or end-of-support notice from NEC Australia for the SV8100, SV9100, SL1000, SL2100, Topaz or Xen, and we will not invent one. You will find end-of-life dates for NEC systems quoted online. Many come from dealers, and many relate to other regions. If a date matters to your decision, ask your maintainer to show you NEC's notice for your exact model and release, in writing.
Here is what is on the record.
Telstra has exited PABX maintenance. Telstra's exit of PABX hardware supply, TBS Care and Managed Voice Services took effect on 30 September 2026, and it named NEC among the brands. If Telstra looked after your NEC system, that fault service has ended. Telstra's own advice is to sign up with a PABX maintenance provider or the vendor instead. If you are not sure who now looks after yours, that is worth finding out this week.
ISDN has already gone. Telstra's final ISDN exit date was 31 May 2022 in nbn fixed-line areas, with approved extensions to 31 May 2023. If your NEC system was built around ISDN cards, it now reaches the phone network some other way, usually SIP or a gateway. Ask how yours does it today.
None of this means your phones stop ringing tomorrow. It means the support around an ageing system is thinner, and the person who knows how to program it may be the only person who does. For Topaz and Xen systems, we have found nothing either way from the vendor, and we say so plainly.
Summit Internet is an independent Australian carrier (ACMA Carrier Licence #388) that has served businesses since 2000. NEC and SV8100 are trademarks of their respective owners, used here only to identify the product you have. Summit Internet is not affiliated with NEC.
For a wider look at your options, see our guide to replacing your old phone system.
Key Benefits
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A Free Assessment Before You Spend a Cent
We start with what you actually have: the model and release, how many extensions and keysets, which lines and numbers are connected, and everything plugged into the system, such as EFTPOS, alarms, fax, door phones and paging. You get an honest summary, including whether staying put a while longer makes sense.
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Free Local Number Porting
Your customers know your number, so we keep it. When you move to a Summit voice plan, we port the local (geographic) numbers on your service at no charge: your main line, direct numbers and fax numbers, such as 02, 03, 07 and 08 numbers. 1300, 1800 and 13 numbers are excluded from the offer, and can still be ported. Available until 31 December 2027. Terms apply.
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New Handsets, With $0 Upfront Hardware on MAX Plans
Your new desk phones, cordless handsets and reception console arrive preconfigured, with extensions, greetings and ring groups already set up. Plug them in. $0 upfront hardware is included on our MAX plans, so moving does not mean a big cheque for handsets.
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Everything Included in One Per-User Price
Hosted PBX from $10 per user per month. Auto attendant, ring groups, call queues, voicemail to email, time-of-day routing, call recording and mobile and desktop apps are all included. No feature packs, and nothing extra to add a user.
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Phones That Follow Your People
A cloud phone system does not care where staff are sitting. Take calls on your business number from the Summit app on a mobile or laptop, from the office, home or a client site. The ABS reports that 36% of employed Australians usually work from home, up from 32.1% in 2019. A cabinet in the comms room cannot follow them there.
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Less Dependence on One Specialist
Programming an on-premise system often comes down to one installer or one dealer. With a cloud phone system, adding a user, changing a greeting or rerouting after-hours calls takes a few clicks in a web portal, or a call to our team.
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A Cutover Day You Choose
We plan the move for a quiet day, test inbound and outbound calls with you, and check every connected device before we tell you to cancel anything. Wait until the system fails and you get whatever day it picks.
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Internet and Backup Handled Properly
Cloud phones are only as good as the connection under them. We can supply business nbn with automatic 4G backup, with voice prioritised across our network, so one outage does not take your phones out with it.
What You Will Keep, and What You Will Miss Moving From NEC
Here is how the day-to-day compares, including the parts that favour the box you have now.
| On your NEC system today | On Summit Hosted PBX |
|---|---|
| Keysets with line keys and busy lamps your team knows by heart | New handsets. We confirm the key layout your team relies on during the assessment |
| Auto attendant and call routing, programmed by your dealer | Auto attendant, ring groups and queues you can edit yourself in a web portal |
| Voicemail on the system | Voicemail to email, included |
| Desk phones tied to a cabinet in the building | Desk phones, cordless handsets or a softphone, anywhere there is internet |
| Internal calls keep working if the internet drops | Needs internet to work, so we pair it with automatic 4G failover, and staff can take calls on the mobile app |
| Bought outright, no per-user monthly fee | A per-user monthly price from $10, with every feature included and no hardware cabinet to look after |
| Adding an extension means a card, a licence or a dealer visit | Adding a user takes minutes |
The honest trade: a system you own outright and a building full of familiar keysets is a real asset, and an on-premise system keeps internal calls up with the internet down. A cloud phone system depends on a good connection. That is why we never sell one without talking through your internet and backup first.
