NBN connection types

What are the types of NBN connections?

There are 7 NBN connection types in Australia. They're explained in more detail below, but this is a quick reference list:

• Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
• Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
• Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)
• Fibre to the Building (FTTB)
• Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC)
• Fixed wireless
• Satellite (Sky Muster)

The technologies with 'fibre' in the name are physical connections to your house. The fixed wireless and satellites use some sort of wireless connection - they're mostly used for rural Aussies, and are generally a bit slower and less reliable.

Which NBN technology is best?

"I've moved across the country a lot, so I've used most of the different NBN technologies. Without a doubt, fibre connections are the best tech I've used. Even with lower a bandwidth, the latency improvement of fibre it way better than the wireless options out there. Even fibre to the node, where there's a lot of copper in the mix, is better than wireless. I've yet to use a modern 5G home wireless connection, which is probably the only NBN alternative that would come close."

Tim Bennett

Insurance expert

What type of NBN do I have?

To find out what technology is installed where you live, you can simply use Finder's NBN address checker. Input your address and we'll show you NBN plans available at your location, tailored to your NBN connection type.

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NBN connections in detail

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)

Fibre to the Premises or FTTP is a fixed-line NBN connection that uses high-speed fibre optic cables all the way from the NBN node to a connection box on your house.

• Set-up: The NBN connection box requires power to operate. If it's not already installed, you'll need a professional to do it.
• Speeds: FTTP can get real quick - currently up to 1000Mbps.

Fibre to the Node (FTTN)

Fibre to the Node connects you to the NBN by using the nearby fibre node's copper phone and internet network. Picture it like this: a street cabinet acts as the fibre node. The NBN signal travels from the exchange to the cabinet through a fibre optic line. From there, it hooks up with the existing copper network to connect with your place.

FTTM is slowly getting replaced by better technologies over time, but it's a long process.

• Set-up: You only need a compatible modem to connect via this method. You don't need a technician to install anything.
• Speed: FTTN is bottlenecked by the copper line, as well as how far you are from the node. Most FTTN homes can access at least 50Mbps, but some can get up to 100Mbps.

Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)

In an FTTC connection, fibre optic cables are run from a node to a pit somewhere outside on the street. One node may service several properties, with the final connection being via the existing copper network.

• Set-up: An NBN connection box requiring power is needed for this connection type. An installer can set this up, or in some circumstances you may be able to set it up yourself.
• Speed: FTTC still has some copper lines in the connection, but far less than FTTN. The technology is limited to 100Mbps, but you're more likely to get close to that speed than FTTN.

Fibre to the Building (FTTB)

A Fibre to the Building (FTTB) connection is mainly used to connect an apartment block or similar types of buildings to the NBN. Here, fibre optic cables are run to a box in your building's communications room, most likely in the basement somewhere, then connected to the rest of the building via existing technology.

If your building is old, this is likely to be copper wires, but newer buildings could have ethernet cables.

• Set-up: A compatible modem is all that is required to connect this, with no equipment needed to be installed by a technician.
• Speed: FTTB is much the same as FTTC. You'll connect to the building's fibre line with the building's ethernet or copper wiring, but either way the tech is limited to 100Mbps.

Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC)

With an HFC connection, it basically means the existing pay TV or cable network is used to hook you up to the NBN network. An HFC line (a coaxial cable) from the closest fibre node will run right to your place.

• Set-up: You'll need to have an NBN network device installed where the line comes into your home, which needs power to work. This can be either installed by a professional or by you.
• Speed: HFC uses coaxial lines that already exist in your home, so you're getting high speed right to your modem. That means you can get up to 1000Mbps.

Fixed wireless

Fixed wireless connects you to the NBN through radio signals rather than fibre optic cables. These signals are transmitted from a tower in your area to an antenna installed on your roof. You'll only have fixed wireless as your NBN technology if you're living in rural Australia, but still within line-of-sight to an NBN tower, which will normally be located near a town.

• Set-up: An NBN connection box requiring power is needed for this and can only be installed by an approved technician.
• Speed: Fixed wireless is surprisingly fast. Most connections can get up to 100Mbps, but recently upgraded connections can reach 250Mbps on the Home Fast tier and up to 400Mbps on Superfast.
• Reliability: Wireless connections have higher latency, which will make online gaming harder, but that's about it. Fixed Wireless also suffers from line-of-sight issues, just like a phone or radio.

Satellite (Sky Muster)

As the name suggests, you are connected to the NBN via a satellite dish.

• Set-up: You'll need a satellite dish installed on the roof of your home as well as an NBN-supplied modem to be installed by a technician. This modem requires power to operate.
• Speed: Satellite is surprisingly fast - you'll have access to plans up to 100Mbps. However, you're more likely to get a speed closer to 50Mbps because of the nature of the tech.
• Reliability: Satellite is wireless, so will have higher latency, no matter what speed tier you go for. That makes online gaming a bit more frustrating. Also, bad weather could affect the connection to your closest satellite.

Maximum speeds of each NBN technology

Your top internet speed will vary - a lot. The underlying technology is only one of the many variables that impact your bandwidth. Oh, and bandwidth isn't the only thing that matters. That said, the table below should give you a good idea of typical top speeds for each connection type.

Which is the best NBN type?

Fixed-line NBN connections are generally considered the best NBN type as the quality and maximum speed of a fixed wireless connection is often more variable than fixed-line technology.

The less a copper network is used in an NBN connection, the better it's likely to be. Copper technologies can't achieve the highest speed capabilities of the network, so such connections are lacking.

That means you can expect the FTTP and HFC connection types to be the best. Neither of those use copper connections, as FTTP only uses the fibre optic network, while HFC uses coaxial cable in parts.

To make sure you get accurate and helpful information, this guide has been edited by Tim Bennett as part of our fact-checking process.

Written by

Mark Neilsen

Journalist

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Mark Neilsen is a journalist with over 20 years of experience specialising in the evolving landscape of entertainment and communications. He has contributed to Yahoo Finance, The New Daily, and news.com.au, and was an editor at The Drum Media and The Music. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Charles Sturt University. Mark was a TV Streaming and Utilities Writer at Finder from 2022 to 2024. See full bio

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