There’s no doubt you’ve heard the term "NBN" and it was probably mixed up amongst some confusing acronyms and technical mumbo jumbo. Well, we’re here to help. In this guide, we'll cover everything you could want to know about connecting to the NBN and the things you need to know to order a plan with confidence.
In this guide:
- What is the NBN?
- How do I connect to the NBN?
- How fast is the NBN?
- How much does the NBN cost?
- Can I keep my home phone on the NBN?
- Do I have to connect to the NBN?
- When can I get the NBN?
- Are there NBN alternatives?
What is the NBN?
The National Broadband Network (NBN) is an Australia-wide project funded by the Federal Government to provide all homes and businesses with a fast, reliable connection to the internet.
The NBN is designed to "future-proof" Australian homes and businesses by replacing old, dated infrastructure with new, supercharged connections. With internet access becoming so integral to both our work and personal lives, it makes sense to build a sturdier, faster broadband network, especially in a geographically isolated country like Australia.
How do I connect to the NBN?
Once the NBN is live in your area, all you need to do to connect is pick a provider and choose a plan. Although NBN Co builds and owns the network, you'll be buying access to it from an NBN provider like Optus, Telstra, TPG, iiNet, or Aussie Broadband.
Place your NBN order (either online, via the phone, or in a retail store), and your new provider will take care of switching your current internet service over to your new plan.
If your home is ready to connect, you'll have most likely received a letter from NBN Co informing you of this fact.
While you'll need to pay for your NBN plan (and potential hardware fees if you need a new modem), in most cases, the process of connecting your home to the NBN is completely free, as the Government is covering the cost.
The letter from NBN Co should also inform you of which technology type you'll be connecting with. Seven different technology types make up the National Broadband Network. Your exact setup process can vary depending on which technology exists in your area, but you'll ultimately be connected to the same network as everyone else.
Here are the NBN connection types and the breakdown of how many Australian homes and businesses are likely to use them. These pages also cover the exact equipment you'll need to get online with each technology type.
- Fibre to the Premises - approx 19%
- Fibre to the Node / Fibre to the Building - approx 40%
- Fibre to the Curb - approx 12%
- HFC Cable - approx 23%
- Fixed Wireless - approx 4%
- Satellite / Sky Muster - approx 1.5%
Importantly, you don't get to choose which technology is used to connect your home to the NBN. The specifics of the rollout have been decided on by NBN Co based on which technology works best at each address.
After you've ordered a plan, your NBN provider will organise an installation date and time, plus guide you through anything else you need to know to get connected. Be prepared for the fact that there may be a small period of downtime between switching off your ADSL and switching on your NBN.
If you're renting, make sure you have landlord permission before installing, and for those living in units or apartments, you may also need to double-check with your building's management or Strata before hooking up your service.
For more information about switching over your service to the NBN, click here.
If you've already got an NBN plan, swapping providers is an easy experience. If you're out of contract, it's as easy as picking a new provider and ordering your plan online. In most cases, you should be swapped over within a few hours, with minimal downtime.
How fast is the NBN?
NBN plans are offered on four different speed tiers with an additional two offered for Fibre to the Premises and HFC customers.
NBN speeds
| Speed Tier | Maximum Speed | Evening Speed |
| NBN 12 (Basic I) | 12Mbps | 12Mbps |
| NBN 25 (Basic II) | 25Mbps | 25Mbps |
| NBN 50 (Standard) | 50Mbps | 50Mbps |
| NBN 100 (Fast) | 100Mbps | 90Mbps |
| NBN 250 (Superfast) | 250Mbps | 215Mbps |
| NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) | 1000Mbps | 250Mbps |
The speeds in the table above are the maximum speeds you can get on these plans. However, the actual speeds you get at home will still be dependent on:
- The NBN plan and provider you choose.
- Congestion during peak hours (this is what is meant by 'evening speeds').
So which NBN speed do you need? Let our quick video to help you decide:
NBN speed is a shared resource. If you subscribe to an NBN 50 plan, your 50Mbps is shared between every person and device in your household.
