KEY POINTS
- An NBN POI is the ‘Point of Interconnect’ between the National Broadband Network (NBN) and a retail service provider’s network.
- To connect to the internet, data travels through from your home network to your closest POI via the NBN.
- From the POI, your service provider is responsible for connecting you to international and domestic networks.
An often overlooked part of your NBN connection is your POI, or ‘Point of Interconnect’. It makes up a big part of your NBN connection, but what is it and how does it work? This Canstar Blue guide will get you up to speed.
What is an NBN POI?
An NBN Point of Interconnect (POI) is the end point of the NBN network, where data is transferred between the NBN and your Retail Service Provider (RSP). Your RSP then connects you to their domestic network, and ultimately to the World Wide Web.
There are 121 NBN POIs across Australia, which are typically located in exchange buildings. If you don’t live close to a POI, your data will be sent to your closest exchange building, where it will be sent to a POI on the NBN transit network.
How do POIs work?
To understand how a POI works, it helps to think of your internet connection as a chain of connected networks with several key handover points. Here are the networks that make up your internet connection and how they work:
- Home network. In your home, your devices are connected through your modem/router, either wired or over a WiFi network. Your devices can communicate with each other through this network, but can’t access the internet without a broadband connection, in this case NBN.
- NBN network. This network sits between your NBN connection device and the nearest NBN POI. The NBN was made for high speed data transfer between home networks and POI, and isn’t responsible for moving data between homes.
- RSP network. From the POI onwards, you’re on your telco’s domestic network. At this point your service provider is responsible for managing traffic and connecting you to an international network to access the World Wide Web.
NBN offers you might like
The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.. 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $65.00) Typical evening speed of 100Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $68.90) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps 1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 100Mbps The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners. The table below shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited
Data/month
$65.00
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited
Data/month
$68.90
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited
Data/month
$79.99
Cost/month
Go to Site
Unlimited Home Standard (NBN 50) Plans
Unlimited Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans
Where is my NBN POI?
Below you’ll find a list of NBN POIs split up by state, as listed by NBN Co. Keep in mind that the below list is only a guide and POI locations listed may no longer be current. If you’re still confused by where your POI might be, some internet providers offer NBN POI checkers or an NBN POI map to help you find which NBN POI your traffic goes through.
New South Wales POIs
- Albury
- Asquith Depot
- Berkeley Vale
- Blacktown
- Campsie
- Campbelltown
- Carramar
- Castle Hill
- Chatswood
- City South
- Coffs Harbour
- Dalley
- Dubbo
- Eastern Creek Depot
- Edgecliff
- Frenchs Forest
- Glebe
- Gosford
- Grafton
- Hamilton
- Kensington
- Lakemba
- Lidcombe
- Liverpool
- Maitland
- Mayfield
- Miranda
- Mosman
- Newtown
- Nowra-Bomaderry
- Parramatta
- Peakhurst
- Pendle Hill
- Penrith
- Rockdale
- Ryde
- St Leonards
- Tamworth
- Wagga Wagga
- Windsor
- Wollongong
Victoria POIs
- Ballarat
- Bendigo
- Caulfield
- Cheltenham
- Cranbourne
- Dandenong
- Exhibition
- Footscray
- Geelong
- Hawthorn
- Horsham
- Karingal
- Kew
- Keysborough
- Kings Park
- Lilydale
- Mount Eliza
- North Balwyn
- Nunawading Depot
- Port Melbourne Depot
- Reservoir
- Ringwood
- Shepparton
- South Morange
- St Kilda
- Thornbury
- Traralgon
- Tullamarine
- Werribee
- Wheelers Hill
Queensland POIs
- Acacia Ridge Depot
- Aspley
- Aspley Depot
- Bundaberg
- Bundamba
- Caboolture
- Cairns
- Camp Hill
- Eight Mile
- Goodna
- Ipswich
- Petrie
- Mackay
- Merrimac
- Nambour
- Nerang
- Rockhampton
- Slacks Creek
- Southport
- Toowoomba
- Townsville
- Woolloongabba
Western Australia POIs
- Applecross
- Bassendean
- Bentley Depot
- Cannington
- Doubleview
- Geraldton
- Hilton
- Katanning
- Kelmscott
- Mullaloo
- Pinjarra
- South Coogee
- Subiaco
- Wangara Depot
South Australia POIs
- Edwardstown
- Elizabeth
- Greenfields Depot
- Lonsdale Depot
- Modbury
- Port Augusta
- Prospect
- Stirling
- St Marys
ACT POIs
- Civic
- Queanbeyan
Tasmania POIs
- Hobart
- Launceston
Northern Territory POIs
- Darwin
Compare NBN plans
If you’re looking for a new NBN plan, the following tables compare a range of NBN plans and providers across different speed tiers. You can also compare a wider range of plans and providers with our free NBN plan comparison tool.
Unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Unlimited Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25) Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25) plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following tables show a selection of unlimited Home Superfast (NBN 250) plans on Canstar Blue’s database listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following tables show a selection of unlimited Home Ultrafast (NBN 1000) plans on Canstar Blue’s database listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
What is a backhaul network?
The RSP networks which connect with the NBN POIs are often called backhaul networks and are owned or leased by an RSP. These networks transfer data between the POI closest to the user and the closest RSP data centre.
When this data reaches the data centre, it’s then carried on to its destination, which could be within the data centre or somewhere else in Australia or the world.
Original reporting by Zac Kelly
Image Source:asharkyu/Shutterstock
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