How It Works
- 1 Book your free assessment
Book your free assessment
Fill in the form above or call 1300 049 749. Tell us the model if you know it. A photo of the cabinet, or of a handset, is enough.
- 2 We look at what you have
We look at what you have
A Summit specialist reviews your NEC model, users, lines and numbers, and everything connected to the system. We list every number you want to keep and every device that depends on the phones.
- 3 Choose your handsets, or go softphone only
Choose your handsets, or go softphone only
Pick desk phones, cordless handsets and a reception console, or go softphone only and take calls on the Summit app. Mix both if that suits your team. $0 upfront hardware is included on our MAX plans.
- 4 We preconfigure and ship
We preconfigure and ship
Your handsets arrive with your extensions, auto attendant and ring groups already set up. Nothing to program.
- 5 We port your numbers and cut over
We port your numbers and cut over
We port your local numbers on the day you choose, test inbound and outbound calls with you and check connected devices. Only then do we tell you what to cancel with your old provider. Port first and cancel after: a number that has been disconnected can no longer be ported.
Features
What Your Move Includes
- Free site assessment
- : A review of your current system, numbers and connected devices, before anything changes.
- Free local number porting
- : Local (geographic) numbers moved to Summit at no charge. 1300, 1800 and 13 numbers excluded from the offer. Available until 31 December 2027. Terms apply.
- New handsets
- : Desk phones, cordless DECT handsets, reception consoles and softphone apps, preconfigured before delivery.
- Cutover testing
- : Inbound, outbound, transfers, voicemail and attached devices tested on the day.
- One bill, one support number
- : Phones, and internet and backup if you want them, from one provider.
Phone System Features Included
- Auto attendant (IVR)
- : A professional greeting that routes callers to the right person or team.
- Ring groups and call queues
- : Ring several phones at once or in turn, and hold callers in a queue when it is busy.
- Voicemail to email
- : Messages delivered to your inbox as audio files.
- Time-based routing
- : Different call handling for business hours, after hours and public holidays.
- Mobile and desktop apps
- : Make and take calls on your business number from a mobile or laptop.
- Call recording and reporting
- : Record calls for training or compliance, and see call volumes and missed calls.
Hosted PBX or Microsoft Teams Calling After NEC?
Most NEC businesses land on one of two replacements. We will recommend the one that fits how your team actually works, including the simpler one if that is the right call.
Summit Hosted PBX
- Best for
- Offices, workshops, clinics and shops that answer calls on desk or cordless phones.
- How it works
- A complete cloud phone system with handsets, auto attendant, ring groups and queues, managed from a web portal.
- Pricing
- From $10 per user per month, every feature included.
- Good to know
- The closest match to how a keyset system works day to day, with far less to look after.
Microsoft Teams Calling
- Best for
- Teams that already live in Microsoft 365 and Teams.
- How it works
- Summit connects Teams to the phone network, so staff call from the Teams app they already use.
- Pricing
- Requires Microsoft Teams Phone licences in addition to Summit calling.
- Good to know
- Most staff use a headset and the Teams app; desk phones are optional.
Not ready to replace everything at once? Some NEC systems can connect to Summit SIP trunks, which moves your lines and numbers first. It depends on the model. NEC's SV8100 manual describes SIP trunking as needing a VoIP board and SIP trunk licences, with a minimum of four SIP trunks, and it says NEC does not guarantee compatibility with any SIP carrier. So we check yours first, and we will tell you if it is only a stopgap.
Use Cases
These are illustrative scenarios, not customer case studies.
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The Car Dealership With Four Departments on One Number
Sales, service, parts and reception all share a main number, and the service desk is the busiest phone in the building. We port the numbers, build separate queues for each department with overflow to a mobile, and set different after-hours greetings for sales and service.
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The Two-Office Firm Dialling Between Sites
A financial planning firm has a system in each office and a clunky link between them. On one Hosted PBX, both offices share one directory and one auto attendant, and staff dial each other by extension wherever they sit.
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The Workshop With a Shop-Floor Bell and Paging
Transport & LogisticsA small manufacturer uses its system for a warehouse bell and overhead paging as well as calls. We identify both during the assessment and agree a working path for each before cutover, so nothing is discovered the morning it stops working.
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The Business Where One Person Holds the Passwords
The office manager knows how to change the greeting, and she is on leave when the public holiday hits. With the web portal, the owner changes it from a phone in two minutes, or our team does it.
Your situation not on this list? Tell us what you run or call 1300 049 749 and we will tell you honestly whether we can help.
Still running NEC phone systems?
Book a free assessment. We will look at what you have, tell you honestly what it will cost to keep, and show you what moving looks like, with your numbers ported free.
