NBN TV Guide – The National Broadband Network

---

The National Broadband Network (abbreviated as the NBN) is Australia’s telecommunications network. The NBN was introduced to replace Australia’s ageing copper cable telecommunications infrastructure with a combination of fibre optic cable, radio and satellite communications technologies. In this NBN TV guide, we’ll get to know more about NBN, what’s on, how to connect, and more.

The NBN is deployed, operated and managed by the NBN Co, a government-owned corporation. Consumer access to the NBN is managed by internet providers like Telstra and Optus, which purchase bandwidth from the NBN Co and sell this to home and business-fixed internet users throughout Australia.

What’s new on NBN

The deployment of the NBN was declared complete by the Australian minister of telecommunications in December of 2020, ending a process that started back in 2007 and completing the largest infrastructure project in Australia’s history.

Reaching this milestone has triggered proposed changes to the ownership model for the NBN, with options including privatising the network and selling it to a major telco like Telstra or Optus.

The first major upgrade to the NBN is also in the pipeline, with $3.5 billion set aside by the federal government to upgrade parts of the network to high-speed fibre cable. The upgrade is intended to give around ten million Australian homes access to faster internet speeds.

How to connect to the National Broadband Network

Most businesses and households in Australian urban areas can connect to the NBN via an internet service provider, with the type of connections available dependant on local NBN infrastructure.

You can connect with the NBN in three simple steps:

1. Check whether NBN coverage is available in your location on our NBN rollout map.
2. Review and compare NBN internet providers and plans to find a broadband plan that matches your speed requirements and budgets.
3. Once you have signed up with an internet service provider they will guide you in the steps to take to connect your home or business premises to the NBN.

NBN plans explained

If you’re new to the NBN it can be tricky to figure out which NBN plan is best suited to your internet needs and budget requirements.

With this in mind we look at how internet service provider structure their plans and options for residential and business NBN users.

What is an internet service provider?

An internet service provider is a company licensed to sell access to the NBN network to end users. NBN service providers range in size from telecommunication giants like Telstra to smaller providers like Belong.

Internet service providers will typically price their plans according to the speed tier that the user selects on signup, with many offering up to five speed tiers to residential and business users.

If you are connecting to the NBN for the first time, your internet service provider will typically work with the NBN where required to assist you in setting up any required infrastructure or devices needed to get your broadband internet connection going.

Residential NBN

Most homes in Australia can connect to the NBN using either fixed cable access or fixed wireless access. The type of infrastructure available for connecting to the NBN can differ depending on the age of your home and the network technology used by the NBN in your location.

While this can have a direct impact on connection speeds, residential users still have access to a variety of speed tiers that can support anything from basic use by individuals to multi-device 8k streaming for large families.

An internet service provider will typically offer NBN plans designed specifically for residential users, with payment options, support and promotional offers tailor-made for typical home use cases.

Business NBN

Business NBN services are available in two basic tiers. The first of these is aimed at small to medium sized businesses, with NBN services, infrastructure and internet speeds similar to what is available to residential users in the same location.

While the technology an internet service provider offers on NBN business plans resembles what is on offer for residential users, these plans are typically customized for business needs, with business-friendly subscription options along with support for business devices like EFTPOS payment systems and security monitoring systems.

Enterprise NBN solutions are available to corporations and government departments. These products provide large organizations with world-class connectivity solutions and service, with an emphasis on NBN Enterprise Ethernet fibre optic connections delivering high-speed symmetrical internet at up to 1gbps.

NBN speed tiers

With no download or data limits applying to fixed line NBN connections, your internet service provider will tier their NBN plans according to the maximum download and upload speeds available to users.

These speeds are listed in megabits per second (mbps).

The majority of NBN plans fall into one of three NBN speed tiers:

• NBN25 is considered the basic entry point to high speed broadband internet, offering maximum download speeds of 25mbps (megabits per second). This speed will meet the streaming and internet usage requirements for most Australian households.
• NBN50 is the next step up in broadband speed. At this speed households and small offices will be able to stream and download at high speed off multiple devices simultaneously.
• NBN100 is the premium NBN speed tier. This package is for larger families and businesses where several individuals are likely to require high speed internet access at the same time.

Additional ultra-high speed tiers like NBN250 and NBN1000 are available as add-ons to NBN customers with compatible network infrastructure. These speeds are suitable for connecting medium to large enterprises to the internet, as well as for multi-user video streaming or gaming at 4k and 8k resolutions.

