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As the next generation of Internet speed, NBN 1000 (also known as gigabit Internet) is shorthand for NBN speeds of up to 1,000Mbps or 1GBps. This opens a world of new online possibilities like HD streaming on your favourite entertainment platforms, ultrafast movie downloads and high-level cloud storage of files and data.
NBN 1000 plans are only available at select addresses due to your property's NBN connection type. Currently, only those with FTTP and some HFC connection types are eligible to sign up to NBN 1000 plans.
To make sure you're able to get these plans at your location, check your address on the provider's website for confirmation. Otherwise, we recommend comparing NBN 100 plans instead.
Gigabit Internet or NBN 1000 is the fastest speed of Internet available in Australia. Gigabit means 1,000 million bits or 1,000 megabits, and is a reflection of the maximum download speed customers can expect with NBN 1000. That's 4 times the maximum speed of the Superfast NBN 250 option and 10 times the maximum speed of the NBN 100. The NBN has also labelled NBN 1000 as the new "Ultrafast" speed tier.
Imagine downloading an HD movie within seconds, or an entire audiobook in under a second. That's some "Ultrafast" speed.
Compared to traditional DSL and cable connections that run on copper, gigabit Internet uses fibre-optic lines, delivering much higher download and upload speeds and an overall smoother connection. Made of glass, these connection lines transmit data using light instead of the electrical currents.
Because of the technology needed to handle such fast speeds, gigabit Internet is currently limited to customers who have Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connections at their address and a smaller percentage of locations with cable connections that are capable of Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) or cable-fibre mixed technology.
If you're able to access these speeds, NBN 1000 plans open up a wealth of new possibilities for you, but what is it actually capable of?
From an apartment of programmers to a family home with 5 teenagers, the capabilities of a 1,000Mbps connection speed offers a lot of benefits in entertainment, Internet sharing and remote working.
Lightning fast download speeds makes the browsing experience seamless, with an approximate 5-20 millisecond response time making the time between clicking a page, image or video almost non-existent. With NBN 1000, lag or slowed speeds that you experience with multiple devices are issues of the past.
With the increased reliability of the fibre-optic technology, gigabit Internet protects your connections from outside interruptions like storms, fires and electrical interferences, letting you stay working or playing no matter the event.
A few specific advantages of gigabit Internet include:
Thanks to NBN 1000 speeds, transferring large files such as high-resolution video, images and complex data-sets over cloud-based storage is now as convenient as physically transferring files over USBs and external hard drives.
Getting rid of the need for traditional storage and transfer methods drastically increases your working efficiency and capacity to back up your files, freeing up more time for you to focus on the things that you need to.
Remote working and online schooling activities are made easier with gigabit Internet. Faster, immediate and more stable live-streaming with video-conferencing programs such as Zoom and Teams is now possible.
Easing the burden on your home Internet network lets you free up bandwidth for others in the household to stream movies, download and livestream as much as they want.
Those looking to boost their multimedia and entertainment experiences will now be able to see major improvements to streaming performance and quality output. This means instant load times for Netflix streaming across multiple devices, bandwidth capacity for 4K streaming and HD streaming for sport and other live content.
Those looking to enhance their home multimedia and entertainment will be able to see massive improvements to the quality and ability to stream their favourite content. You'll find instant load times for streaming services like Netflix, even with multiple users online.
With NBN 1000, issues with latency and "lag" are problems of the past as the online gaming experience is smoother than ever. For games that are a "live-service", waiting times to download regular updates will be quicker than ever, digital downloads of games will take minutes rather than days, and streaming services such as the new Nvidia Stadia will finally become viable.
Previously, without gigabit Internet, the fastest upload speed available was 40Mbps. For customers with FTTP connections, upload speeds for gigabit Internet are available at up to 50Mbps, making streaming and uploads over platforms like Twitch, Youtube and Facebook faster than ever.
While the possibilities of gigabit Internet are definitely attractive, there are a few conditions you'll need to meet to qualify and get the best performance out of it. Currently, NBN 1000 is limited to customers on FTTP and a small number of HFC connections. There are plans to upgrade the majority of NBN connection types by 2023 so that more people are able to access these Ultrafast speeds.
If you don't have an FTTP or HFC connection, unfortunately you won't be able to access NBN 1000 speeds (or even NBN 250) right now. Your next best option would be to grab an NBN 100 plan, which is still a great choice for larger households.
Besides your actual NBN connection type, you'll most likely need a modem designed to handle these Ultrafast speeds. Usually your provider will offer you a compatible modem when you sign up. Older modems aren't usually great with gigabit speeds, especially over Wi-Fi. Regular modems often struggle with data-transferring, so you'll need one designed to work better with NBN 1000 speeds or else you're not getting the best experience.
If you're happy to use a wired connection, ethernet cables should perform better since you'll have a more direct connection to the Internet through the cable, rather than over Wi-Fi.
Gigabit Internet is still a relatively new service, only being introduced in May 2020. As such, the customer base isn't quite big enough yet to get an accurate reading on what actual speeds have been like for most customers.
Like other broadband plans the advertised 1,000Mbps is more a reflection of the maximum potential speed that the service can achieve. In reality, the speeds that you experience will likely differ with different providers, the technology of your address and the time that you use the Internet.
Major providers like Aussie Broadband and Superloop have reported typical evening speeds of between 215-222Mbps and claim the ability to deliver 80-90% of gigabit speed depending on which equipment is available at households. Over time, these typical speeds should get faster with more customers signing up for the service for more reliable results.
If you aren't eligible for an NBN 1000 plan yet, there are several fixed-line NBN and wireless alternatives to consider for speed.
If you don't have an FTTP connection, an NBN 100 plan still provides download speeds at 100Mbps and 40Mbps for uploads. At this speed, things like HD streaming and browsing are still no problem.
If you're looking for speeds just as fast but need more flexibility in the home, a wireless broadband plan may suit you better. New 5G technology can give you what you need with potential speeds of up to 20Gbps. However, with the network still being rolled out, realistic speeds are at 200Mbps at the moment. That being said, 200Mbps is still twice the speed of NBN 100 so it could be worth a look at.
5G home wireless broadband plans do exist, but you'll need to make sure your address is within a 5G coverage area to ensure you're making the most of those speeds.
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Cameron Thach is a writer for Finder. Cameron has a Bachelor of Commerce from Macquarie University, with majors in Economics and Marketing. With previous experience in B2B content marketing at Lead Creation, he has an unending curiosity for all things tech and gaming. Outside of work he can be found missing jumpshots at his local basketball court.
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