At the end of last year, nbn co made the call to upgrade two million Fibre to the Node connections to Fibre to the Premises. This sure is a boon for those struggling with subpar internet speeds, but if you’re hoping to upgrade for free it is going to take some time.
These upgrades will happen between 2021 and 2023, but if you can’t wait that long to upgrade your NBN connection to FTTP then you may want to consider the Technology Choice Program.
The main reason one would want to upgrade from FTTN is because it's widely considered the worst NBN technology type due to speed degradation issues caused by the use of copper. A house or business needs to be within 400 metres of the local exchange to have any chance of achieving NBN 100 speeds. On the other hand, FTTP doesn't suffer from these kinds of issues. All FTTP homes and businesses are able to achieve speeds of up to a gigabit.
In this guide:
- Quick upgrade guide
- Application types
- Costs
- First suburbs to be upgraded to FTTP for free
- Other reasons your NBN could be slow
- NBN alternatives
- What about HFC upgrades?
How to upgrade to FTTP: a step by step guide
- Use the new NBN Technology Choice Quote tool to get a quick quote to see how much upgrading your property will cost.
- Choose your application type and lodge it via the official nbn co site
- Pay your $165-$330 application fee
- Either accept or deny your quote
- The construction process will start - this can take up to six months to complete
- When finished, order a faster nbn plan (we know a few)
Here are some broadband plans with speeds over 100Mbps.
Application types
If you’re looking for those sweet FTTP speeds now then there are three ways that you can apply for an upgrade.
Individual Premises Switch: Change a single residence or business to FTTP
Group Switch: A group of premises, residing close to one another can share the cost of the upgrade. Prices vary depending on how many premises are looking to upgrade and how far apart they are.
Area Switch: One person will need to act as an authorised representative of an entire area with a defined border (say a suburb or locality). There is no fixed size for the switch and you can apply at any time.
Regardless of your current connection, you can apply to upgrade to an FTTP nbn technology type. The cost of this upgrade will vary depending on the individual circumstances, for example switching from Sky Muster satellite to an FTTP connection is quite an endeavour and you’ll pay dearly for the privilege.
FTTP upgrade costs
Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules about just how much switching to FTTP will cost you. Every household is different and will yield different prices. Thanks to the new Technology Choice Quote Tool you can get a personalised quote within minutes.
We've seen prices of between $10,000 and $11,000 for an upgrade of FTTB to FTTP in apartment buildings, and close to $28,000 for an FTTN build. I'm actually worried to see what a Sky Muster upgrade would set you back.
You’ll need to pay an application fee to actually get the ball rolling after the quote, these are as follows:
Individual Premises Switch: $330 per premises
Group Switch: $330 per premises
Area Switch: $330 for up to 20 premises or $165 each for up to 20 premise
Fixed Wireless application fees can vary and are only available upon direct request.
After you and your mates have paid your application fees, then nbn co will assess just how much the build will set you back. Almost like buying in bulk, the more of you that bundle together to get your connection upgraded at the same time, the less it will cost you each in the scheme of things. In saying that, we've seen what the prices look like and they are not exactly affordable.
Getting an instant quote does not mean that you have to follow through with the build, but keep in mind that your application fee won’t be refunded if you decide to stick it out with a lesser technology type.
First suburbs to be upgraded to FTTP for free
If you're happy to wait, nbn co is progressively announcing suburbs that will be upgraded from Fibre to the Node to Fibre to the Premises. Exciting as it may be to see your suburb in the list, its important to note that not every household will reap the benefits. Only selected areas within these suburbs will get the boost although this information is yet to be released to the public. Feel free to get your hopes up though!
When these upgrades happen, you'll be able to request a free upgrade to FTTP by ordering a plan faster than your connection would be capable of. An NBN 100, NBN 250, or NBN 1000 plan, for example.
NSW: Belmont North, Charlestown, Toronto, Carramar, Castle Hill, Holsworthy, Liverpool, Wetherill Park, Campbelltown, Elderslie, Narellan, Maitland, Singleton, Tarro, New Lambton, Bathurst, and Orange
SA: Osborne, Elizabeth, Gepps Cross, Salisbury, and Golden Grove
QLD: Acacia Ridge, Brown Plains, Eight Mile, Oxenford, Albany Creek, Ashgrove, Bald Hills, Ferny Hills, Robina, Burleigh Heads, and Townsville
WA: Cannington, Double View, Girrawheen, Kingsley, Wanneroo, Canning Vale, and Jandakot South
VIC: Lyndhurst, Narre Warren, Deer Park, Sydenham, Berwick South, and Cranbourne
By 2023, nbn co hopes that 75% of Australian homes and business will be able to access gigabit NBN plans, up from around 18% right now.
The HFC and FTTC portions of the network will also be upgraded to allow all customers to attain gigabit speeds. Right now, only 7% of HFC connections can get an NBN 1000 plan, and only 70% can get NBN 250. No FTTC customers can currently get NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plans. All HFC customers should be able to get NBN 250 speeds by the middle of 2021.
Not on the upgrade list?
It is entirely possible that you're simply not getting the most out of your connection. Most technology types are able to achieve speeds of 50Mbps, which is enough to stream Netflix in HD on ten screens simultaneously.
If you're struggling with your internet then one of these guides might help you:
Other reasons your NBN could be slow
Being stuck with a subpar technology type isn't the only reason your NBN connection could be underperforming. If you're only experiencing slow speeds at some parts of the day - such as at night - you could just be experiencing congestion. Some NBN plans performed better during the busiest periods of the day, depending on how much capacity providers have purchased. Here's a look at the NBN 50 plans with the fastest evening speeds around:
Alternatively, performance issues can also be caused by networking hardware like your modem or router. You can read more about troubleshooting these here.
It's also always possible there could be issues with the internal wiring in your home, especially in older houses and apartments. If you're confident this is the problem, it's always possible to get a technician to take a look at this.
Read more about reasons your NBN could be slow here.
NBN alternatives
If you're sick of dealing with an underperforming NBN connection but don't want to wait until an upgrade is available in your area, you could always consider an alternative like home wireless broadband.
Home wireless broadband plans are delivered by the same 4G and 5G networks used to power mobile plans. This means you'll achieve similar network speeds to what you're able to get on 4G or 5G in your area, but 4G home wireless broadband plans tend to have data caps. You can read more about home wireless broadband here, or peruse a selection of popular 4G home wireless broadband plans below:
|
#1
|
Optus 
|
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel 
|
|
|
#3
|
Southern Phone 
|
|
|
#4
|
Moose Mobile 
|
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom 
|
|
|
#6
|
Exetel 
|
What about HFC upgrades?
If you've got a HFC NBN connection, you won't be able to upgrade to FTTP, but you're still in line for an upgrade. All HFC connections are set to be able to get a NBN 250 plan by the middle of this year, and most should be able to get a gigabit plan by 2023 when the current wave of NBN upgrades is set the completion.
Unlike with the upgrades to FTTP, no further work will need to be done at an individual premise after the HFC in area has been upgraded. You'll simply be able to order a faster plan and change to the higher speed tier almost instantly.
nbn co has yet to provide a roadmap for suburbs first in line to get upgraded HFC.
Find a better broadband plan
Thousands of broadband plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
