When Your Internet Goes Down, Your Business Does Not Have To.

Summit’s mobile broadband plans deliver data-only connectivity for tablets, laptops, terminals and IoT devices on the Telstra Wholesale network — managed alongside all your other business services.

Add 4G Backup to Your Connection

Overview

In November 2023, a single network outage took 400,000 Australian businesses offline for nearly 14 hours. EFTPOS terminals stopped processing payments. Cloud-based phone systems went silent. Point-of-sale systems froze. Businesses with no backup connection had no choice but to wait — losing revenue, customers and confidence with every passing hour.

That outage was a wake-up call, but the truth is that internet disruptions happen every day across Australia. NBN faults, fibre cuts, exchange failures, severe weather, planned maintenance that runs long — any of these can take your primary connection offline without warning. The question is not whether your internet will go down. The question is what happens to your business when it does.

Summit’s 4G Backup is an automatic failover service that sits alongside your primary internet connection. When your main link drops, your traffic automatically switches to the 4G mobile network within moments. EFTPOS keeps processing. Your VoIP phones keep ringing. Cloud applications stay accessible. Your team keeps working. And when the primary connection is restored, traffic switches back automatically — no manual intervention, no IT team needed.

This is not a primary internet connection, and it is not a mobile broadband plan. 4G Backup is purpose-built as an insurance policy for your business connectivity. It activates only when you need it, and when you do need it, it is the difference between an inconvenience and a crisis.

Key Benefits

Automatic Failover, Zero Intervention

When your primary internet connection drops, 4G Backup detects the failure and switches your traffic to the 4G network automatically. There is no button to press, no number to call, no IT technician to summon. The failover happens in moments, and most of your team will not even notice the switch.

EFTPOS Never Stops

For retail, hospitality and any business that takes card payments, an internet outage means turning customers away or scrambling for manual workarounds. With 4G Backup, your EFTPOS terminals continue processing transactions seamlessly. You never have to tell a customer ‘Sorry, cash only’ because your internet is down.

VoIP Phones Stay Connected

If your business runs a cloud phone system like FlexPBX or SIP trunks, an internet outage means your phones go silent — no incoming calls, no outgoing calls, no voicemail. 4G Backup keeps your voice traffic flowing so you never miss a call from a customer, a supplier, or that prospect you have been waiting to hear from.

Cloud Applications Keep Running

Your team relies on cloud-based tools every day — email, CRM, accounting software, project management, file sharing. When the internet drops, all of it becomes inaccessible. 4G Backup maintains your connection to the cloud so your team can keep working instead of sitting idle.

Works with Any Primary Connection

4G Backup pairs with whatever primary internet connection your business uses — NBN, Fibre, Ethernet, or Summit’s Fixed Wireless. Regardless of your primary access technology, 4G Backup provides a completely independent failover path using the mobile network.

Protects Your Revenue and Reputation

An internet outage costs more than just the time it takes to fix. Lost sales, missed calls, frustrated customers, delayed projects and damaged credibility all compound the longer you are offline. 4G Backup turns a potential disaster into a barely noticeable interruption. The cost of the backup service is a fraction of what even a single hour of downtime could cost your business.

Automatic Fail-Back

When your primary connection is restored, 4G Backup switches traffic back to your main link automatically. There is no manual reconfiguration, no need to call Summit, and no lingering on the backup connection longer than necessary.

Peace of Mind

Perhaps the most valuable benefit is the one you cannot measure in dollars. Knowing that your business has a safety net — that a cable cut, an exchange failure or a weather event will not shut down your operations — lets you focus on running your business instead of worrying about what might go wrong with your internet.

How It Works

Summit Installs a 4G Backup Device

A small 4G-capable router is installed alongside your primary internet connection. It contains a SIM card on the Telstra Wholesale network and is pre-configured to monitor your primary link.

The Device Monitors Your Primary Connection

Continuously and silently, the 4G backup device checks the health of your primary internet connection. Your business operates normally on the primary link.

Primary Connection Drops

Whether it is an NBN fault, a fibre cut, a provider-side outage or any other failure, the 4G backup device detects the loss of primary connectivity within moments.

Traffic Automatically Switches to 4G

Your internet traffic — EFTPOS, VoIP, cloud apps, email, everything — routes through the 4G mobile network. Your business stays online. The switchover is fast enough that most applications experience only a brief interruption, if any.

Primary Connection Is Restored

When your main internet link comes back online, the 4G backup device detects the restoration and automatically switches traffic back to the primary connection. No manual intervention required.

Summit Notifies You

You receive notification of the failover event so you are aware that your primary connection experienced an outage, even if your business operations were unaffected thanks to the backup.

