New NBN Speed Record! - 83 Gbps | Dirt Report

What was achieved

On 17 April 2024, NBN Co and Nokia announced a maximum wholesale download speed of 83Gbps on a live NBN fibre access network. The test used Nokia’s prototype 100Gbps technology, making the result an Australian record and a demonstration of what the network may support in the future.

The headline figure is lower than 100Gbps because 100Gbps describes the capability of the prototype technology. The demonstration achieved 83Gbps in practice. It was also a network test rather than a service supplied to an individual home.

How the demonstration worked

The technical notes describe the use of combined XGS-PON, 25G-PON and 100G signals. Together, these produced an aggregated layer 1 PON speed of 135Gbps downstream, or 112Gbps at layer 2 after accounting for protocol overheads.

This means the result was achieved by combining multiple signals across the fibre access equipment. It should not be interpreted as a typical household connection, or as a guarantee that the same speed would be available over a single residential service.

Why the fibre infrastructure matters

The demonstration supports the idea that fibre installed in the ground can continue to be used as network equipment improves. NBN Co’s Chief Network Officer, Dion Ljubojevic, said the fibre being upgraded today is limited by the capabilities of the equipment connected to it in the future.

The potential benefit is that future speed increases could be delivered by replacing or upgrading the equipment at either end, rather than replacing the fibre cables themselves. Fibre is also described in the announcement as offering fast, reliable and more energy-efficient connectivity, and as supporting the replacement of copper across the country.

New developments are generally receiving fibre connectivity, but having fibre installed does not automatically mean a property is ready to order a service. A connection still requires an internet provider and the relevant NBN work to be completed. The timing can range from weeks to months depending on the development.

The gap between future capability and current services

The 83Gbps result is significant for the long-term development of the network, but it does not resolve the experience of customers who are currently connected through fibre to the node, fibre to the building or hybrid fibre coaxial infrastructure. The demonstration applies to the fibre access network used in the test, not every NBN connection type.

Upload speeds are another unresolved issue for many users. The transcript notes that upload performance has trailed download speeds, which can be particularly noticeable when uploading videos or using cloud services. The demonstration focused on downstream capability and does not represent a new residential upload offering.

NBN Co has a target of making 1Gbps services available to 90% of its full fibre footprint. That target is considerably more relevant to current users than an 83Gbps laboratory-style demonstration, although the test shows there is substantial headroom beyond today’s consumer plans.