The NBN has mostly rolled out across the country, and if you haven’t been connected yet then you’ll probably be online before you know it. Since the National Broadband Network has become such a hot topic over the years, extra scrutiny has been placed on the speeds offered, and whether customers can actually reach those advertised speeds.
In late 2017, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) began to crack down and even fine the major telcos for their allegedly misleading NBN speed claims. Since then, however, telcos have begun advertising what’s called ‘evening speeds’. With so much jargon and a lot of terminology flying around, what means what, and what internet speeds can you expect? Read on to find out.
NBN Internet Speeds
You’ll probably know that there are six NBN speed ‘tiers’ available. Below is a short brief on what the company responsible for rolling out the NBN – creatively named NBN Co – calls the speeds.
- Tier 1 – Home Basic I – Maximum download speed of 12Mbps
- Tier 2 – Home Basic II – Maximum download speed of 25Mbps
- Tier 3 – Home Standard – Maximum download speed of 50Mbps
- Tier 4 – Home Fast – Maximum download speed of 100Mbps
- Tier 5 – Superfast – Maximum download speed of 250Mbps
- Tier 6 – Ultrafast – Maximum download speed of 1000Mbps
It’s all well and good knowing what the NBN speed tiers are called at a wholesale level, but what do the NBN providers actually call their speed tiers? And how are you supposed to know which is best for you?
NBN Speed Tier Names & Plans
The way telcos describe their NBN speed tiers is sometimes different to how they are described at the wholesale level. Expect ‘clever’ marketing language like ‘Turbo’ or ‘Supercharged’, for example. Below are a few providers and what terms they use to describe their NBN speeds.
TPG NBN Speeds
TPG has quite a large array of NBN plans across four speed tiers – Basic, Standard, Standard Plus and Premium, alongside ultra-fast plans for eligible customers. TPG simplifies the description, labelling the plans by speed tiers, NBN 12, NBN 25, NBN 50 and NBN 100, respectively.
The below table features a selection of TPG NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers. These are products with links to a referral partner.
Aussie Broadband NBN Speeds
Aussie Broadband offers four standard speed tiers — Basic (NBN 12), Casual (NBN 25), Everyday (NBN 50) and Family (NBN 100/20). Aussie Broadband also offers ultra-fast NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans to eligible customers, as well as a midway NBN 75 option.
The below table features a selection of Aussie Broadband NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers. These are products with links to a referral partner.
Telstra NBN Speeds
Telstra has a fairly simple approach to NBN plans, with five plans on offer on a month-to-month basis. Unlimited data and unlimited standard national calls are included on all Telstra NBN plans and prices start at $85 per month for NBN 25 speeds. You can also choose entertainment add-ons for additional monthly charges.
The below table features a selection of Telstra NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers.
Optus NBN Speeds
Optus, has five plans, split between two speed tiers – NBN 50 (Standard Plus) and NBN 100 (Premium). With these two speed tiers, Optus divides plans up with the names ‘Internet Everyday’, ‘Internet Gamer’ and ‘Internet Family Entertainer’. Eligible customers can add-on speed packs to upgrade to faster NBN 250 or NBN 1000.
The below table features a selection of Optus NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers. These are products with links to a referral partner.
iiNet NBN Speeds
iiNet is a telco that keeps it dead simple, describing its NBN speed tiers as NBN 12 (Basic), NBN 25 (Standard), NBN 50 (Standard Plus) and NBN 100 (Premium). NBN 100 speeds cost just under $100 a month, while NBN 250 (Superfast) and NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) plans are also available to eligible households.
The below table features a selection of iiNet NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers. These are products with links to a referral partner.
Belong NBN Speeds
Belong really keeps things simple by naming plans for the relevant speed tiers — Starter for NBN 25, Standard Plus for NBN 50 and Premium for NBN 100. All plans include unlimited data and no lock-in contracts.
The below table features a selection of Aussie Broadband NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers. These are products with links to a referral partner.
