NBN HFC: What You Need to Know

Getting connected to the NBN can be a daunting time. You'll come up against complicated jargon and strange acronyms, but there's good news. The info you actually need to know is simpler than you think. We're here to help, and the first thing you should be aware of is this: 

You can’t choose how your NBN is connected, it depends on where you live and the infrastructure that is being built in your area. 

Even though there are seven NBN connection types, your house can only connect in one way and we’re betting that you’re reading this because you've got (or will have) an HFC connection.

What is HFC NBN?

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Like many other types of NBN connection, Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) repurposed some existing hardware - in this case, Coaxial, also known as cable. This technology type is typically seen in metro areas and is also used to connect pay TV services like Foxtel, or other cable networks to properties. As the name suggests, HFC uses a combo of both Fibre and Coaxial cable to deliver a connection. 

Thanks to significant upgrades to the HFC network, HFC is now one of the best NBN connection types. All HFC customers are now able to get NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans - the fastest plans available. 

In this guide, we’ll explain what HFC NBN is, how to pick a plan that is best for you and what you’ll need to get online.

Before we start, here's a look at some of the plans you can get with a HFC connection.

• NBN 50
• NBN 100
• NBN 250
• NBN 1000

How fast are HFC NBN speeds?

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If you've got an HFC NBN connection, you're able to get download speeds of up to 1000Mbps and upload speeds of up to 50Mbps. When you sign up for an NBN HFC connection, you'll have to pick from one of six different speed tiers. These are as follows: 

While each speed tier has a maximum speed, you may not get this 100% of the time. Your actual speeds will depend on the NBN plan and provider you sign-up with, and congestion during peak hours (which is what we mean by "typical evening speeds").

It's also important to note that your 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 will 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.

Below we've ranked providers by their typical evening speeds on an NBN 100 plan/

What equipment do I need for an HFC NBN connection?

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When you connect to the National Broadband Network through Hybrid Fibre Coaxial, you'll end up with an NBN Utility Box on the outside of your house, and an NBN Connection Box inside (pictured below). All of this equipment will be provided by the NBN for free.

The NBN Utility Box is installed by NBN Co when the network is being built in your area, while the NBN Connection Box will arrive when you're ready to get connected.

The NBN Connection Box plugs into a coaxial outlet on your wall (using a supplied coaxial cable), and essentially acts as a modem. It's the device that connects your house to the internet.

You'll then need to connect a wireless router to the Connection Box (using an Ethernet cable) to get all of your other devices online. Many NBN plans come with a router either by default, or as an optional add-on. 

Once your router is set up, you can connect an NBN-compatible VoIP phone to it if you want to use landline services. 

You'll need two spare power outlets in the room where you want to set everything up: one for the NBN Connection Box, and one for your wireless router. 

How much does an HFC NBN plan cost?

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How much you’ll pay for HFC NBN depends on the speed tier and provider that you go with. You can pay around $75 per month (excluding promotional discounts) for an NBN 50 plan, or as much as $150 per month for NBN 1000. 

An NBN 50 plan is generally a good one-size-fits-all situation. It’s significantly faster than any ADSL connection and has enough juice to power a household of two to four avid internet users. 

If you're looking for cheap NBN plans, here are the cheapest NBN 50 plans available right now in our database:

How does HFC NBN work?

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HFC is short for Hybrid Fibre Coaxial, but you probably know of it as 'cable'. Cable internet plans were previously been available from Telstra and Optus for many years, and cable was also used to connect your home to Pay TV services like Foxtel.

The National Broadband Network is made up of fibre optic cables that run out across the country from major hubs and into your general area. These cables are capable of delivering fast and reliable internet. 

As you can see in the image above:

• The NBN hubs (known as Points of Interconnect) connect fibre optic cable to a smaller connection point (known as a Node) near your home

• The coaxial cable then connects the Node to your house

Can I change technology types?

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If you’ve got HFC then congratulations! You've got one of the very best NBN technology types available. You can already get the best speeds available, and as such, most shouldn't need to change from HFC to any other connection type.

As part of the NBN's technology choice program, you can still upgrade to FTTP if you really want to, but this will cost you a small fortune. We've seen quotes to upgrade an HFC premise start over $10,000. 

HFC customers are not part of the NBN program that will see up to three million households be able to upgrade from FTTN to FTTP for free.

NBN alternatives

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If you've got HFC NBN, you shouldn't need to consider alternatives - you're on one of the best technology types possible. That being said, you do still have other options if you need them. 

4G and 5G mobile broadband are easily the best NBN alternatives on the market right now. These connections use the same mobile networks that your phone does to connect you to the internet. 

