The short version
Key points
- The upgrades apply to fibre-to-the-premises and HFC connections, not all NBN technologies.
- Home Fast increases from 100/20Mbps to 500/50Mbps.
- Home Superfast increases from 250/25Mbps to 750/50Mbps.
- Home Ultrafast remains at 1,000Mbps download and increases from 50Mbps to 100Mbps upload.
- New NBN 2000 plans offer 2,000Mbps download with either 100Mbps or 200Mbps upload, depending on the plan.
Which NBN plans are changing?
NBN Co announced upgrades for customers on selected existing plans. The changes are available for fibre-to-the-premises and HFC connections, while other NBN access technologies are not included in these upgrades.
The Home Fast plan, previously offering 100Mbps download and 20Mbps upload, moves to 500Mbps download and 50Mbps upload. Home Superfast increases from 250Mbps download and 25Mbps upload to 750Mbps download and 50Mbps upload.
Home Ultrafast remains at 1,000Mbps download, but its upload speed increases from 50Mbps to 100Mbps. This is a smaller change than the upgrades for the lower tiers, but it provides additional capacity for sending data.
New 2Gbps NBN options
NBN has also introduced new plans offering 2,000Mbps, or 2Gbps, download speeds. One plan provides 100Mbps upload, while another provides 200Mbps upload.
The transcript notes that the 2Gbps download plans use new network termination devices, or NTDs. There are single-port and four-port versions, with the four-port device limited to 2.2Gbps in total. This means the total capacity cannot be used as four separate 1Gbps connections; it would instead need to be shared across the ports.
The new hardware is described as providing scope for higher speeds in the future if NBN Co upgrades equipment elsewhere in the fibre network. The transcript suggests these faster services may be more relevant to businesses or households with particularly demanding requirements than to typical residential customers.
When should customers see the upgrade?
The upgrade process began during an NBN Co maintenance window on Sunday, with customers expected to see the new speeds on their networks. Some customers may need to power-cycle their modem and router before the full change appears.
The rollout is being completed in batches across regions. Some customers may initially see only a partial increase, and the transcript says the work was expected to continue through the month. Anyone still missing the upgrade by the end of the month is advised to contact their retail service provider and confirm the plan status.
Actual performance will still depend on the customer’s equipment, internal network and service provider arrangements. The advertised figures are the relevant plan speeds discussed in the video.
Australia’s position in global speed rankings
The video also reviews Australia’s position on the Speedtest Global Index for fixed broadband. At the time of the report, Australia was ranked 63rd, which represented an improvement of 12 places.
The average fixed broadband speed shown was 92Mbps. Pat links the improvement to the gradual fibre rollout and the resulting increase in available speeds, while noting that Australia’s large geographic size remains relevant when considering national internet performance.
TechManPat’s conclusion
Pat’s view is that upload speed is particularly important for video calls, Zoom and sending data, because faster uploads can also affect how quickly information is received. He is less convinced that moving from 1Gbps to 2Gbps offers strong value for every household, although he recognises that many people are interested in the new plans. He says, “I don’t know if there’s really any value going up to 2 gigabits per second,” and plans to test the faster service with the available equipment.
This knowledge-centre summary is based on the linked TechManPat video and reflects the information available when it was published. Check current pricing, availability and policies before acting.
