The ongoing NBN fibre upgrade rollout has shown plenty of love to standalone dwellings, by giving homes and businesses the option to upgrade to fast Fibre to the Premises technology. But for renters and homeowners living in apartments, NBN speeds are limited – and competing services, such as independent fibre networks, are nowhere near as widely available.
However, NBN Co has finally recognised the value in supercharging speeds for apartment living. The national broadband provider is targeting 700,000 apartments in 50,000 strata buildings nation wide for a fibre upgrade, and has promised homes will be ready to connect within the next six months.
Adding apartments to the fibre upgrade rollout is well overdue, but necessary to give all Australians equal access to faster and future-proofed broadband. NBN Co’s upgrade expansion will help the network achieve its 2025 goal: delivering its fastest wholesale speed tier – NBN 1000, or one gigabit per second (Gbps) – to 90% of premises with fixed line technology.
How will the fibre rollout boost apartment internet speeds?
Currently, most apartments are serviced by Fibre to the Building technology (FTTB), alongside Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and Fibre to the Node (FTTN). Unfortunately, although the cheap and convenient FTTB is the go-to NBN connection type for apartments, NBN Co is only offering a full fibre upgrade to buildings with units serviced by FTTC or FTTN. This means that a good percentage of apartment residents won’t yet qualify for the switch to FTTP.
FTTB, FTTC, and FTTN each use fibre optic cables to connect the nearest NBN node to a building, with additional copper wiring used to deliver NBN access to each individual apartment. The reliance on existing copper wiring means the maximum download speed available is capped at 100Mbps: still fast, but well below the gigabit-speed (Gbps) wholesale speed tier offered to Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connections.
Upgrading to FTTP means fast, fibre optic cables will connect each apartment directly to an NBN node. A full-fibre connection offers much faster potential download speeds, as well as an all-round more reliable performance for apartment residents.
NBN Executive General Manager Products, Ken Walliss, said the decision to offer FTTP upgrades to apartments was based on the increased demand for data from NBN customers.
“The average Australian household consumes 1200 per cent more data each month than it did 10 years ago – driven by hybrid work, study, and entertainment, such as streaming and gaming, across multiple devices – fast and reliable broadband is essential.
“Full fibre can deliver wholesale download speeds of close to 1Gbps, delivering a better NBN experience, including more consistent speed and minimal interruptions during online video calls.”
How can I upgrade my apartment’s NBN speed?
NBN Co plans to offer fibre upgrades to buildings managed by a body corporate, which house five or more units or apartments – you can check your location’s eligibility via NBN’s website. Authorised building representatives can submit a full fibre request directly to NBN Co, who will then be in contact with an installation quote.
While some of the installation cost is subsidised, buildings will need to pay a fee for each apartment’s connection. This begins at $275 per unit for a standard installation, and must be made as a joint payment from the body corporate or building representative.
Once an building upgrade is confirmed, it will be available to all apartments in the building, including rentals. However, this doesn’t mean you have to connect to a faster plan: if you’re happy with your existing internet speed and/or provider, there’s no requirement for you to change.
For customers who are keen to upgrade, you’ll be able to move to super-fast speeds once your building representative advises that the fibre installation is complete. To find the best deal on a faster NBN plan, you can compare what’s on offer in the tables below.
The following tables show a selection of unlimited Home Superfast (NBN 250) plans on Canstar Blue’s database listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following tables show a selection of unlimited Home Ultrafast (NBN 1000) plans on Canstar Blue’s database listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Are fibre upgrades worth the cost?
With many Australians continuing to work or study from home post-pandemic, the demand for faster plans and more bandwidth remains high. This is especially true for families, sharehouses, or any home with multiple inhabitants using the internet at once.
One benefit of the FTTP rollout, as cited by NBN Co, is the speed in which downloads can be completed. On the NBN 50 speed tier, downloading a 130GB update to Call of Duty: Cold War will normally take around seven hours. But with NBN’s fastest NBN 1000 plans, that time is reduced to less than 30 minutes.
Despite the costs involved in upgrading, research commissioned by NBN Co indicates that Aussie renters are willing to pay up to $540 more per year for a home connected to fast fibre internet. The same research showed that 73% of property buyers saw NBN fibre as a way to increase their home’s value — so for for homeowners and landlords, the switch to FTTP may be worth the investment.
While moving to a faster NBN speed tier will supercharge your internet performance, it’s also going to increase your broadband bill. NBN plans are priced by speed, so the faster your plan, the more you’ll pay — but you can find some great deals on offer for switching customers.
Many telcos offer six, 12, or even 24-month introductory prices for new customers, which can cut your bill by anywhere from $10 to $40 per month during the discount period. The downside is that once this promotion period ends, you’ll be moved on to your plan’s standard prices; however, if you opt for a no-contract plan, you’re free to switch to a different provider at any time.
Some of the cheaper telcos in the fast NBN space include Kogan, Tangerine, Flip and Southern Phone. If you’re comparing plans, you’ll also want to check the typical evening speed listed, as this is the best indication of how fast your speeds will be during the busy peak-hour period between 7pm and 11pm.
What if my building isn’t eligible for fast NBN?
If you’re looking for a high-speed alternative to NBN, or your building doesn’t yet qualify for NBN Co’s fibre rollout, you may want to consider 5G home internet. While these plans won’t quite reach the same speeds as the fastest NBN 1000 options, they’re much cheaper — and can offer a faster performance than fixed-line NBN 100.
Prices begin at around $60 per month, although not all plans offer unrestricted speeds; you’ll find there are 50Mbps and 100Mbps options available from most providers. However, you’ll get unlimited data and flexibility, so 5G home internet could be a good option if you’re unhappy with your NBN connection.
The following table shows selected published 5G home internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
5G Home Internet
min. cost $85 over one month |
1TB | $85 | |
 |
Optus Plus Entertainer Superfast 5G
min. cost $675 over first month |
Unlimited | $99 | Link to provider unavailable |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
The following table shows selected published 5G home internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $59.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $59.99 | Go to Site |
 |
min. cost $59.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $59.99 | Go to Site |
 |
Ultimate 5G Home Broadband Plus
min. cost $65 over one month |
Unlimited | $65 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $64.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $64.99 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $69.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $69.99 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $70 over one month |
Unlimited | $70 | Go to Site |
|
Optus Plus Everyday Fast 5G
min. cost $655 over first month |
Unlimited | $79 | Link to provider unavailable |
 |
SpinTel 5G Unlimited
min. cost $89 over one month |
Unlimited | $89 | |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
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