When it comes to internet connections for homes and businesses across the country, there are a few different options for getting online, but many Aussies will find themselves turning to NBN for internet services.
If you’ve been wondering what NBN stands for and what NBN does, read our guide to find out what is the NBN and what it means for your household’s internet connection.
NBN offers you might like
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 $105) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$105 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 96Mbps
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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 $75) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$75.00 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.
What is ‘NBN’?
You may have come across NBN when looking for internet plans and it’s usually what people think of when it comes to internet plans. However, many people might not be clear on not only what NBN means, but also what NBN does.
NBN meaning
As Australia’s national internet connection service, NBN stands for ‘National Broadband Network’. The NBN rollout finished in 2020, however upgrades to the network are still ongoing.
What is the NBN?
The NBN is powered by a combination of technology, including copper wires, cable broadband and optical fibre, to deliver high internet speeds to Australian homes.
It delivers faster internet speeds than ADSL and 4G connections, with possible speeds of up to 1000Mbps, making activities like video streaming and online gaming quick and easy compared to slower connections. Rather than using only copper wiring like ADSL connections, the NBN has fibre-optic lines to deliver faster internet and limit bandwidth tension, meaning an overall better experience.
In order to access NBN, you’ll need to sign up to a plan with an NBN provider — with around 150 providers to choose from. Providers will list their plans as ‘NBN plans’ and will be able to provide information on which plans will suit your needs or household connection, if you’re unsure about which plan to sign up to.
What does NBN do?
NBN Co, the company responsible for the rollout and operation of of the NBN, acts as the wholesaler for NBN providers who then deliver products to users in the form of NBN plans, along with providing customer service and any other features, such as entertainment extras.
Think of the process like this:
- NBN Co is the company responsible for managing the NBN network
- NBN providers pay NBN Co (the wholesaler) to deliver their plans to customers
- You (the customer) get to choose your NBN provider to deliver your home internet service
NBN connection types
In order to deliver internet access to your home via the NBN, your home needs to be connected to the network. There are several different connection types that use different technology to connect your home to the NBN. These NBN connection types are:
- Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
- Fibre to the Building (FTTB)
- Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)
- Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
- Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)
- Fixed wireless
- Satellite (SkyMuster)
Who connects NBN to your house?
The NBN is installed in your home or local area by NBN Co, free of charge. The exception to this is if your home is in a new development area, in which case you may be required to pay a ‘new development charge’of $300. If this applies to you, you’ll be informed by your provider at sign-up.
However, you will need to pay your internet bill — as you would any other internet service — to your NBN provider for supplying your service.
Your internet provider may also require you to pay a setup or installation cost separate to the NBN Co installer. Before signing up to any NBN plan, make sure you read the Critical Information Summary and details of the plan to see if there are any extra or hidden fees you will need to pay upfront. Many providers also offer a new NBN-ready modem, which may be included with your plan or as an optional extra, which you may have to pay for.
What are the NBN speeds?
The NBN offers several different speeds tiers, making it easy to customise your home internet depending on what your household’s internet needs are. However, some speed tiers are only available for homes with certain NBN connection types. Keep in mind that fixed wireless and satellite NBN plans will have different plans and speeds compared to homes with fibre NBN connections.
Understanding the different NBN speeds and which speed tier you need is a good starting point when choosing an NBN plan. As not all NBN providers offer plans across all the speed tiers, your pool of providers may be limited. The speed tiers also determine how much you’ll pay for your NBN plan — the faster the speed, the more expensive the plan usually is. Here are the speed tiers:
- NBN 12 – 12/1: 12 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload. Also known as Home Basic I.
- NBN 25 – 25/5: 25 Mbps download, 5 Mbps upload. Also known as Home Basic II.
- NBN 50 – 50/20: 50 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload. Also known as Home Standard.
- NBN 100/20 – 100/20: 100 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload. A new speed tier, this is sometimes known as Home Fast, or just NBN 100/20.
- NBN 100 – 100/40: 100 Mbps download, 40 Mbps upload. Also known as Home Fast, or just NBN/40.
- NBN 250 – 250/25: 250 Mbps download, 25Mbps upload. Also known as Home Superfast.
- NBN 1000 – 1000/50: 1000 Mbps download, 50 Mbps upload. Also known as Home Ultrafast.
The best way to check which speeds are available to you is to check your NBN connection type and enter your address onto the website of the internet provider you’re interested in to see what speeds are available at your address.