Features

Failover & Connectivity

  • Automatic Failover — Detects primary connection failure and switches to 4G without manual intervention
  • Automatic Fail-Back — Returns to primary connection when it is restored
  • Fast Switchover — Failover occurs within moments of detecting an outage
  • Telstra Wholesale 4G Network — Backup connectivity on Australia’s most extensive mobile network
  • Independent Path — 4G backup operates on a completely separate network to your primary connection, providing true redundancy

Compatibility

  • NBN Compatible –– Works alongside any NBN connection type (FTTP, FTTC, FTTN, HFC, Fixed Wireless)
  • Fibre Compatible — Pairs with Ethernet over Fibre and Enterprise Ethernet connections
  • Fixed Wireless Compatible — Works with Summit’s own fixed wireless internet service
  • VoIP Compatible — Maintains cloud phone system and SIP trunk connectivity during failover
  • EFTPOS Compatible — Keeps payment terminals processing during an outage

Monitoring & Alerts

  • Continuous Health Monitoring — Primary connection health is monitored 24/7
  • Failover Notifications — Receive alerts when the backup activates and when the primary connection is restored
  • Usage Reporting — Track how much data is consumed on the backup connection

Hardware

  • 4G Backup Router — Compact, business-grade device installed alongside your primary connection
  • Pre-Configured SIM — Ready to activate on the Telstra Wholesale network
  • Professional Installation — Summit installs and configures the backup device as part of the setup

Use Cases

Retail

EFTPOS That Never Goes Down

A building inspection company equips each inspector with a tablet running cloud-based reporting software. Each tablet has a Summit mobile broadband SIM, ensuring inspectors can upload reports, access property records and communicate with the office from any inspection site. Pooled data across 15 tablets means the company pays for the data the team uses collectively rather than overprovisioning each individual SIM.

Hospitality

Service Without Interruption

A mobile coffee cart and a pop-up retail store both need EFTPOS connectivity without a fixed internet line. A mobile broadband SIM in each payment terminal provides reliable transaction processing wherever the device goes. The data usage per terminal is low, so a small standard plan keeps costs minimal.

Medical Practice

Patient Care Continues

A vending machine operator manages 40 machines across Melbourne offices and shopping centres. Each machine uses a mobile broadband SIM to process cashless payments and report stock levels to a central management system. Pooled data across 40 SIMs ensures cost-efficient connectivity for devices that individually use very little data but collectively need reliable, always-on coverage.

Professional Services

Deadlines Do Not Wait

A construction company needs internet at a new building site for six months while the permanent connection is being installed. A mobile broadband SIM in a portable Wi-Fi router provides immediate connectivity for site management, security cameras and worker communication. When the fixed connection is ready, the SIM is deactivated or redeployed to the next site.

Multi-Site Business

Consistency Across Locations

A consulting firm provides mobile broadband SIMs for partner laptops, ensuring they have internet access when working from client sites, travelling between meetings, or in locations without reliable Wi-Fi. Banked data plans ensure that unused data from a quiet travel week is not wasted.

Frequently Asked Questions

If your business uses Summit's FlexPBX or SIP trunks, your phone system continues to operate on the 4G backup connection. Calls can still be made and received, though call quality may vary slightly on the backup compared to the primary connection with full QoS. In most cases, the difference is imperceptible.

The 4G backup device continuously monitors your primary connection and detects failures within moments. The switchover to 4G typically completes quickly enough that most applications experience only a brief interruption, if any. EFTPOS terminals and VoIP phones generally maintain their sessions through the transition.

Yes. 4G Backup works with all NBN connection types (FTTP, FTTC, FTTN, HFC and Fixed Wireless NBN). It also works with Fibre, Ethernet and Summit's own Fixed Wireless connections.

4G Backup includes a data allocation designed for failover use, not as a primary data source. Because the backup only activates during outages, data consumption is typically modest. Summit will discuss the data allocation options during the setup process.

Yes. Summit sends notifications when a failover event occurs and when the primary connection is restored. You will know your backup activated, even if your business operations were unaffected.

Yes. Summit installs a compact 4G backup router alongside your existing primary connection equipment. The device is small, quiet and does not require any ongoing attention from you or your team.

Absolutely. Many businesses with multiple sites install 4G Backup at every location. Summit manages all backup devices across your sites from a single account, and you receive failover notifications for any location.

4G Backup operates on the Telstra Wholesale network, which provides 98.8% population coverage across Australia. This ensures reliable backup connectivity across metropolitan, suburban and most regional areas.

Why Choose Summit for Mobile Broadband

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One Provider for All Your Connectivity

Summit is likely already providing your office internet and phone system. Adding mobile broadband means every connected device in your business — from the office router to the tablet in the field to the EFTPOS terminal at the market — is managed by one provider. That simplicity matters when something needs attention.

Telstra Wholesale Coverage, Summit Service

Your data SIMs get the coverage of Australia’s largest mobile network, backed by Summit’s Melbourne-based support team. When you need help with a data SIM, you call the same people who manage your internet and phones — not a separate company with a separate queue.

Right-Sized Plans for Business Devices

Summit’s data plans are structured for business use, not consumer use. Banked and pooled options ensure you are not paying for wasted data across a fleet of devices with variable usage. We help you right-size your plan so you pay for what you use.

Fast Deployment, No Infrastructure

A mobile broadband SIM does not need a technician visit, a cable run, or a fixed-line installation. Order, insert, connect. For temporary sites, seasonal operations, and rapid deployments, there is no faster way to get a device online.

Connect Every Device in Your Business

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Data-only SIM plans for tablets, terminals, IoT devices and more — on Australia’s largest network, managed by your local Summit team.
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