Vodafone NBN Speeds
Vodafone NBN operates across five speed tiers – NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000. Prices start from $80 a month and all plans are notably month-to-month. Customers can also claim an ongoing discount when they bundle their NBN plan with Vodafone mobile.
The below table features a selection of Vodafone NBN plans across different speed tiers from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a wider range of providers.
NBN Evening Speeds Compared
You’ve probably heard the term – but what does ‘evening speed’ actually refer to? ‘Evening speed’ is a relatively new designation that is supposed to give a more realistic representation about the maximum NBN speeds you can expect to achieve in peak periods.
- Peak periods are from 7pm to 11pm and frequently experience maximum speed slowdown of around 20% or more.
- Top-flight NBN 100 plans can be reduced to 80Mbps or worse in peak periods.
The good news, however, is that telcos do seem to be doing better to curb peak period slowdown, and over time speeds do seem to be improving. If you want to find the typical evening speed you can expect with a certain telco, you can check the telco’s website for more information.
Marketing is one thing – but which provider actually delivers the fastest NBN speeds?
It’s all well and good placing trust in the provider to accurately represent their max evening speeds, but what are you actually going to get in the real world?
The ACCC releases a report every few months on the state of telco services and the speeds of NBN plans. In the December 2023 Measuring Broadband report, the ACCC found that in peak periods (7pm to 11pm) included providers achieved the following percentage of their maximum plan speed:
- Launtel: 103.8%
- Telstra: 101.0%
- Exetel: 100.9%
- Optus: 100.6%
- Dodo & iPrimus: 98.7%
- Vodafone: 98.1%
- TPG: 97.8%
- iiNet: 97.6%
- Aussie Broadband: 97.2%
- Superloop: 96.9%
This in effect means that out of the biggest providers, Launtel was technically rated the ‘best’ performer, as its plans were more likely to achieve their maximum download speeds. In past reports, it has been a battle between Optus, Exetel and TPG for the top spot, showing that these speed performances can vary between reporting periods.
While this is a general guide only, it’s worth keeping in mind if you really value a fast internet plan, and also to give you a rough idea of which providers seem more likely to deliver the speeds you’ll expect.
How to do an NBN Speed Test
If you’re starting to question the quality of your internet service, running a speed test can be a good way to get an indicator about how good – or bad – your internet is. However, there are a few caveats:
- Running your speed test over Wi-Fi will almost never produce as good a result as if you have your computer hooked up to an ethernet cable, plugged into the wall.
- Other people using the internet at the same time as when you run your speed test can heavily skew results.
- VPNs can affect overall speed due to routing traffic through a foreign country or location far away from your home.
Other factors such as your choice of server can also impact test results. Also note that some providers may even be able to detect you’re running a speed test and prioritise bandwidth to you, which may not give an accurate representation of what speeds you actually experience!
All in all, running a speed test is a very simple process and can give an insightful look into how your internet is performing.
My internet is terrible – what can I do?
The first port of call if your internet speeds are not performing as expected is to contact the provider. If you go through an official complaints process, your telco rightfully can ask you to do a few things to verify your claims:
- You may have to provide speed tests at many times throughout the day, such as in the morning, at midday, in peak periods and even later at night.
- You may have to do this over several days to satisfy your telco.
If after you’ve jumped through several hoops, and you’re still unhappy, you can refer your complaint to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). Note, that this is usually the last resort. Successful complaints can result in breaking of contract with no penalty, speed downgrades at no penalty, refunding of monthly fees and so on.
Read more: 13 reasons why you internet is so slow and how to fix it
Is Your Internet up to Speed?
NBN and internet speeds have been under the microscope lately, and it’s tempting to panic and do something drastic. However, the good news is that NBN speeds are generally improving among the big telcos over time. Complaints of telcos not meeting speed expectations has created a rise in complaints over the past few years.
With that said, getting optimal internet speeds can also be belied to the customer. Choosing the right plan for you comes down to more than just choosing the cheapest one. Additionally, if you suspect your internet speed isn’t up to scratch, you can raise it with your telco and run a series of speed tests just to confirm. With internet being a hot topic lately, you can wade in by making sure your own internet is up to the task first.
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