For example, if you're streaming a movie on Netflix, the internet may be slower for everyone else using your connection at the same time. Faster NBN speeds mean there's more capacity to share: you can stream all the video you want and no one else will notice any slow-down.
For households with two people or more, we generally advise choosing an NBN 50 plan. If your household has four people or more, you may be better off going with an NBN 100 plan. We don't often recommend choosing an NBN 12 or NBN 25 plan these days, as these plans don't represent good value in most cases.
If you're looking at NBN 100 plan, you should be aware that there are now two different types of NBN 100 plan: NBN 100 / 20 and NBN 100 / 40. Both types of plans offer download speeds of up to 100Mbps, but an NBN 100 / 20 plan has slower upload speeds than an NBN 100 / 40 plan.
Slower upload speeds mean that sharing content may take a bit longer, but it 20Mbps is more than fast enough to share photos and it won’t affect your general browsing and internet usage at all. The vast majority of NBN users won’t notice the slower upload speeds at all, but a small business may want to opt for an NBN 100 / 40 plan instead.
NBN 100 / 20 plans are now the most common option when it comes to NBN 100 offers on the market, whereas NBN 100 / 40 plans are only available from select providers.
Opting for an NBN 100 / 40 plan over an NBN 100 / 20 plan will cost you an extra $10 or so per month.
You can now also get plans with NBN speeds faster than 100Mbps, but these are only available to customers on select technology types. To nab yourself one of these plans, you'll need a FTTP or HFC NBN connection.
All FTTP and HFC premises are eligible for NBN 250 plans. All FTTP addresses can get NBN 1000 plans, but only 95% of HFC addresses can.
NBN evening speeds
Much in the same way that traffic on the road can slow down during peak hours, the NBN can too. And for pretty much the same reason. You share the NBN with other people in your neighbourhood and connections tend to slow down in the evenings, when everyone is jumping online to stream, surf, download, and more.
Evening speeds indicate how fast your connection will be at the times you use it most. They are a measure of the typical speeds a provider delivers to its users nightly from 7pm to 11pm.
How much do they slow down? It varies greatly from provider to provider, but here's what you should expect as a baseline, based on the current state of the market.
| Speed Tier | Maximum Speed | Evening Speed |
| NBN 12 (Basic I) | 12Mbps | 12Mbps |
| NBN 25 (Basic II) | 25Mbps | 25Mbps |
| NBN 50 (Standard) | 50Mbps | 50Mbps |
| NBN 100 (Fast) | 100Mbps | 90Mbps |
| NBN 250 (Superfast) | 250Mbps | 215Mbps |
| NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) | 1000Mbps | 250Mbps |
Speeds vary from provider to provider, with some offering faster performance, and some slower. All NBN providers now perform their own testing and publish typical evening speeds their customers can expect. We've collected that information and taken a look at how provider evening speeds compare here.
Alternatively, the ACCC regularly tests real-world NBN speeds on plans offered by all the major providers. We've taken a look at the most recent ACCC report on fast NBN connections.
How much does the NBN cost?
The National Broadband Network will be installed at your home free of charge. However, you will have to pay for an NBN plan to cover your monthly usage.
The cost of a plan will vary based on the speed you want and the provider you go with. The price of NBN plans is always changing, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $60 and $100 per month for your connection. Some cheap NBN plans can even push the price below $60 per month, although with these plans you tend to make a sacrifice on speed or data allowance.
Best value: NBN 50 (Standard)
Maximum Speed: 50Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 50Mbps
What to expect: NBN 50 plans are a good option for families. You'll have enough speed to ensure everyone can use the internet at the same time, without any fights breaking out over how long YouTube is taking to buffer.