Compare NBN plans
If you’re looking for an NBN plan, comparing plans from a range of different NBN providers can help you find the best plan to suit your needs and budget. You can compare plans in the below tables, just switch between the tabs to see plans on different speed tiers.
Unlimited NBN 100 Plans
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, 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 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, from 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 NBN 25 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 25 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 above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 12 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 12 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 above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Read more: What to do when your internet is down
Is my house connected to the NBN?
If you’ve been at your current home when the NBN switch occurred, you may have received notice from your internet provider when you were able to make the switch. Otherwise, it’s easy to check if your house has been connected to the NBN:
- For FTTP connections, you should have a box installed on the inside and outside of your property.
- For FTTC, FTTP and HFC connections, there’ll be a connection box somewhere near your property that’s allowing you to access the network.
- For wireless connections, you’ll either have a satellite dish or an antenna fixed to your property.
If you’re still not sure, you can contact your internet provider and ask. Otherwise, you can check your address on the NBN Co website to see if you have NBN in your area and if your home is connected. You’ll also be able to see which NBN connection type you have at your home.
FAQs about NBN
Once the NBN has been installed in your area, you’ll have up to 18 months to switch over to the network before your old ADSL internet connection is turned off. You can opt out of the NBN, but it means that you’ll be left without a fixed-line internet connection to your home and you might change your mind later on. If you choose not to sign up to a plan on the NBN, you might want to look for an appropriate wireless broadband service or other internet service such as Starlink.
There isn’t only one alternative to the NBN, rather there’s a handful. If you’re interested in having internet on the go, consider picking up a mobile broadband plan. If you’re after a home internet solution, consider home wireless broadband, as it’ll provide big data allowances (and sometimes unlimited) depending on your plan and provider.
There are also other options out there depending on what you live and what you’re willing to spend to get different types of technology. Starlink will be available in Australia once its beta is finished, and OptiComm is a fibre alternative to the NBN available in some locations across Australia.
NBN plans start from around $50 per month, but for this you may only receive the slowest speed, NBN 12. The slower speeds are generally cheaper and you can easily find cheap NBN plans for under $70.
If you want more speed and are looking at plans on NBN 50 or above and need unlimited data, these plans can start anywhere from around $70 per month, and go up to around $90-$100. The fastest NBN speeds can easily cost over $100 — the faster the speed, the more the plan will cost. You might also find some of the more expensive plans may be bundled plans with extra inclusions such as entertainment add ons.
Yes. Unlike Australian phone networks, all NBN providers are powered by the same network, which is operated by NBN Co. However, the bandwidth these providers purchase – plus the speeds they offer to customers – will still have an impact on your user experience at home.
No, a home phone isn’t a requirement for the NBN like it was for ADSL. Unlike ADSL, you don’t need to pay a line rental fee with the NBN, so needing a home phone isn’t necessary. However, if you want to keep using your landline number, you can still access your home phone through the NBN through the VoIP service, which allows you to call people through the network.
If you’re dissatisfied with the speed of your NBN connection, you can get a quote from NBN Co for changing your connection type to Fibre-to-the Premises, which is generally considered as being the best connection type. NBN Co’s Technology Choice Program gives you the option of upgrading your connection at a cost. Some homes with certain connection types may be able to get a free NBN fibre upgrade.
5G offers faster maximum speeds than slower NBN plans, but it’s a tough call to say it’s an NBN killer. 5G coverage is still limited across Australia, with its rollout still far from being finished. It could be an alternative to the NBN, but it’s unlikely to replace the NBN entirely. Also, NBN Co offers ultra-fast download speeds of up to 1000Mbps with certain connection types, which is similar to the speeds you can get on 5G home internet plans. Some providers also cap their 5G speeds on 5G home internet plans, so those super-fast speeds may be more achievable with a fast NBN plan.
If there’s a problem with your NBN connection, such as line damage causing constant dropouts, or if you’d like to make an enquiry about contractor conduct or technology locations, you can call NBN Co on 1800 687 626.
If you have issues about speed, network outages, connection dropouts or missing equipment like modems, you should contact your NBN provider.
NBN and broadband are typically used interchangeably as terms to describe an internet connection, but another way to describe it is as an internet connection equal to or greater than ADSL connection in terms of speed. Simply put, NBN is a type of broadband, as is home wireless broadband and mobile broadband.
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