When the NBN was initially planned, every house across Australia was meant to get Fibre-Optic cables right to the door: this became the Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology type. After initial roll-outs in testing areas and a change in government, the plan was scaled back so that the nodes across Australia would each be upgraded, and Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and Fibre to the Node (FTTN) connections became much more commonplace.
These two alternatives to FTTP are naturally slower, as copper lining is used to get the NBN to your door. Copper lining causes the capacity for internet traffic to be slower than with Fibre-Optic cables, although it is much more cost-efficient.
However, it is still slower – and you might be an Aussie who’s dissatisfied with their internet speed. After checking your connection for any damage, upgrading your internet plan and making sure there’s not much bandwidth being taken up by your connection, you might be left without many options. Thankfully, NBN Co has one final thing you can try – the Technology Choice Program.
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What is the Technology Choice Program?
The Technology Choice Program is an NBN Co program aiming to roll out more powerful Fibre To The Premises internet to properties across Australia. The program gives Aussies the choice of converting their NBN type over from either Fibre to the Curb or Fibre to the Node, to Fibre to the Premises. It’s free and you can get a quote pretty quick. If you’re serious about your NBN connection being fast, it is certainly something to consider.
How does it work?
NBN Co says that every premises has the potential for an FTTP connection. This isn’t simply a switch they can flick to make work though. What happens instead is that a technician will have to come out and pull the copper wiring to your house out of the ground, and replace it with Fibre-Optic cable. Because of this it would take some time for it to work, and NBN Co isn’t giving any broad guarantees right now about when they can come to your property and install the Fibre-Optic cable.
On the quote side of things, simply enter your address on NBN Co website, put in your contact details, and you’ll soon get an email back detailing your quote. These quotes are only valid for 24 hours, otherwise you’ll need to requote.
How much does it cost?
It used to cost a lot of money for a quote, but now those are free, with the cost being linked now to the development fees. Property type, distance from the node, and if you’re currently connected by FTTN or FTTC, just to name a few, are factors that can punch up the price. Whirlpool has been keeping a list of quotes users have received, and some are reportedly as high as $80,000 – and that’s after a $300 quote fee that used to be in place.
This goes to show that the Technology Choice Program is really only for people short of being die-hards for fast internet. A way that you could make the Technology Choice Program more cost-effective is by banding together with your street to order the program as a whole for all of your neighbours, but even this will be pricey – but definitely a lot cheaper! In practice it makes a lot of sense, as getting NBN out to all of your neighbours is a lot easier than splitting up Fibre Optic cables from premises to premises.
NBN Plans & Providers
Interested in looking at a new NBN provider or plan? The table below contains affiliate links.
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. 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $85) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps 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. 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.
Unlimited
Data/month
$79.99
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited
Data/month
$85.00
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited
Data/month
$89.99
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited Home Standard (NBN 50) Plans
Unlimited Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans
How can I make my internet faster?
The Technology Choice Program really should be seen as a last ditch attempt at solving all of your internet woes, and it will involve down-time and lots of money. NBN Co even stresses on their website that you should check with your ISP that you’re getting the best service you can before chasing up the Technology Choice Program.
But beyond the Technology Choice Program, how can you make your internet faster? We’ve got a great article on NBN speed tests here, but really all you can do when dealing with ISP’s to make your net faster is get the best plan. Premium NBN 100 is the fastest readily-available NBN speed, ideal for heavy internet users who do lots of 4K streaming and online gaming – but keep in mind it’s not available to all technology types.
What kind of NBN do I have?
You can use the NBN Co rollout map to check your property and see what kind of NBN connection you have.
We’ve compiled a great table of some of the best Standard Plus NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans below.
Fast NBN 50/100 Plans
Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plansThe following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard 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 a referral partner. Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plansThe following table shows a selection of published unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard 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 a referral partner. |
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