Why Choose Summit to Replace NEC
- 01
We Are a Carrier, Not Just a Reseller
Summit holds its own ACMA Carrier Licence (#388) and has served Australian businesses since 2000. Your phone service, number porting and internet come from the company that runs them.
- 02
One Team for the Whole Move
Phones, numbers, internet and backup are planned together by one team, so you do not have to coordinate an installer, a carrier and an internet provider.
- 03
Straight Answers, Including "Not Yet"
If your system is healthy and the right move is to wait, or to start by moving your lines, we will say so. A free assessment is not a sales trap.
- 04
Your Numbers Stay Yours
Local numbers ported free, tested before you cancel anything, with port first and cancel after as our standard order.
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Bundle them on one bill →Why Australian Businesses Choose Summit Internet
Great business and service provider. Highly recommended.
Nabil Salameh
last month
The Summit Team have always been a pleasure to work with; we highly recommend their services. Thank you for the continued support.
Paul Braithwaite
5 months ago
We recently moved our dental practice over to Summit for phone services, and the experience has been excellent from start to finish. The team has been responsive, professional, and incredibly helpful throughout the entire setup process. The transition was smooth, any issues were addressed promptly, and communication was always clear and efficient. Reliable phones and internet are essential for a busy practice like ours, and Summit has delivered exactly that. A special thank you to Michael for his patience and ongoing assistance during the transition. Highly recommend Summit to any business looking for reliable service and great customer support.Read more
Elli Darabi
5 months ago
The best service !!! Got issue fixed out by Greg ^^
白大倫
5 months ago
The whole team at Summit have been great from the initial onboarding to the rapid responses from Max when we need to make changes or additions to our services. Can't recommend them enough!
Aaron Klaver
5 months ago
As the I.T. Manager for Hydronic Systems Australia, Summit helps provide me and our companies with consistently stable Business Grade Internet, backed up by a dedicated Fixed Wireless Broadband connection. They also saved us a serious amount of money on our mobile phone bills. We have had no serious issues, and our business has been rock-solid under there great service. Highly Recommended.Read more
James Paterson
6 months ago
Prompt and efficient service. Highly recommend
Elliot Bell
6 months ago
We now use Summit across our real estate network. Great family business, reliable and their attention to detail is outstanding. Highly recommend.
Ryan Bell
6 months ago
As a reseller, we primarily work with Summit’s 4G services and have been very impressed. The plans are affordable, flexible, and well suited to our customers—especially for internet failover solutions. The sales and support teams are responsive and genuinely helpful, which is why we’re proud to partner with Summit Internet. We happily recommend them.Read more
Mal Skinner
6 months ago
After working with another ISP for several months to deliver a critical internet service for a major international sporting event, we were ultimately advised that the required upgrade was unlikely to be completed prior to event week. This left us facing a significant risk to service delivery. After exhausting all other options (and a few sleepless nights) we came across Summit Internet. From the initial conversation, Allan immediately understood the severity of the situation and quickly engaged his technical delivery team. Michael “Radar” was on site within days to assess and finalise a solution. Despite challenging conditions, including large trees and other obstructions, he worked tirelessly to design and implement an alternative approach. Leveraging an adjacent building, a temporary NBN connection, and a wireless link into the comms room, the solution was delivered within 24 hours of the initial site visit. Not only was the outcome faster than expected, but it was also more cost effective and delivered higher speeds than originally promised by the previous ISP. Over the course of the event, the service handled terabytes of data and supported hundreds of concurrent users without a single speed or performance issue. I cannot thank Summit Internet, particularly Allan and Radar enough for their exceptional service, technical expertise, and commitment to delivering under pressure. Highly recommended.Read more
Adam Hastie
6 months ago
Fausto and the staff at Summit are amazing. We have had nothing but fantastic service from start up to problem solving issues. The system is easy to use. Would highly recommend this service provider.
Jo Bodhankar
6 months ago
Summit internet recently set my small business up with a local land line number and a soft phone that runs off an app on my mobile - getting my personal phone number off the internet and being able to distinguish between business and personal calls is a game changer. Whole process took less than a week, and is super cost effective. Highly recommend.Read more
Alex Holly
8 months ago
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Frequently asked questions
Is my NEC system end of life?
Is NEC leaving Australia?
My system is an older Topaz or Xen. What is its status?
Do I have to replace everything at once?
Will I keep my phone numbers?
Can I keep my NEC handsets?
What about EFTPOS, alarms, fax and door phones?
What should I ask my current maintainer?
What does a cloud phone system cost?
What happens if the internet goes down?
Find Out What Your NEC System Is Really Costing You to Keep.
Talk to someone who can actually action it, not read you a list of plans. Tell us how your business runs and we will tell you what suits it.
Call 1300 049 749 · Mon-Fri 9AM-5PM AEST