While 5G isn't available to everyone yet, many Aussies can already get a 5G home internet connection right now, and more will be able to as the rollout continues.

When it comes to NBN vs 5G speed, 5G internet plans in Australia come in three speeds — capped at 50Mbps or capped at 100Mbps, or uncapped speeds.

• Max 50Mbps
• Max 100Mbps
• Uncapped

If you can get a 5G home internet connection, you should be able to expect speeds between 50Mbps and 400Mbps, depending on your coverage and congestion. For example, Optus reports typical evening speeds of 240Mbps on its uncapped 5G home internet plan, which is similar to what you'd get on an NBN 250 plan, but at an NBN 100 price. Telstra's 5G home internet plan is cheaper than its NBN 100 plan but with faster speeds. As such, 5G home internet could still represent a cost-saving measure for those with HFC, depending on how speeds hold up as more Australians get connected.

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. The speeds and data allowances will be a big step down from HFC, however. Here are some 4G internet plans:

HFC NBN FAQs

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Who is getting HFC NBN?

Around two million Australian premises are connected to the NBN via the Hybrid Fibre Coaxial portion of the network.

What is the difference between HFC and Telstra or Optus cable?

While HFC is based on Telstra's cable network, existing cable customers who get moved onto the HFC National Broadband Network will benefit from much faster upload speeds. On a top-tier plan, HFC customers can able to upload at 40Mbps, whereas pre-NBN cable speeds were as low as 2Mbps.

NBN Co is also promising more capacity, which should reduce network congestion in peak times. This will however depend on where you live, your provider and the amount of capacity they purchase.

What happens in a power outage?

When you're connected to the NBN, landline phone and internet services won't work if there is a power outage at your place or within the network itself. Restoring power to your premises with an alternative power option won't do anything in the NBN network is also experiencing an outage.

What happens to my home phone?

NBN will eventually phase out the old copper phone services we use today, and replace them with similar services delivered by the internet. Home phones will connect to 'UNI-D' phone services, provided by your internet supplier.

Here's how it will work: you will plug your handset into the UNI-D port on a VoIP-compatible modem-router – which your provider will be able to send to you. You might also connect with a VoIP adaptor connected to your existing telephone socket or an ATA (analogue telephone adaptor) connected to your NBN Connection Box. 

Be aware that UNI-D does not allow for emergency power backup in the case of a black-out. If the power in your home, building or neighbourhood goes down, so will your phone line. You will also lose landline connectivity if the NBN goes down. For this reason, if you don't already have a mobile phone, we recommend that you keep one charged in your home in case of an emergency. 

Fortunately, these days there are plenty of affordable mobile handsets and plans around, offering options to get as much or as little calling credit as you think you might need. You can get a mobile plan as an alternative to VoIP. Or you can get a prepaid mobile with long credit expiry to use as an emergency backup in case of a power or internet outage.

What are NBN evening speeds?

While all NBN providers resell access to the same network, maximum speeds during peak hours can vary between providers. As such, some providers have started advertising the speeds you can expect during peak hours. These are known as 'typical evening speeds'.

How much data do I need for my NBN plan?

Almost every NBN plan is unlimited now, so data isn't a consideration these days. Instead, picking the right speed is the most important part when choosing a new NBN plan.

Do I have to sign a contract for HFC NBN?

Almost every NBN plan is contract-free these days. Just be aware that some still have minimum terms related to hardware. For example, if you get a new modem through Optus, you'll pay a pro-rated hardware fee if you leave within your first three years.

Why were some HFC areas being converted to FTTC?

Under the Coalition Government's MTM rollout, Optus' cable network was also going to be used as a basis for the Hybrid Fibre Coaxial portion of the National Broadband Network. In fact, NBN bought the Optus HFC network for $800 million before deciding that it needed to decommission the aging equipment.

Leaked NBN documents published by Fairfax revealed internal concerns about the quality of Optus' network, describing it as "not fully fit for purpose". The documents suggested that some Optus equipment had reached the end of its life and would need replacing, and that network was congested due to over-subscription.

Instead, NBN is using FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) technology (previously referred to as FTTdp) for as many as 700,000 premises originally due to connect to the National Broadband Network using Optus' HFC.

"HFC remains a highly valued part of our MTM deployment," said former NBN Co Chief Network Engineering Officer, Peter Ryan, at the time. "However in balancing the requirements to convert Optus’ current network architecture and design to be NBN ready, and the opportunity to introduce FTTdp, makes the new technology compelling in these selected areas."

FTTC can almost be described as a hybrid of Fibre to the Premise and Fibre to the Node. Rather than taking fibre to a central node in a neighbourhood, fibre is laid directly to a property's kerb. The final connection is made with copper. Many FTTC areas will be upgrade to FTTP.