160 new suburbs added to NBN speed upgrade list

Champing at the bit for a faster NBN connection? If your choice of broadband speeds is still limited, there’s good news: hundreds of thousands of Aussie homes and businesses will soon be eligible for an NBN speed upgrade.

NBN Co has revealed the latest round of towns and suburbs earmarked for a full fibre upgrade, with more than 160 locations set to benefit. This new list covers 300,000 addresses currently connected to the NBN via Fibre to the Node (FTTN) technology, and therefore limited to download speeds of 50Mbps or 100Mbps, depending on location. 

Eligible premises will be able to request an upgrade to a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connection, which brings fast fibre directly to a home or business and enables much faster maximum speeds. FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections are eligible for super-fast and ultra-fast NBN plans, featuring maximum wholesale download speeds of either 250Mbps or 1000Mbps, depending on the choice of plan. 

This week’s announcement brings the total number of premises getting the green light for FTTP to more than two million nation-wide. Below is the full list of newly-announced suburbs; click your state to see if your town is covered.

*Indicates an extended rollout in suburbs and towns previously announced. Previously announced towns and suburbs can be found here. 

It’s important to note that not every address or street in each suburb will be able to upgrade to FTTP.  Eligibility criteria applies, and premises will need to be designated by NBN Co as a standalone address or single dwelling unit to be considered. NBN Co may also amend its suburb list at any time if circumstances change. 

Once a town or suburb is approved, extending the existing FTTN network will still take around 12 to 18 months to complete — so you won’t be eligible for faster speeds off the bat, even if your home is on the upgrade list.

How do I upgrade to FTTP?

FTTP upgrades in eligible towns aren’t automatic, and are available from NBN Co only on an ‘on demand’ basis for current FTTN customers. If your suburb has been identified as upgrade-eligible and local fibre network extensions are complete, you can place an order for a faster NBN speed tier with a participating NBN provider such as Telstra or Optus. These faster tiers include Home Fast/NBN 100, Home Superfast/NBN 250, or Home Ultrafast/NBN 1000.

That internet provider will then organise for your current NBN connection to be switched to FTTP, although again you’ll need to wait for the upgrade process to be completed. This will involve the installation of new equipment inside and outside of your home, and requires a pre-installation visit from an NBN technician as well as an actual installation appointment. 

Standard installations should be cost-free, but may incur charges if your address or building type requires additional work or any non-standard installation costs. Your NBN provider can advise you of any potential costs at sign-up. 

Once the installation is complete, you’ll then have access to much faster internet — although the actual speeds you experience will vary depending on your provider, plan, location, and other factors. Before you commit to a plan, we recommend comparing the typical evening speeds offered by each provider, in addition to pricing. As NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans aren’t cheap, this can help ensure you’re getting the best performance for your money. 

NBN: Upgrades will unlock new social and economic benefits

Since beginning its fibre extension rollout, NBN Co has, on average, upgraded 50,000 premises to FTTP eligibility per month. NBN Co says it is on track to hit its target of 550,000 FTTP-ready addresses by the end of 2022, and a massive two million by 2024.

NBN Co Chief Operating Officer, Kathrine Dyer, says the upgrades will help future-proof the network for Australian homes and businesses by replacing outdated copper with faster, more reliable fibre.

“We are working to unlock new social and economic benefits by pushing fibre deeper into communities,” Ms Dyer said.

“In addition to the inherent speed benefits offered by Fibre to the Premises, these full fibre connections significantly reduce the number of copper connections in our network.

“We are on track to achieve our goal of enabling around eight million premises, or up to 75% of homes and businesses on the fixed line network, to access NBN’s highest residential speed tiers with wholesale download speeds of 500 Mbps to close to 1 Gbps by the end of 2023.”