NBN Co has announced a further 400,000 homes and businesses will be eligible for its free fibre upgrade program, bringing the total number of addresses earmarked for super-fast NBN to more than three million.
The expanded upgrade rollout comes just weeks after NBN Co’s updated wholesale pricing agreement came into effect. Under the new pricing deal, NBN providers will pay less for fast NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 services – which are conveniently the speeds that will be available to customers who upgrade to full fibre.
What do fibre upgrades mean for Australian homes and businesses?
NBN Co’s fibre upgrade program is available to selected addresses currently connected to the broadband network via Fibre to the Node (FTTN) or Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) technology. If your home is eligible, you can apply for an upgrade to a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection, meaning you’ll have access to the fastest NBN speeds on offer.
Currently, super-fast NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans are only available to homes with FTTP or selected Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections. Even NBN 100 plans are limited, and may not be accessible to all FTTN or FTTC-connected households.
While not everyone needs the fastest connection available, moving to a speedier plan could be worthwhile if you’re part of a large household, or find your current service lacking when it comes to high-intensity activities.
“Full fibre is our most reliable connection – perfect for gamers, virtual reality, big families, cloud storage, YouTube uploaders, and 360 video and more,” said Will Irving, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer at NBN Co.
“It’s also our most responsive technology for making video calls, uploading photos, videos, big files or streaming box sets and gaming online all at the same time – with less stuttering, buffering or dropouts.”
Currently, NBN 50 is the most popular speed tier in Australia, accounting for more than 4.7 million services as of September. However, gigabit-speed NBN 1000 offers an average download speed up to 18 times faster than an NBN 50 plan.
According to NBN Co’s data, an NBN 1000 plan is capable of downloading a 130GB Call of Duty update in less than 30 minutes. On a NBN 50 plan, this same download could take as long as seven hours.
Compare NBN offers
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.
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$79.99 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $85) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$85.00 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$89.99 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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.
Why switching to a high-speed plan is now more affordable
Moving to ultra-fast home broadband sounds great on paper – but with household budgets tighter than ever, price remains a barrier for many customers. The faster your plan, the more you’ll pay per month; but in good news, high-speed services have begun to drop in price, thanks to new wholesale price changes from NBN Co.
Major NBN providers – including Telstra and Aussie Broadband – have already made changes to their plan pricing. The trend so far has seen prices for NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans drop, with the fastest NBN 1000 tier falling by around $15- $20 per month (that’s a saving of $240 each year).
Unfortunately, not all NBN prices are declining. NBN 50 wholesale costs have increased, so customers are likely to be hit with a $5-$10 per month price rise for staying on this speed tier.
Currently, NBN 250 plans begin at around $95 per month for unlimited data, while the cheapest NBN 1000 options start at just under $110. If this is out of your price range, you can find NBN 100 from under $80 monthly.
If you’re considering switching – regardless of speed – keep an eye for new customer discounts that offer lower prices for your first six or 12 months. Some of the big-name telcos offering switching deals at the time of publication include TPG, Aussie Broadband, Optus and Telstra.
To what you might pay for fast NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans, compare prices 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.
Is my home eligible for a fibre upgrade?
You can find a full list of upgrade-eligible suburbs, and check to see if your address is fibre-ready, at NBN Co’s website. The upgrade process should be free for standard installations, although you may pay more each month for a faster NBN plan once you make the switch.
If your address is eligible, you can trigger an upgrade by ordering a high-speed plan from a participating NBN provider. For FTTN users, you’ll need to order NBN 100 or faster to qualify; for FTTC homes, you’ll need NBN 250 or faster. A full list of participating providers is available here.
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