NBN speeds explained

At Aussie Broadband, we offer a range of speed tiers on our nbn® plans. Each tier has a maximum upload and download speed, measured in Megabits per second (Mbps). Although there are maximum speeds, your actual internet speed may vary depending on several factors.

But what does it mean for your home or business internet? And what affects nbn internet speeds? We'll explain everything you need to know about nbn speeds and what affects them. 

The nbn® connection technology types:

The nbn® technology type at your premises will impact your speeds due to how they're configured.* Not sure what nbn® connection type powers your home or business internet? Find out here.

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)

Fibre optic cables connect directly to the nbn® connection box inside your premises.

Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)

Fibre optic cables connect to a node near your premises. A coaxial cable connects the node to your premises, connecting to the nbn® modem inside your premises.

Fibre to the Node (FTTN)

Fibre optic cables connect to a node near your premises. Copper wires connect the node to your premises, connecting to a wall socket inside your premises.

Factors that can affect the maximum speed of nbn® FTTN connections include:

• The length of the copper line from the node to your premises: The longer the wire, the longer it takes for the signal to reach your premises, which can result in slower speeds. 

• The quality of the copper line from the node to your premises: Includes corrosion and joint quality. 

• Weather conditions such as heavy rain.

• The quality and layout of the connection cables in your premises. 

• Electrical interference: Both internal and external. 

Fibre to the Building (FTTB)

Fibre optic cables connect to a node in your building's communications equipment room. Copper wires connect the node to your premises, connecting to a wall socket inside your premises.

Factors that can affect the maximum speed on nbn® FTTN connections include:

• The length of the copper line from the communications equipment room to your premises: The longer the wire, the longer it takes for the signal to reach your premises, which can result in slower speeds. 

• The quality of the copper line from the communications equipment room to your premises: Includes corrosion and joint quality. 

• The quality and layout of the cables in your premises. 

• Electrical interference: Both internal and external. 

Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)

Fibre optic cables connect to a small node, either in the telecommunications pit or on the pole outside your premises. A copper telephone cable connects the node to your premises,

Factors that can affect the maximum speed on nbn® FTTC connections include:

• The length of the copper line from the curb to your premises: The longer the wire, the longer it takes for the signal to reach your premises, resulting in slower speeds. 

• The quality of the copper line from the node to your premises: Includes corrosion and joint quality. 

• Weather conditions: such as heavy rain.

• The quality and layout of the cables in your premises. 

• Electrical interference: Both internal and external. 

Fixed Wireless (FW)

Your local nbn® wireless tower connects to a fixed antenna on your roof via a wireless signal. Internal wiring then connects the antenna to the nbn® connection box inside your premises.

Factors that can affect the maximum speed on nbn® FW connections include:

• Signal strength. 

• Obstruction of the antenna's line of sight to the tower. 

• Weather conditions: Such as heavy rain or extreme heat. 

As you can see, the factors affecting nbn® speeds differ depending on the connection technology type. Here's a table that summarises the factors that affect nbn® speeds, and which connection technology type they impact.

As you can see by the table above, fibre is the gold standard for interference-free internet. And here's some good news: The nbn® is upgrading Aussie homes and businesses to fibre internet through the fibre connect program. And you may even be eligible for a $0 fibre install*** - saving you thousands in typical installation costs. To find out more about the benefits of fibre internet, check out our blog on upgrading to fibre.

Want to know if your address is eligible?

Find out by heading over to our address checker via the links below:

For home

For business

Other Factors that may impact your internet speed:

• Your internet setup can affect speeds. Check out these tips for improving the Wi-Fi connection in your home or business. 

• The time of the day: High traffic times (typically the evening for residential internet and during the day for business internet) can slow internet speeds. 

• The type and size of the content you download or upload.

• The number of people and devices using the internet simultaneously: You share your internet and its top speed with all users and devices connected to it. So if multiple users actively use the internet, your connection will slow down.  

• Your service provider's network capacity: The more network capacity your service provider purchases from nbn co, the less speeds will go down. At Aussie Broadband, we don't push our network to the limit. We continuously purchases bandwidth, monitors usage and upgrades capacity if usage starters to approach the limit.

Speed tiers

Here's a rundown of the speeds we offer on nbn® plans:

An nbn® service can never go faster than the maximum line speed available at your premises. So if you're an FTTN, FTTB, or FTTC customer, we'll confirm the maximum speed when we connect you. That way, we can ensure your connection can support the speeds of your chosen plan. We'll get you on a more appropriate plan if it doesn't. And if you were paying for a higher speed plan you couldn't make full use of, we'll refund you the difference.

While our nbn® plans show the maximum speeds available, it's also essential to note the typical speeds.

What are typical speeds?

The typical speed is the speed can expect from your connection in peak internet usage times.

For residential nbn® internet, peak usage times are in the evening, typically between 7 pm - 11 pm each night. That's why typical speed is often referred to as typical evening speeds.

For business nbn® internet, peak usage times are during the standard work hours of 9 am - 5 pm on weekdays. So a typical speed is how fast you can expect your internet to be on a work day.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ensures that typical speeds listed by internet providers are accurate. For more information on typical internet speeds, refer to the ACCC website.

Network capacity

Your internet can slow down during typical busy periods, such as the "internet rush hour" of 7 pm - 11 pm. This is because there are more users and premises on the internet at the same time.

Our robust national network ensures optimal service quality even during high-traffic periods. 

We constantly monitor the traffic on our network and adjust capacity to meet customer demand.

Maximise your speeds with a better set-up

Your in-premise internet set-up plays a crucial role in your connection's performance. A less-than-optimal set-up can negatively impact your connection's speed.

Here are the elements of your internet connection set-up that could impact speed.

Modem: Your modem's quality and age will impact your connection's performance. We recommend choosing from Aussie Broadband's range of the latest network devices to ensure your modem isn't slowing your internet down.

Wi-Fi: The further your device is from your modem, the worse your connection will be. Set your modem up in a central location - such as near the stairwell if you're in a multi-story building. For optimal signal away from your modem, consider a Wi-Fi booster or Wi-Fi point such as Netcomm's satellite Wi-Fi points - which you can bundle onto our standard Netcomm modem/router. For more tips, check out our guide to boosting your Wi-Fi signal.

Content: The drive home takes longer when there are a lot of cars on the road. It's the same with your internet. So if other users use a high amount of bandwidth - by streaming, gaming, or downloading a large file, it will slow down your internet. This is because your connection distributes the bandwidth among each user. It's also worth noting that downloads from international websites are typically slower than downloads from Australian websites.

Old devices: If your connection's slow on some devices but not others, the device might be to blame. Older devices are the biggest culprits. Their outdated hardware and software may not support the internet speeds of today.

Viruses or malware:  The cause of a slow device could be more serious. Slow internet is a common symptom of viruses and malware attacks. So the second you notice your device acting slow, take action! When it comes to cyber security, prevention is better than the cure. Here are some tips to keep your network safe from cyber threats.

Need more speed?

It's as simple as heading to the MyAussie® app. There, you can upgrade your plan - and your speeds - with the touch of a button.

If you need assistance, our friendly support team is here to help. Contact us via our website, the MyAussie® app, or by calling 1300 880 905.