It’s been close to a year since NBN Co announced it would introduce large speed upgrades across its fast-line network. Now we are only seven days away from their official launch, where the scheduled date is this Sunday 14 September.
Whether this is the first time you learn about the upgrades or you have followed along with the latest updates, if you want to take full advantage, there are a few things you need to be sorted.
Not only do you need to know what speed level you want for your household – your choice of new plans is 500 Mbps, 750 Mbps or 2,000 Mbps – but you also need the necessary infrastructure and hardware to support it.
Still not sure what we’re talking about? Allow us to explain all …
What is all this with upgrades?
NBN Co will turn in contact on the coming Sunday, September 14 and release its new wave of planning speed levels in the process. This will see the introduction of a brand new ‘hyperfast’ 2 Gbps level along with upgrades to the best NBN 100 plans and best NBN 250 plans. These receive a 5x speed and a 3x speed boost respectively.
After Sunday’s activation, Australians will have greater choices as they review the fastest NBN plans with options of 500 Mbps, 750 Mbps, 1,000 Mbps and 2,000 Mbps.
Sounds good what is the catch?
No catch necessarily, but there is a strict criterion you need to satisfy to access the new speed levels and that is the connection type you have in your premises. More specifically, you should either have a fiber for the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) connection type. If you have anything else, fiber to the curb/node (fttc/n) or fiber for the building (fttb), unfortunately you will miss.
However, the good news for FTTC/N rooms is that you are probably eligible for NBN CO’s free fiber upgrade program. If you are eligible and you choose to activate it (we cannot think of many reasons why you would not), a technician will come to your premises to install the upgraded – and necessary – equipment.
Customers with an FTTB connection – usually those in apartments – unfortunately have no way to the faster levels at all. Although you cannot get a high-speed NBN plan (the maximum download speed you can achieve via NBN are 100 Mbps), you may be in TPG’s own dedicated fiber network footprint that can deliver up to gigabit speeds to your apartment unit, or you may find that you can connect through another private network, such as Opticomm.
Opticomm and Gigacomm Internet plans are both set to or have already received similar speed increases for up to 2,000 Mbps. You must check with your favorite provider if you can access them.
I have the right connection type, something else?
Potentially yes. Having the right connection type at home is only part of the high-speed NBN plan puzzle. While the installed equipment brings faster speeds into your home, you also need to make sure you have a router capable of delivering the speeds you pay for for your devices.
If you’ve been using the same router in the last few years – maybe it was a provided by your current ISP – then there’s a good chance that it’s a little outdated and won’t be due to the faster speeds coming our way.
As you find out in our in-depth guide that relates to the ideal routers for the NBN upgrades, you will look like someone who at least supports Wi-Fi 6 technology. Given that you are likely to have more connected devices at home than you are clear over-thinking smart lights, appliances, speakers, etc.-So we would recommend looking for a router that supports Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7.
Your selected ISP (ISP) should Offer a compatible router when you sign up for a new plan, but in our experience this is not always the case. By this we mean they only deliver a Wi-Fi 6 router. As mentioned, this is ultimately ok, but a 6E or 7 compatible router will offer greater future support.
Can I have an upgraded plan today?
Yes you can! We are waiting for the full list of plans and prices from the countless ISPs to go live, but a few providers jumped the gun very early and launched 500 Mbps and 750 Mbps plans a few months ago. Multi-Gigabit NBN 2000 plans are still nowhere to be found, but that’s because they actually require NBN to turn in contact.
Exetel is a prominent option in our opinion with its NBN 500 plan. Telco has dropped all other plan options, so unless you have the necessary infrastructure at your home, you cannot sign up for the provider.
Spintel is the only provider that offers a 750 Mbps plan right now – we of course expect this to change in a week’s time – making it your only option for this particular speed.
If these upgraded speeds sound like something you want to be part of but you Don’t do it Has the necessary equipment, our recommendation right now would ultimately be to hold a week more and see what other providers charge for their plans.
Of course, you can choose to sign up for the aforementioned exetel or spintel plans to get your technician to visit as early as possible. If you are happy to wait, you may find that cheaper plans will be available.
