NBN speed upgrades in September 2025 explained

Fact Checked

NBN Co is changing the NBN speed tiers to help future-proof the network to help Australia catch up to countries with established gigabit-speed services. But while the updates are a huge positive for eligible households, what’s changing (and who can benefit) is confusing.

What are the NBN speed upgrades?

NBN Co is supercharging the network by upgrading speeds on its three fastest residential wholesale speeds and launching an all-new 2 Gigabit (2Gbps) speed tier.

The changes come from NBN Co at a wholesale level, but it’s up to each internet service provider to decide when and how to offer the new speeds. Several telcos, including Telstra, Aussie Broadband, Optus and Superloop, have confirmed that eligible customers with the right connection type on plans of NBN 100 or faster will receive an automatic upgrade to the new speeds.

However, households that aren’t eligible will remain on the same speed, as their connection isn’t compatible with superfast broadband.

When are the NBN speed upgrades happening?

The new NBN speed tiers are available from September 14, 2025. Some NBN providers are upgrading their NBN plans in-line with when the new speeds are available, but others may wait to roll out these changes over the coming months. If you’re a customer on an eligible speed plan and connection type, you may receive a notice from your provider about when to expect changes.

What NBN plans are getting upgraded?

If your current NBN plan includes download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps) or higher, you may get a free, automatic bump to a much faster speed from September 14. You may also be able to move to the new 2Gbps plan by request.

Here’s what’s changing in September for each wholesale residential NBN speed tier.

• Home Basic I (NBN 12/1): No change
• Home Basic I (NBN 25/5 or 25/10): No change
• Home Standard (NBN 50/20): No change
• Home Fast (NBN 100/20 or 100/40): Increases to 500/50Mbps
• Home Superfast (NBN 250/25): Increases to 750/50Mbps
• Home Ultrafast (NBN 1000/50): Increases to 1000/100Mbps
• Home Hyperfast (NBN 2000/200 or 2000/100): New speed tier

Who is eligible for the NBN speed upgrades?

The speed tiers and potential upgrades available to you will depend on the type of NBN technology used to service your address. NBN Co uses seven different connection types, including five fibre and two satellite/wireless options:

• Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
• Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
• Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)
• Fibre to the Building (FTTB)
• Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)
• NBN satellite
• NBN fixed wireless

Homes in metro and populated areas are typically connected by fibre. Satellite and fixed wireless connections are primarily used in regional locations where fibre networks aren’t available.

NBN Co’s speed upgrades are available on fibre only – but not every household will be eligible. Unfortunately, only homes with FTTP or HFC connections will have access to faster speeds, but there’s good news: many FTTN and FTTC-connected addresses now have the option of upgrading to FTTP for free.

If you’re not sure which connection type you have, you can use NBN Co’s address checker to identify the technology used at your home.

FTTP and HFC customers

If you have an FTTP or HFC connection and are already on an NBN 100, NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan, you’re eligible for a free speed upgrade. However, when this becomes available will depend on the NBN provider you’re currently with. If you’re pencilled in for a speed upgrade, your NBN provider will most likely notify you of the change in advance.

Several telcos have confirmed that they won’t be charging customers more for these automatic speed boosts: unless you decide to change plan or provider, you’ll still pay the same monthly plan price. However, you may need to upgrade your modem if it’s an older or more basic model. Ideally, superfast NBN requires hardware that supports gigabit Ethernet and WiFi 6 technology.

NBN Co is also preparing to replace the current Network Termination Device (also known as the NBN connection box) for FTTP and HFC customers. An NBN Co technician will organise and install the new device if required.

FTTC and FTTN customers

Households with FTTN or FTTC connections won’t receive the speed upgrade, even if you’re on an NBN 100 plan, as these kinds of fibre connections can’t support extra-fast speeds. However, NBN Co is currently rolling out free NBN fibre upgrades for selected FTTN and FTTC addresses, which, when complete, will give you access to the fastest plans on the network.