NBN 50 plans can cost anywhere between around $50 to $100, depending on the provider and included plan extras like entertainment. However, note that cheaper plans are often offered on a limited-time deal basis. The cheap price is offered for the first six months of the plan, after which the price increases by between $10-$30, depending on the deal. These offers will st
Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 50 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
Kogan Internet
Silver Unlimited
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
Value Plus NBN
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#3
|
MATE
Ripper nbn 50/20
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Exetel
Extra-value nbn50
$60.99/mth
Min. cost $60.99
|
|
#5
|
Buddy Telco
Editor's Pick
Value nbn - Unlimited
$63/mth
Min. cost $63
|
Best for internet lovers: NBN 100 (Fast)
Maximum Speed: 100Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 80Mbps - 100Mbps
What to expect: NBN 100 plans are the best bet for large households and anyone who regularly downloads or uploads large files. Games will download at breakneck speed and everyone from the kids to grandma can binge different shows on Netflix, all at the same time.
NBN 100 plans can cost anywhere between $60 to $110, depending on the provider and plan inclusions like entertainment. However, just as with NBN 50 plans, cheaper plans tend to be offered on a discounted price for the first six months and an increased price thereafter.
Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 100 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
MATE
No Worries nbn 100/20
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Southern Phone
nbn Fast
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
NBN Unlimited Premium 100
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
nbn 100/20 Elite
$65.80/mth
Min. cost $65.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Kogan Internet
Gold Unlimited
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
Best for speed demons: NBN 250 (Superfast)
Maximum Speed: 250Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 215Mbps - 250Mbps
What to expect: NBN 250 plans are relatively new and the typical evening speeds vary significantly between providers. An NBN 250 plan will make downloading a breeze and will be more than enough to handle a large household's most intensive online needs.
NBN 250 plans could be a great choice for anyone who really wants to push their internet connection to its limits, or even for a small business.
To get an NBN 250 plan, you'll need an FTTP or HFC connection. If you're on a FTTN or FTTC connection, there's good news, however - the vast majority of these will be able to upgrade to FTTP for free by 2023.
NBN 250 plans tend to cost between $90 to $200 per month, and some are offered with a discounted price for the first six months.
Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 250 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
Southern Phone
nbn Superfast
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
NBN Unlimited 250
$80/mth
Min. cost $80
|
|
#3
|
Exetel
Superfast nbn250
$80.99/mth
Min. cost $80.99
|
|
#4
|
Swoop
nbn® Home Superfast
$82/mth
Min. cost $82
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Dodo
Editor's Pick
nbn Home Superfast Plan
$83.90/mth
Min. cost $83.90
|
Best for overkill: NBN 1000 (Ultrafast)
Maximum Speed: 1000Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 250Mbps - 700Mbps
What to expect: If you've dreamed of measuring your internet in Gbps as opposed to Mbps then pinch yourself because it's time to wake up. NBN 1000 plans have maximum speeds of 1Gbps but are exclusively available to those lucky enough to have FTTP and HFC connections.
Your typical household won't need speeds this fast, but if you don't want to wait a second longer than you have to for a download an NBN 1000 plan might be for you.
To sign-up for an NBN 1000 plan, you'll need a FTTP or HFC connection. All FTTP premises are eligible for NBN 1000 plans, and 95% of HFC premises are.
NBN 100 plans cost between $100 and $150 per month and are sometimes offered at a discounted price for the first six months.
Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 1000 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
Southern Phone
nbn Ultrafast
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
MATE
Flamin' Fast nbn 1000/50
$90/mth
Min. cost $90
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
SpinTel
NBN Unlimited 1000
$90/mth
Min. cost $90
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
Home Ultrafast nbn®
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
iiNet
nbn Home Ultrafast Liimitless
$94.99/mth
Min. cost $94.99
|
Best for moderate budgets: NBN 25 (Basic II)
Maximum Speed: 25Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 25Mbps
What to expect: NBN 25 plans are better suited to one or two person households. There's not much you can do online that needs a faster speed than NBN 25, but you may notice slower speeds if multiple people are using your connection at the same time.
