NBN upgrade is here: Can your home finally get faster internet?
Eligible Aussie households can now access the NBN's 3 highest speed tiers and a more 'reliable' internet connection.
As part of its NBN fibre upgrade program, NBN Co's officially rolled out its full fibre connection to more than 2 million households, replacing ageing copper.
This is also known as an FTTP connection type - Fibre to the Premises - and according to NBN Co, it has a lower risk of physical and environmental damage.
This means you can expect more consistent or reliable speeds with minimal interruptions, especially when you're online gaming and making online video calls.
To find out if your home is eligible, all you have to do is type in your address on the NBN's website.
What speeds can I access with this NBN upgrade?
To trigger the upgrade, you'll need to sign up to one of NBN's 3 highest speed tiers:
That's the catch - that it has to be one of these speed tiers but depending on your household's needs, you may be okay.
If you live in a household of less than 4 people and don't upload or download large files or stream in 4K, you might not need an upgrade.
"Customers are consuming more data than ever to do the things they love like streaming 4K on multiple devices, online education, next level gaming, conference calls, and uploading and downloading large files for work," Anna Perrin, NBN Co chief customer officer said.
The need for broadband will reach levels never seen before over the next decade as the internet transforms the world and how we live, so we are growing the network to stay ahead of that demand."
According to Finder's Consumer Sentiment Tracker, Australians are most satisfied with an NBN 100 plan compared to any other NBN speed tier in Australia.
It's a good option for households with 3+ people who are online simultaneously.
NBN 250 is to households with 5+ people that watch multiple 4K streams, are mostly working from home or are serious gamers.
NBN 1000 can be an overkill. It's mostly suited to small businesses rather, unless there are lots of people in your household with very heavy internet usage.
I'm keen - how do I trigger the NBN upgrade?
Once you've checked your home is eligible, you'll need to compare plans.
This starts by look at NBN providers that offer access to the 3 highest speed tiers.
You can click on the green button and use the filters to find the right providers.
The average monthly price on Finder across the 3 speed tiers is:
- NBN 100: $95.19
- NBN 250: $125.07
- NBN 1000: $144.45
Fortunately, NBN providers are known to sling lots of discounts including lower costs for the first 6 months so you could likely save some money.
Just keep in mind that apart from costs such as plan fees and modem costs (if you don't have your own), the provider could pass on additional costs for triggering the upgrade.
You should check for extra fees with your chosen provider directly before signing up.
Check out Finder's 2023 NBN award winners to see which provider's offering the most bang for buck for fast speeds.
