The National Broadband Network (nbn) is the newest version of broadband internet in Australia. It’s been designed to upgrade the broadband network across Australia and deliver faster internet speeds to homes and businesses.

The nbn speeds available for households are:

• NBN 12 (Basic I) speed: 12Mbps download/1Mbps upload
• NBN 25 (Basic II) speed: 25Mbps download/5Mbps upload
• NBN 50 (Standard) speed: 50Mbps download/20Mbps upload
• NBN 100 (Fast) speed: 100Mbps download/20Mbps to 40Mbps upload
• NBN 250 (Superfast) speed: 250Mbps download/25Mbps upload
• NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) speed: 1,000Mbps download/50Mbps upload

When choosing an nbn plan, you will need to consider how you will be using it and how many people will be accessing it at the same time.

For example, if you only have one or two people in your home and you don’t need to stream high definition video or use video conferencing software, an NBN 25 plan might be sufficient. However, if you’re using the internet for activities that require faster speeds and more people are going to be using it at the same time, you’ll probably need an NBN 50 or NBN 100 plan. It will all come down how much speed and data you need and the price you’re willing to pay.

Here’s a brief summary of what each speed has been designed for:

NBN 12 (Basic I) speed

• Sending emails
• Making phone calls

NBN 25 (Basic II) speed:

• One or two people on the internet at the same time
• Browsing the web and social
• Sending emails
• Streaming music
• Streaming standard definition (SD) video

NBN 50 (Standard) speed:

• Three or more people online at the same time
• Streaming high definition (HD) video
• Downloading files
• Playing online games
• Working from home
• Videoconferencing (e.g. Zoom calls)

NBN 100 (Fast) speed:

• Five or more people online at the same time
• Streaming 4K video
• Downloading large files
• Working from home
• Videoconferencing (e.g. Zoom calls)

NBN 250 (Superfast) speed

• Households with a number of users and devices
• Concurrent 4K and 8K streaming
• Faster downloading of game updates
• Faster downloading and uploading of large files

NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) speed

• Five or more people online at the same time
• Concurrent 4K and 8K streaming
• Faster downloading of game updates
• Faster downloading and uploading of large files
• Accommodating new technologies

It’s important to note that plan speeds are dependent on the type of nbn connection available at your address. For example, all Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) connections are eligible to connect to NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans. While only a percentage of Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections can access these plans. All other technologies are not able to connect to these faster plans at the moment. In addition, providers might not offer every speed. So, it’s worth shopping around to find the nbn plan that suits you best.

To learn more about choosing a nbn plan, see Which nbn plan is right for me?

Mobile broadband works just like your smartphone’s internet. All of the data is sent over mobile phone networks. So, you can get instant internet access wherever there’s mobile coverage.

There are four types of mobile broadband:

• Data SIM card – for your existing device, e.g. tablet
• Pocket WiFi – portable device to take with you on the go
• USB Modem – plug and play option, great for laptops
• Home Wireless – portable, but needs an external power source

Reasons why people choose mobile broadband:

• No fixed address
• Travelling
• Working from home
• Large household
• Backup internet service
• The nbn is not available in their area

Mobile broadband speeds:

With a 4G connection, mobile broadband can usually achieve average download speeds of 90Mbps. In comparison, 3G networks only achieve an average speed of 8Mbps. Then 5G is set to eclipse both 3G and 4G by offering average speeds of 200Mbps. However, the number of people who can currently access 5G is still very limited.

To learn more about mobile broadband, see What is mobile broadband and why choose it?