When Your Internet Goes Down, Your Business Does Not Have To.
Summit’s 4G Backup provides automatic failover to the mobile network the moment your primary connection drops — keeping EFTPOS running, phones connected and your team working while other businesses wait for their provider to call them back.
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.
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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
Medical Practice
Patient Care Continues
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
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to my phone system during a failover?
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.
How fast is the failover?
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.
Does 4G Backup work with NBN?
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.
How much data is included with 4G Backup?
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.
Will I know when the backup activates?
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.
Do I need a separate device for 4G Backup?
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.
Can I have 4G Backup at multiple locations?
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.
What network does 4G Backup use?
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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It Works Because We Own the Primary Network
When Summit provides both your primary internet connection and your 4G Backup, the failover is tightly integrated and thoroughly tested. We are not bolting a third-party backup onto someone else’s internet connection and hoping the two systems talk to each other. We control the primary connection, we configure the backup, and we ensure the failover works seamlessly.
True Redundancy on a Separate Network
4G Backup operates on the Telstra Wholesale mobile network — a completely independent path from your primary fixed-line connection. This means a fault that affects your NBN, fibre or fixed wireless does not affect your backup. True redundancy requires network independence, and Summit’s 4G Backup delivers exactly that.
One Provider Sees the Whole Picture
When a failover event occurs, Summit’s team can see both your primary connection status and your backup activation in one view. We can diagnose the primary fault, monitor the backup performance, and coordinate the restoration without you needing to contact multiple providers or explain the situation twice.
The Maths Make Sense
Consider the cost of downtime for your business. A single hour without EFTPOS could cost a retailer hundreds or thousands of dollars. A missed deadline could cost a professional services firm a client relationship. A disrupted clinic loses Medicare revenue for every hour offline. 4G Backup costs a fraction of what even one significant outage would cost your business. It is not an expense — it is insurance.
Why Australian Businesses Choose Summit Internet
Do Not Wait for the Next Outage to Wish You Had a Backup
4G Backup keeps your business running when your primary internet fails. Automatic failover, automatic fail-back, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing you are covered.