NBN 25 plans tend to cost between $45 and $70 and are often offered at a discounted price for the first six months. Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 25 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
MATE
Crikey nbn 25/10
$40/mth
Min. cost $40
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Southern Phone
nbn Basic
$45/mth
Min. cost $45
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Moose NBN
nbn 25/10 Value
$46.80/mth
Min. cost $46.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Kogan Internet
Bronze Unlimited
$46.90/mth
Min. cost $46.90
|
|
#5
|
SpinTel
NBN Unlimited Entry 25
$47/mth
Min. cost $47
|
Best for tight budgets: NBN 12 (Basic I)
Maximum Speed: 12Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 12Mbps
What to expect: NBN 12 plans are best for basic internet usage, such as web browsing, email, and social media. You can still stream HD video through Netflix and YouTube, but you won't be able to do much else with your connection at the same time.
NBN 12 plans can cost between $45 and $60 and are often discounted for the first six months. Here are a few of the cheapest NBN 12 plans on the market right now:
|
#1
|
Moose NBN
nbn 12/1 Economy
$47.80/mth
Min. cost $47.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Flip
Unlimited Value nbn12
$52.90/mth
Min. cost $39
|
|
#3
|
iiNet
nbn12 Liimitless
$59.99/mth
Min. cost $59.99
|
|
#4
|
TPG
nbn12 Unlimited Plan
$59.99/mth
Min. cost $59.99
|
|
#5
|
Aussie Broadband
Basic nbn - Unlimited
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
Installation and set-up costs
Depending on the kind of NBN plan you take up, you may need to pay your provider an installation or hardware fee; no-contract plans are more likely to incur these costs than a 12- or 24-month agreement.
In addition, if you are connecting a newly developed house to the NBN, and there has never been any telecommunications services connected to the property before, NBN Co will charge your service provider a once-off $300 contribution fee, which may then be passed on to you as part of your set-up costs.
TV and phone bundles
If you still rely on a landline to make domestic and international calls, you can bundle your home phone service in with your NBN plan. Depending on your provider, this may be included in your plan price anyway, or cost you a little extra each month.
Some providers also offer entertainment extras as part of their NBN packages, such as a Fetch TV set-top box (offered by Aussie Broadband, iiNet and others) or a Telstra TV set-top box (offered by Telstra). Adding an entertainment package will mean your NBN plan costs more, but it is are optional. For more info on TV bundles and pricing, click here.
Editor's pick: Best NBN plans
Looking for a quick pick for your NBN plan? Our dedicated team of experts reads over 1,400 plan documents every week, and every month they pick out the top value options. Check out:
Can I keep my home phone on the NBN?
Your existing home phone and internet services will be disconnected 18 months after your home is connected to the NBN. If you want to maintain a phone or internet service at your house, you'll need to change to an NBN plan before the cut-off date.
Unlike your old landline which was delivered over a copper connection, your new home phone will make and receive calls using the internet via the NBN. This type of phone service is known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. Your experience of a VoIP landline should be similar to your existing landline experience in a lot of ways, except one: if or when the power and/or internet goes down in your home, your landline connection will go down too.
For this reason, we recommend keeping a cheap, prepaid mobile phone in your home, in case of an emergency. For more information see our guides on home phone cut-off and VoIP service.
Do I have to connect to the NBN?
Even if you're happy with your current internet service, sooner or later your neighbourhood will become NBN-ready, and you'll be prompted to move to an NBN plan. You can put off making the switch, but as fixed-line NBN services will be replacing your existing landline network, you'll eventually need to change your plan.
You'll have 18 months to switch to the NBN after your neighbourhood is upgraded. After this period, existing landline and ADSL broadband services will be permanently switched off, so you'll need to make sure you've made the move to an NBN plan in time - last-minute changeovers may mean you'll be without internet while your new service is activated.
The good news is that making the switch means you'll (hopefully) have fast and reliable internet, no matter where in Australia you're located. If the NBN at your home turns out not to be reliable, however, you do have the option to switch to a home wireless plan, like 4G home internet, instead.
Home wireless is internet delivered to your home over the same mobile networks used by your smartphone. Home wireless plans now come with speed and data allowances high enough to replace your home connection.
If you're nervous about signing up for an NBN plan, you can also choose a no-contract option first, so you can try out your connection and provider, before making a long-term commitment.
When can I get the NBN?
