When they get rid of the copper connections, there will be only VOIP. Not that there are any particular issues with VOIP, but the old copper lines had some advantages.

One in particular is that for standard phone lines the 44V power is supplied by the exchange, so that in the case of a power failure at home, one still has a phone. Now with the modem at home relying on power from the house, a power failure means no phone. Great for an emergency.

That is indeed a good point Shadow- both ends of the overall fiberoptic channel would both indeed need their power supply- even thought the transfer modules don't need much.

From what I've read so far, and hope is true, the NBN termination unit (NTU) will be a special outlet called ATA, in fact two of those per home, to which one can connect their ordinary copper phone network. As there will be no power coming through the fiber, an optional backup-battery is suggested. One bummer is that the NBN will also draw about 15 Watts from your mains-supply, whether you use it or not (but then, perhaps I'll be able to switch it off when I'm out or do not wish to receive calls). It is not yet clear whether or not the ATA will support ADSL.

This means that although VOIP technology will be used, it will all be hidden within the NBN, so one doesn't need to have computer-equipment at home, especially old people.

If the reports are accurate, then the NBN is planned as a Layer-2 service (data-link), which means that they significantly change the meaning of light/electric signals. Even if it was legal to convert their signals to copper, bypassing the NTU, then decipher those signals, they would not mean a thing without access to their secret internal protocols and certainly would be meaningless in attempting to operate a phone and/or ADSL.