Note that the unlimited data NBN plans offered by your internet service provider reflect maximum network download speeds. In practice these speeds may be much lower, particularly when connecting to the NBN during peak hours, such as the evening. As such you should confirm with your service provider what the standard evening speed is for the plan you are interested in before subscribing.

Contract terms

While contract free NBN plans are not common, your NBN internet provider will generally not require lock in contracts when you sign up for an NBN plan. This means you can jump on and off the NBN network from one month to the next and even change NBN service providers at short notice.

Once you cancel or move your NBN broadband services to another provider you may be required to either return or cover the cost of any hardware, including routers, connection boxes or streaming boxes, provided by your original service provider when you signed up.

NBN promotional offers and discounts

Because NBN providers are effectively selling the same core internet services and plans, they need to find other ways to compete. This often translates into great value-adds for the end user.

Many internet services providers are prepared to heavily discount NBN rates for the first several months of a subscription, and throw in extras like trial NBN streaming bundles or free fixed line phone calls or lines.

Compare NBN broadband plans

If you already have fixed internet access through an Australian internet service provider, connecting to the NBN is as simple as contacting your current provider and asking them to upgrade your account. Many service providers will automatically upgrade their ADSL customers to broadband access within a specified period after the NBN is rolled out in their neighbourhood.

However, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity to shop around for NBN internet service providers and broadband plans. The competition amongst NBN providers is stiff, and you can get great discounts on NBN access as well as some fantastic promotional offers if you are willing to shop around.

Here are the most popular NBN plans currently available from Australia’s leading NBN internet providers.

How the NBN works

Although the National Broadband Network is often described as a fibre optic cable network, it is in fact a hybrid network that comprises several different telecommunications technologies, combining these with nodes from Australia’s legacy copper wire and coaxial cable telecom network where necessary.

The type of NBN internet connection available to you will depend on the telecommunications infrastructure within your home or office block, as well as the type of NBN network cabling and nodes present in your neighbourhood. Fibre to the Premises connections unlock the fastest network speeds, while systems making use of legacy network technology, like Fibre to the Node, can be slower.

There are six different NBN connection types available across Australia. These are:

Fibre to the Premises (FTTP). Fibre to the Premises connections are amongst the fastest available in Australia. Fibre to the Premises connections provide direct fibre access from your NBN box to the NBN network.

Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC). Hybrid Fibre Coaxial connects use legacy coaxial cable infrastructure (like that used to connect to cable and satellite broadcasting services) to connect your home or business to an NBN fibre node in your immediate location. Hybrid Fibre Coaxial connections are used in areas where upgrading all network infrastructure to fibre cables would have been too expensive.

Fibre to the Node (FTTN). Fibre to the Node connections makes up the majority of NBN connections in Australia. With a Fibre to the Node connection copper cables in your home or business are run to an NBN fibre node in your location to provide you with broadband access.

Fibre to the Building (FTTB). Fibre to the Building connection nodes are set up within multi-unit buildings, for example, apartment blocks, with individual units within the building connected to this NBN network node using copper cabling.

Fibre to the Curb (FTTC). FTTC connections use copper telephone wiring to connect to fibre distribution points outside your premises.

Fixed Wireless (FW). Fixed wireless is commonly used to provide broadband access in areas without fibre optic cable infrastructure, such as rural or remote areas. The NBN connects with a local wireless tower which transmits a radio signal intercepted by a rooftop antenna connected to an NBN box in your home or business.

NBN device compatibility

The National Broadband Network links with a variety of devices and systems that are crucial to the Australian economy, medical services and safety and security services.

To reduce the risk of a break in service when first connecting to the NBN, it is important to register the following devices with the NBN:

• Medical alarms, auto-diallers and emergency call buttons.    
• Emergency phones in lifts.
• Monitored fire alarms.

If you operate or use any of the following systems it is also advisable to find out whether they are compatible with the NBN:

• Security monitoring systems.     
• EFTPOS payment systems.    
• Landline services, particularly older style un-powered corded phones.
• Fax machines and teletypewriter devices.

Contact the NBN

If you have any questions you would like to put directly to the NBN Co, you can contact their customer services team on  1800 687 626 or visit the NBN website for further assistance. If you have a query about your NBN plan you will need to connect your NBN provider directly.

Frequently Asked Questions about NBN