NBN in 2020: Telstra reveals Australia’s most data-hungry suburbs

With many Australians spending much of 2020 working, studying and entertaining from home, it’s no surprise that broadband traffic has spiked significantly. Now, Telstra has revealed the most data-hungry Australian suburbs to connect to its fixed-line networks in the last 12 months.

Ranked by average data used per household, Telstra has declared Australia’s most data-intensive suburb of 2020 to be Williams Landing (Victoria), with residents downloading an average of 567.70GB per home over the course of the year. That’s an increase of 27 per cent when compared to last year’s number-one suburb, Coomera in Queensland, which used 445.8GB of data per household in 2019.

The most data-hungry state in Australia was the Northern Territory, weighing in at an average of 327.98GB per household over a monthly period. Those are massive amounts – perhaps not that high for a gaming household or large family, but equivalent to streaming several hundred 4K movies per home.

Data use spikes during 2020 lockdowns

Such download amounts are be expected from a year where we were all inside, working from home, streaming and gaming, and putting tonnes of pressure on the NBN network. Daytime peak traffic went up by as much as 70 per cent compared to the start of March, while upload traffic went up by more than 100 per cent during the day, thanks to millions of users switching to work-from-home arrangements.

As expected, the most data-intensive days of the year coincided with major video game updates, such as those for Call of Duty and Fortnite, with average download sizes exceeding 30GB for each update.

If you’re wondering if your postcode made the list of the Australia’s biggest data users, you’ll find the top 10 below. Suburbs are ranked by average data use per household over 2020.

1. Williams Landing, VIC – 567.70GB
2. Edmondson Park, NSW – 546.79GB
3. Shortland, NSW – 541.68GB
4. Huntfield Heights, SA – 524.30GB
5. Oakleigh South, VIC – 519.09GB
6. Upper Coomera, QLD – 519.09GB
7. Wyndham Vale, VIC – 515.37GB
8. Aintree, VIC – 513.93GB
9. Hoxton Park, NSW – 503.60GB
10. Windsor Gardens, SA – 502.65GB

Big data user? Find the perfect NBN plan below

If you haven’t cared all that much about your home internet connection in the past, the last year has shown that it’s more than important. Whether it be for multiple devices in the home, intense online gaming or high definition streaming, your home internet connection defines how your house connects to the world.

Below you’ll find a selection of internet plans perfect for all types of users. The higher the speed tier, the faster your internet plan.

What were the most data-intensive days of 2020?

Gaming led the charge for all of the most data-intensive days of 2020 according to Telstra, mostly revolving around Fortnite and Call of Duty updates. You’ll find them all below, ranked highest to lowest of the top 10:

1. August 5: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare/Warzone Season 5 release
2. August 15: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone and Fortnite updates
3. May 19: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone update v1.21 release
4. September 29: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone Season 6 release
5. March 27: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone v1.8 release
6. July 25: AFL, Fortnite 10.2 update
7. November 10: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone and Fortnite updates, Xbox Series X|S launch
8. April 8: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone v1.19 release
9. December 2: Fortnite Chapter 2 Season 5 release
10. July 15: Call of Duty Modern Warfare/Warzone and Fortnite updates

Speaking from experience, these updates were huge. Some of the Call of Duty updates weighed in well over 40GB, meaning they’d take upwards of five hours to install on an NBN 25 connection. For that reason, if you’re a gamer, you should keep your eye out for a good plan. Below you’ll find a selection of NBN plans catering for gamers of all types.

• Gaming NBN
• Cheap NBN
• Fast NBN
• Superfast NBN

Gaming-ready NBN plans compared

The following table shows a selection of published gaming-ready NBN plans from Telstra and Aussie Broadband 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 a referral partner.

Cheap NBN plans compared

Not every gamer needs the fastest internet, and some people like it cheaper. The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the 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.

NBN 100 plans compared

If you’d like your gaming experience to have a little extra kick, these plans will do the job. The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the 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.

NBN 250 plans compared

If you want an NBN plan with some serious power, a super fast NBN plan is for you – albeit more expensive. The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 250 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the 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.

Brand	Features	Max Data**/billing period	Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	elite mates Home Superfast BYO Superfast 250/25 Evening Speed (NBN 250) Special offer: $89 per month for the first 6 months, then $109 per month ongoing. Terms apply, offer available until withdrawn. min. cost $109 over one month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$109Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	NBN 250 Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250) $70 setup fee Modem included ($15 P&H) PAYG calls min. cost $185 over first month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$115Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Unlimited NBN Superfast NBN 250/25Mbps speed Optional WiFi hub+ modem for $149 upfront plus $10 P&H Special offer: $95 for the first six months, then $115 ongoing. Terms apply. min. cost $115 over one month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$115Advertised Data^^/billing period
	nbnSuperfast Superfast 250/25 Evening Speed (NBN 250) Optional WiFi modem $99 upfront min. cost $115 over one month plan period	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$115Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go to Site
	Platinum Unlimited Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250/25) Modem available for $69 upfront min. cost $119.90 for first month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$119.90Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Unlimited Superfast 250/25 Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250/25) Special offer: $99.95 for the first six months, then $119.95 ongoing. Offer expires 31/3/22, terms apply. min. cost $119.95 over one month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$119.95Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go To Site
	Power User Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250/25) Optional modem from $149 ($15 P&H) Special offer: First month free when you use code ‘FASTMONTH‘ at checkout. Terms apply. min. cost $129 over first month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$129Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go To Site
	NBN250 Unlimited Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250/25) Special offer: $99.99 for the first six months, then $129.99 ongoing. Terms apply. min. cost $129.99 over one month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$129.99Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	NBN250 Liimitless Home Superfast Speed (NBN 250/25) Special offer: $99.99 for the first six months, then $129.99 ongoing. Terms apply. min. cost $129.99 over one month	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$129.99Advertised Cost^^/billing period
	Superfast NBN Superfast Speed (NBN 250) Typical evening speed: 215Mbps $216 modem (free when you stay connected for 24 months) Special offer: $99 connection fee waived (online only) Special offer: Get 3 months BINGE standard subscription, terms apply. Offer available until withdrawn. Unlimited local, national & mobile calls included min. cost $3,459 over 24 months	UnlimitedMax Data**/billing period	$140Advertised Cost^^/billing period	Go To Site
View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue			**^^View important information