Contact Telstra through its cancellation support page or My Telstra messaging. Ask for the disconnection date, total cost and equipment-return instructions in writing. If you want to keep a home-phone number, arrange its transfer before cancellation.
Work through the cancellation
Decide what is leaving
Write down the internet service, phone number, email address and any add-ons. Tell the agent which you want to keep.
Arrange the replacement or number transfer
Agree the sequence with the new provider if you are switching. ACMA says a disconnected number cannot be ported.
Ask Telstra for the total
Request any contract payout, equipment amount, final service charge and the effective date. Do not accept “no lock-in” as a complete final-bill estimate.
Confirm the disconnection
Save the case number and written confirmation. Check the next invoice against the agreed date.
Source: Telstra: cancel internet or home phone.
Source: ACMA: keep or port your phone number.
Do you need to return the modem?
Telstra’s current home-internet return page says to return the modem if cancelling within 24 months or pay a $200 non-return fee. Confirm that this policy applies to your service and equipment; do not apply it automatically to a different product such as 5G home internet.
Ask for the return code. Telstra accepts the modem at Australia Post or a Telstra store with that code or Case ID. Keep the lodgement receipt until the account is settled. The nbn connection box stays at the property.
Source: Telstra: modem returns.
Keep your email and phone arrangements explicit
Telstra asks customers who want to retain their Telstra email address to say so when closing the account. Include every mailbox you need in the conversation. Our BigPond guide covers the email side in more detail.
Tell the agent about any home-phone bundle and equipment that relies on it. Cancellation can affect more than web browsing. Do not assume the old broadband billing has stopped merely because the home-phone number moved.
A message you can adapt
“Please confirm the date and total cost to cancel the internet service at [address]. I want to keep [number/mailbox, if applicable]. Please confirm the transfer sequence, all equipment to return, the deadline, and the cancellation reference.”
If the account is still being charged
A new invoice arrives
- Check
- Whether it covers service before or after the agreed cancellation date.
- Next
- Ask Telstra to reconcile the line items with your case reference.
A modem fee appears
- Check
- The equipment serial, return tracking and delivery confirmation.
- Next
- Send the return evidence and ask for the fee to be reviewed.
Keep copies outside the account you are closing. A saved email or PDF is easier to use later than a chat history you can no longer find.
Sources and review notes
Checked 10 September 2026 against the sources below. This is documentation-based guidance; we did not access a customer account or test these instructions on a handset.
Official sources
Telstra: cancel internet or home phoneContact Telstra, total cancellation quote, bundle effects and email retention request.www.telstra.com.au- Telstra: modem returns24-month/$200 policy on this home-internet support page; return code and nbn box stays at property.www.telstra.com.au
ACMA: keep or port your phone numberActive-number requirement, new provider arranges transfer, final obligations remain; updated 12 August 2025.www.acma.gov.au
Michel Elijah covers technology, streaming and online security for Tech X Telco. He writes practical how-to guides on everything from email troubleshooting to spotting the latest scams doing the rounds in Australia, with a focus on clear steps anyone can follow.
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