You can check your home’s eligibility with NBN Co. If your address has the green light, you can trigger the fibre upgrade process by ordering a high-speed plan through a participating NBN provider. For FTTN, you’ll need to order an NBN Home Fast or higher plan; for FTTC, you’ll need NBN Superfast or higher. Once your order is finalised, your NBN provider will organise FTTP installation at your address.

FTTB, satellite and fixed wireless customers

Customers with FTTB, as well as regional NBN users who don’t have a fibre connection at all, are currently unable to access these faster speeds.

While NBN Co is offering a full FTTP upgrade to millions of FTTN and FTTC users, this hasn’t yet been rolled out to FTTB, as this connection type is primarily used for apartments and multi-dwelling buildings. This means that individual premises can’t be upgraded to FTTP without changing the entire building’s connection type.

So for now, FTTB and satellite connections are limited to a maximum download speed of about 100Mbps, while the fastest fixed wireless plans can hit about 400Mbps.

How can I get the NBN speed upgrade?

If you have an FTTP or HFC NBN connection type and you’re on an eligible speed plan (NBN 100 speeds and up), your speed tier should change automatically. However, the exact timing may vary between NBN providers, and you may need to reboot your modem/router before you notice a change.

For households with the right NBN connection type, but on an NBN 12, NBN 25 or NBN 50 plan, you’ll need to switch to a faster tier (either with your current provider or another provider) in order to access these speeds.

Keep in mind that some households with an FTTN or FTTC connection may be able to access these faster speed tiers, but you’ll need to get your home’s NBN connection type upgraded first. Millions of Aussie homes and businesses are eligible for the free NBN fibre upgrade program — you can check your address on the NBN Co website to see if your home qualifies.

How much will the upgraded NBN plans cost?

The good news is that many providers are offering these speed upgrades without additional cost. Existing NBN plans offered by providers will simply receive a speed boost; however, while many providers are choosing to keep their plan prices the same as they were pre-upgrade, that doesn’t mean that prices won’t change in the future.

The downside is that customers on an NBN 100 plan who are unable to to receive the speed boost (such as those with an FTTB connection) won’t receive a discount. This means they might pay the same price for their NBN plan as a customer receiving five times the speed, simply because of their connection type.

Will I need a new modem-router for the new NBN speeds?

If you have an old modem/router that isn’t compatible with the WiFi 6 standard or above, it’s recommended that you upgrade to a newer model that’s capable of reaching faster speeds. Some older devices like laptops and TVs may also struggle with reaching ultra-fast speeds. But as long as you’re happy with your device’s performance, it’s not necessary to upgrade every piece of technology that’s several years old.

What NBN plan should I get for the upgrades?

This really depends on your household’s usage needs. For bigger homes with multiple users performing a range of high-intensity activities simultaneously — such as online gaming and high-definition video streaming — your choice of NBN speed may come down to price.

The NBN 500 speed may be fast enough for your needs, and prices will be more affordable when compared to faster speeds. If you’re not sure, you can sign up to a plan with a provider on a month-to-month no lock-in contract and upgrade your speed tier if you feel it’s not meeting your expectations.

Maximum speeds for each NBN connection type

Here’s a breakdown of the new speeds that will be available to each connection type. For speed options available at your specific address, consult NBN Co’s address checker.

How do I know which NBN speed I have now?

Your current NBN plan and speed should be listed on your NBN bill. If you use your provider’s app or web portal to monitor your service or account, you should also be able to check your plan details there. To see your plan’s real-time NBN download and upload speeds, you can also run an internet speed test. If you’re still not sure, contact your NBN provider.

Why should I upgrade my NBN speed?

The faster your broadband speed, the more you can do with your plan – and the less likely you are to experience buffering, slow load times, or interrupted streams and calls. If you’re not sure which speed tier is best suited for your home, you can compare how fast each tier will be post-upgrades in the below table.