NBN fibre upgrade guide

Fact Checked

With more demands on our internet services than ever, NBN Co is rolling out upgrades to millions of Aussie homes and businesses so more people can have access to fast speed NBN plans.

But there are some catches to how this upgrade works and not all homes or businesses will be eligible. Read on to find out more about the NBN fibre upgrade.

NBN offers you might like

• NBN Sponsored Plans
• NBN50 Plans
• NBN100 Plans

The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.

Sponsored Products

NBN 100 SL Bundle BYO 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps Special Offer: Save $10/month for the first 6 months! $0 modem available. Plus, get 50% off SIM Plan fees. New customers only. T&C apply.

Unlimited Data/month

$79.99 Cost/month

Go to Site

NBN 50 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $85) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps Have a Vodafone phone plan? You’ll save $15/mth on Vodafone internet Get in quick on this package deal. T&Cs Apply

Unlimited Data/month

$85.00 Cost/month

Go to Site

NBN100 Liimitless 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps Save $10/mth for first 12 months on selected iiNet NBN plans Available to new customers only Available until withdrawn. T&Cs Apply

Unlimited Data/month

$89.99 Cost/month

Go to Site

View all nbn plans listed on Canstar Blue

*^View important information

Unlimited Home Standard (NBN 50) Plans

The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

Unlimited Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans

The table below shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

What is the NBN fibre upgrade?

After the network rollout was completed, NBN Co announced in 2020 that the next phase would include fibre upgrades to select homes and businesses across the country. Since that initial announcement, millions of homes and businesses, including some apartments, have been added to this ongoing fibre upgrade program.

The NBN fibre upgrade allows eligible homes and businesses across the country to upgrade their current Fibre to the Node (FTTN) or Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) NBN connection to a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection.

FTTP connections — along with some Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections) — allow for homes and businesses to access the NBN’s fastest speed tiers: Home Fast (NBN 100), Home Superfast (NBN 250) and Home Ultrafast (NBN 1000). Other NBN connection types, such as FTTN and Fibre to the Building (FTTB), may only be able to access the slower speed tiers, with Home Standard (NBN 50) the fastest speed available.

Having access to faster speeds is essential as our internet needs change. According to NBN Co, Australia’s data usage has significantly increased in the past 10 years, with the average household using 443GB per month across 22 devices connected to the internet, up from 40GB per month over seven internet-connected devices on average in 2014. This is expected to jump up to an average of 33 devices per household by 2026 and 40 devices by the end of the decade.

How to get the NBN fibre to the premises upgrade

The NBN fibre to the premises upgrade plan has proven to be popular, with approximately 7,000 homes and businesses on average upgrading to the FTTP each week according to NBN Co.

However, NBN Co isn’t rolling out this upgrade automatically to every eligible home. If your address qualifies, you’ll need to initiate the upgrade yourself by following the below steps:

• Run your address through the NBN Co website address check tool to see if you’re eligible for the upgrade. If you are, you’ll need to sign up for a plan with a participating NBN provider.
• Pick the provider you’d like for your NBN, check your address on their website, and sign up to a fast-speed NBN plan. If your current connection is FTTN, you’ll need to sign up to a Home Fast (NBN 100) plan or higher to trigger and upgrade. For FTTC connections, you’ll need to order Home Superfast (NBN 250) or faster to qualify.
• Once you’ve completed the sign-up process, your fibre upgrade will be activated. Your new NBN provider will then organise FTTP installation, which will include an appointment with an NBN technician. It’s possible that the NBN technician will need to visit your premises on more than one occasion to upgrade the equipment both inside and outside your home or business.
• Once the installation process is complete and your new FTTP plan is up and running, make sure you check with your original provider that your older plan has been cancelled to avoid paying two bills.

Which NBN providers offer the NBN fibre upgrade?

To find an NBN provider offering fibre upgrades, you’ll need to visit the NBN Co website to find the full up-to-date list of providers offering this service.

However, you’ll find popular and big-name providers on the list, including:

Is the NBN fibre upgrade free?

The NBN fibre upgrade is free if your home or business is eligible for the NBN Co fibre upgrade rollout. While a standard upgrade won’t incur an upfront cost for installation or technicians, you will need to sign up to a fast-speed NBN plan from a participating provider to start the upgrade process.

This means you’ll need to pay a new monthly price for your fast NBN plan, which are typically the most expensive NBN plans on the market. You might also need to pay for upgraded equipment, like a new modem, if your current equipment isn’t compatible with the fast speed NBN technology. Other instances, such as a complex building type, could also incur an additional cost to the provider as part of the installation process, which the provider could then choose to pass on to you.

You can always talk to your NBN provider of choice before starting the upgrade process to see if there will be any complications or additional costs.

How much do fast NBN plans cost?

When it comes to NBN pricing, the faster the speed, the more expensive the plan. This means that when if you upgrade to FTTP and a faster NBN plan, you’ll most likely be paying more each month when compared to your current, slower NBN service.

For example, if you currently have an Home Standard (NBN 50) plan, this can cost around $70-$90 per month, with many plans available around the $80 per month price point. If you were to sign up to a Home Superfast (NBN 250) plan, these plans can cost around $95 and up per month, so you may end up paying $20 or more per month for your faster plan.

Keep in mind that you’ll have a much smaller pool of NBN providers to choose from for your NBN fibre upgrade, compared to the large number of NBN providers on the market. This means it may be harder to hunt around for a great value or cheap NBN deal to limit that increased monthly plan fee.

Compare super-fast and ultra-fast NBN plans

Do I have to stay with the same provider after my NBN fibre upgrade?

The good news is that once your NBN connection has been upgraded to FTTP, you don’t have to stick with the same NBN provider. If you’ve signed up to a month-to-month fast speed NBN plan, you may be free to switch to a different plan or provider without any early exit fees. This is no different to switching plans or providers without the fibre upgrade.

However, you should always check your plan’s critical information summary, any contract you’ve signed, or terms and conditions available from the provider to see if you are free to switch (or if there’s fees for doing so).

What about other NBN connections?

Homes and businesses with an HFC connection should already be able to access faster-speed NBN plans, such as NBN 250 and NBN 1000. If you want those speeds and you have an HFC connection, you’ll simply need to sign up to a faster plan with your provider of choice.

If you have an FTTB connection, unfortunately you’re not currently eligible for a free FTTP upgrade. You may be able to access the Technology Choice program, however that will be at a cost to you and can be rather expensive.

The best way to check what NBN connection type you have and whether you can access a free NBN fibre upgrade is to check your address on the NBN Co website.

What are the NBN fibre upgrade suburbs?

NBN Co has progressively announced new suburbs across the country that have been earmarked for the free NBN fibre upgrade program. Millions of homes and businesses are now able to access the upgrade, so there’s a good chance your suburb is eligible.

The below suburbs are areas NBN Co has progressively announced in the past few years as the rollout continues. The most accurate way to do an NBN fibre upgrade check is to use the address checker on the NBN Co website.

Find your suburb by clicking the states below.