2025 marked a significant year for NBN Co, introducing a series of NBN speed upgrades that enable millions of Australians to enjoy home internet download speeds previously thought impossible.
Australians are clearly recognizing the advantages of these faster plans, with NBN Co reporting that since the launch on September 14, 2025, there has been an unprecedented demand, with over 12,300 orders placed weekly.
For comparison, during the same period in 2024, NBN Co averaged 8,200 orders per week. This surge indicates that Australians are either upgrading their plans or utilizing the free fibre upgrade to access the necessary technology for faster speeds.
What Speed Upgrades Are Available?
The speed upgrades launched in mid-September include enhancements such as boosting NBN 100 plans to NBN 500, which offers a fivefold increase in download speeds, and upgrading NBN 250 to NBN 750 (a threefold increase). Additionally, existing NBN 1000 plans now guarantee a minimum speed of 750Mbps.
NBN Co has also introduced a new NBN 2000 speed tier, promising theoretical maximum download speeds of 2Gbps, although only a few providers currently offer this option. Nevertheless, NBN Co has reported 9,500 orders for the NBN 2000 plan since its launch.
Do the Upgrades Live Up to Expectations?
Evidence suggests they do! Previous reports from the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) indicate that customers on the best NBN 500 plans are achieving even higher speeds, with an average recorded speed of 503.9 Mbps.
How Can You Get Involved?
If you're looking for faster internet at home, the first step is to check your connection type. You will need either fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coax (HFC). If you don’t have either, you can request a free fibre upgrade, which involves a technician installing FTTP equipment at your home. This upgrade is available for premises currently using FTTN or FTTC technology. Unfortunately, those connected via FTTB do not have an upgrade option.
NBN Co states that 90% of the fixed-line network can now connect via full fibre and anticipates providing upgrade paths for all remaining Fibre to the Node (FTTN) premises by the end of 2030.
Which NBN Plan Should You Choose?
If you want to join the 12,300 Australians ordering new high-speed NBN plans each week, you have plenty of options. I regularly monitor prices for the best NBN plans and have found excellent value recently.
I recommend looking for the most affordable plans or those with significant discounts and additional perks. Internet service providers (ISPs) provide typical evening speed (TES) figures, which indicate the download speed you can realistically expect during peak hours (7 PM – 11 PM). All ISPs I monitor quote the maximum 500Mbps for NBN 500 plans, with many achieving close to maximum speeds on NBN 1000 plans.
For most users, an NBN 500 plan is the best choice, and since you should achieve maximum speeds throughout the day, the most affordable plans are likely your best option.
Here are my top three recommendations:
Exetel was the first to market with an NBN 500 plan, ahead of the wider rollout in September. According to the latest ACCC speed report, it ranked second (behind Optus) for delivering on its promises. Although it doesn't offer an introductory discount, its straightforward pricing makes it the most affordable option from year two.
• AU$80 minimum cost
• AU$960 yearly cost
Flip offers a competitive NBN 500 plan, with a low initial cost of AU$69 for the first eight months, followed by AU$83.90, which is below the current average of AU$93p/m.
• AU$69 minimum cost
• AU$887.60 first year cost
• AU$1,006.80 ongoing yearly cost
Dodo is unique among the providers I monitor, offering a full 12-month discount on its NBN 500 plan, making it the cheapest option available right now. However, this discounted price is set to end on February 24, 2026.
• AU$72.99 minimum cost
• AU$875.88 first year cost
• AU$1,115.88 ongoing cost