If you haven't received notice that the NBN is now available at your premises, there's an easy way to find out when you'll be getting it. Simply enter your address in our broadband search tool below, and we'll give you an estimate of when it will be rolled out in your neighbourhood, and show you comparable ADSL, cable or wireless broadband plans that you can sign up for in the meantime.
If you already have access to the NBN at your address, we'll let you know which NBN services and providers are now offering NBN plans in your area.
Got slow NBN?
If you're already connected to the NBN and you're not happy with its performance, there are a number of possible reasons, including:
- Your home's distance from the node
- Congestion on your provider's network
- Wrong speed tier on your plan
See our full guide on why your NBN might be slow and, more importantly, what you can do about it.
Are there alternatives to the NBN?
If you're not happy with your NBN connection at home, you do have the option to switch to home wireless internet instead.
Home wireless is internet designed for a home connection that is delivered over a mobile network – the same 4G and 5G networks utilised by your smartphone. But it's important to note that the quality of your mobile broadband connection is dependent on mobile signal. If you don't get good mobile reception at your house, home wireless is probably not a good option.
5G home wireless plans are especially great as an NBN alternative, thanks to high speeds and unlimited data allowances. 5G home internet plans come in two varieties: cheaper options where speeds are capped to either 50Mbps or 100Mbps, and pricier uncapped plans that can achieve speeds over 200Mbps.
If you decide to choose a plan capped at 50Mbps, this means it's the equivalent of NBN 50, however, you may experience
slightly slower speeds during peak hours. This is a great option if you're either conscious of the price
or you know you won't use over 50Mbps.
Here's pricing for 5G home internet plans capped at 50Mbps:
|
#1
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (50Mbit)
$49/mth
Min. cost $74
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
iiNet
5G Home Broadband Plus
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
|
|
#3
|
TPG
5G Home Broadband Plus
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
5G Home Internet Plus Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday 5G
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Yomojo
5G Internet 50
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
Link not supplied
|
If you choose a plan capped at 100Mbps, this means it's the equivalent of an NBN 100 plan, however, you may
experience slightly slower speeds during peak hours. This is a great option for households with multiple
members who regularly connect to the internet at the same time.
Here's pricing for 5G home internet plans capped at 100Mbps:
|
#1
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
5G Home Broadband Premium
$54.99/mth
Min. cost $54.99
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (100Mbit)
$59/mth
Min. cost $84
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
iiNet
5G Home Broadband Premium
$59.99/mth
Min. cost $59.99
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
5G Home Internet Premium Plan
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Yomojo
5G Internet 100
$75.90/mth
Min. cost $75.90
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday Fast 5G
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
Link not supplied
|
Telstra, Optus, Yomojo and SpinTel currently offer uncapped plans. These can go as fast as network conditions allow but exact speeds will depend on your coverage and congestion. Generally, though we have found 200Mbps is a pretty safe average.
|
#1
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband
$79/mth
Min. cost $104
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
5G Home Internet - 1TB
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Optus
Editor's Pick
Optus Plus Entertainer Superfast 5G
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Yomojo
5G Internet Max
$95.90/mth
Min. cost $95.90
Link not supplied
|
If you can't get 5G home internet but don't want NBN, you can consider 4G home internet, also known as home wireless broadband. These speeds will be a little slower - typical between 20Mbps and 50Mbps depending on your plan, coverage, and congestion - but they're also cheaper. Here are a few plans:
|
#1
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
Home Wireless Broadband
$44.99/mth
Min. cost $44.99
|
|
#2
|
iiNet
Home Wireless Broadband
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
|
|
#3
|
Vodafone
4G Home Internet Unlimited
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
SpinTel
4G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (25Mbit)
$53.95/mth
Min. cost $69.95
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday Basic 4G
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Kogan Internet
4G Home Internet Plan
$149.70
Link not supplied
|
If you're on a Satellite NBN connection, Starlink - Elon Musk's space internet solution - could be a viable alternative. Starlink offers download speeds between 100Mbps and 200Mbps, making it much faster than Satellite NBN. While Starlink isn't widely available yet, the company can already deliver service to some Australians, covering parts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia.
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