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Should I upgrade my nbn to fibre?

When the nbn was first being rolled out across Australia, it was a roll of the dice whether your household would get a super-fast Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) connection or one of the slower technologies like Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) or Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC). The good news is that if you missed out on FTTP the first time around, you may soon be eligible for an nbn fibre upgrade. Want to know if your address is on the list? On the fence about whether you should upgrade to Fibre at all? In the blog, we answer these questions and more. 

FTTP vs FTTN & FTTC – What’s the difference? 

FTTP, FTTN, and FTTC are types of nbn connections that differ in fibre placement and connection quality. FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) delivers fibre directly to your home, providing the highest speed and reliability since it avoids copper wiring. FTTN (Fibre to the Node) extends fibre only to a local node, often several streets away, with copper lines connecting it to homes. This copper stretch reduces speed and stability, especially over longer distances, and can affect the maximum potential download/upload speed you can attain. FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) improves on FTTN by bringing fibre closer—to a pit near your premises—though it still relies on copper for the final stretch, offering better performance than FTTN but not as high as FTTP.

One of the biggest reasons for rolling out the National Broadband Network (nbn) in the first place was to replace existing copper wiring with fibre optic cabling, thus giving Australians access to super speedy internet. 

However, with the way things worked out, only a portion of households and businesses ended up with an all-fibre FTTP connection. Most others received an FTTN or FTTC connection which still relies on copper wiring to deliver nbn over the last stretch of the journey to your residence. Understandably, this difference produces a considerable variation in internet speed.

The benefits of upgrading to FTTP

Here are some of the benefits of upgrading your internet connection to FTTP:

  • Faster Speeds 🚀: Fibre offers higher maximum speeds than older connection types, ideal for streaming, gaming, and heavy internet usage.
  • Better Reliability 🌧️📶: Fibre is less affected by weather and distance, providing a more stable and consistent connection.
  • Improved Upload Speeds ⬆️💨: Faster upload speeds are beneficial for video calls, uploading large files, and online gaming.
  • Lower Latency 🎮: Ideal for applications that require real-time data, like video conferencing and online gaming.

Is my suburb getting an nbn upgrade? 

Though this fibre-to-the-premise revamp is making its way to numerous suburbs all over the country, it’s important to keep in mind that there will be some homes within these areas that will not be able to access the upgrade. 

nbn technician upgrading fibre

Here’s a quick state-by-state breakdown of suburbs that are currently eligible to request an nbn upgrade to FTTP:

NSW

Aberglasslyn, Bella Vista, Cameron Park, Canley Vale, Castle Hill, Cherrybrook, Chipping Norton, Croydon, Croydon Park, Darlinghurst, Edgeworth, Erina, Glenhaven, Green Valley, Hunterview, Kingswood, Kurnell, Lyndhurst, Melrose Park, Norwest, Pleasure Point, Rutherford, Singleton Heights, St Albans, St Clair, Terrigal, Thornton, Villawood, Voyager Point, Wattle Grove, West Pennant Hills, Woodlands

VIC

Bayswater, Bayswater North, Braybrook, Cranborne North, Hampton Park, Lynbrook, Narre Warren, Rowville, Sunshine, Sunshine North

QLD 

Burleigh Waters, Gilston, Highland Park, Mudgeeraba, Robina, Varsity Lakes, Worongary

WA 

Ascot Park, Athol Park, Bowden, Burton, Clovelly Park, Dudley Park, Edwardstown, Ethelton, Greenwith, Mawson Lakes, Mitchell Park, Parafield Gardens, Paralowie, Renown Park, Semaphore, Semaphore Park, Semaphore South, South Plympton, West Lakes, West Lakes Shore, Woodville North

SA

Ascot Park, Athol Park, Bowden, Burton, Clovelly Park, Dudley Park, Edwardstown, Ethelton, Greenwith, Mawson Lakes, Mitchell Park, Parafield Gardens, Paralowie, Renown Park, Semaphore, Semaphore Park, Semaphore South, South Plympton, West Lakes, West Lakes Shore, Woodville North

Here is a list of suburbs that NBN Co has announced will receive an nbn fibre upgrade:

NSW

Abercrombie, Acacia Gardens, Adamstown, Albion Park, Albion Park Rail, Albury, Alexandria, Alstonville, Ambarvale, Angourie,  Anna Bay, Annandale, Appin, Austinmer, Avalon Beach, Balgownie, Bankstown, Banora Point, Barrack Heights, Barrack Point, Bass Hill, Batemans Bay, Bathurst, Beaconsfield, Beaumont Hills, Bella Vista, Belmont, Belmont North, Berkeley, Berowra, Beverly Hills, Blackbutt, Blackwall, Blairmount, Blue Haven, Bogangar, Bonnells Bay, Booker Bay, Bossley Park, Bradbury, Brighton-Le-Sands, Broulee, Buff Point, Bundeena, Byron Bay, Cabarita Beach, Calala, Callala Bay, Callala Beach, Camden Park, Camden South, Cameron Park, Campbelltown, Camperdown, Campsie, Canley Vale, Canterbury, Canton Beach, Cardiff South, Carnes Hill, Carramar, Castle Hill, Casuarina, Casula, Caves Beach, Charlestown, Cherrybrook, Chipping Norton, Claymore, Condell Park, Cooks Hill, Cordeaux Heights, Corlette, Croydon Park, Currans Hill, Dalmeny, Darlinghurst, Darlington, Davistown, Dubbo, Dundas Valley, Earlwood, East Albury, East Ballina, Eastwood, Eglinton, Elderslie, Enfield, Enmore, Erina, Ermington, Erskineville, Ettalong Beach, Fairfield, Fairy Meadow, Farmborough Heights, Figtree, Fingal Bay, Fletcher, Forresters Beach, Forster, Gateshead, Georges Hall, Gerringong, Glen Alpine, Glenfield Park, Glenhaven, Glenmore Park, Glenwood, Goonellabah, Gorokan, Goulburn, Green Point, Green Valley, Hamilton, Hammondville, Harrington Park, Hastings Point, Holsworthy, Homebush, Horningsea, Horningsea Park, Hoxton Park, Hunters Hill, Hunterview, Huntleys Cove, Inverell, Islington, Jerrabomberra, Kahibah, Kanwal, Kariong, Keiraville, Kellyville, Kellyville Ridge, Kelso, Kincumber, Kingscliff, Kingswood, Kurnell, Lake Haven, Lake Heights, Lake Illawarra, Lavender Bay, Leichhardt, Lennox Heads, Lewisham, Liverpool, Llanarth, Macquarie Hills, Macquarie Park, Maitland, Marrickville, Maryland, Maryville, Mascot, Menai, Merewether, Merewether Heights, Milton, Mollymook Beach, Mount Annan, Mount Ousley, Mount Pleasant, Mount Warrigal, Mudgee, Muswellbrook, Narellan, Narellan Vale, Narromine, Nelson Bay, Newcastle, Newcastle East, Newcastle West, New Lambton, Newtown, North Nowra, North Richmond, North Sydney, North Wollongong, Norwest, Oak Flats, Ocean Shores, Old Bar, Orange, Paddington, Padstow, Palm Beach, Parkes, Pemulwuy, Petersham, Port Macquarie, Pottsville, Prairiewood, Prestons, Punchbowl, Raglan, Raymond Terrace, Rosebery, Rosemeadow, Rouse Hill, Ruse, Rutherford, Ryde, Salamander Bay, San Remo, Seven Hills, Shellharbour, Shoal Bay, Singleton, Singleton Heights, Smeaton Grange, Smithfield, Soldiers Point, South Golden Beach, South Penrith, Stanhope Gardens, Stanmore, St Georges Basin, St Helens Park, St Peters, Strathfield, Suffolk Park, Sussex Inlet, Sutherland, Tarro, Terrigal, The Hill, The Junction, The Ponds, Thirroul, Thornton, Thurgoona, Toronto, Toukley, Towradgi, Tullimbar, Tuncurry, Turramurra, Tweed Heads, Tweed Heads South,  Ulladulla, Umina Beach, Unanderra, Villawood, Voyager Point, Wamberal, Warilla, Warners Bay, Warrawong, Watanobbi, Wattle Grove, Wauchope, Wellington, West Bathurst, West Hoxton, West Pennant Hills, West Tamworth, Wetherill Park, White Rock, Wickham, Windang, Windradyne, Wollongong, Woodbine, Woolwich, Woonona, Worrigee, Woy Woy, Wyoming, Wyong, Yamba, Yattalunga, Zetland.

VIC

Aireys Inlet, Albert Park, Alfredton, Barwon Heads, Bayswater, Bayswater North, Beaconsfield, Bell Park, Belmont, Berwick, Berwick South, Braybrook, Brookfield, Burnside, Campbellfield, Cape Paterson, Caroline Springs, Chum Creek, Cowes, Craigieburn, Cranbourne, Cranbourne East, Cranbourne North, Cranbourne West, Croydon, Croydon South, Dandenong South, Deer Park, Deer Park (additional footprint), Delacombe, Derrimut, Diamond Creek, Doreen, Drysdale, Echuca, Fairhaven, Ferntree Gully, Geelong, Geelong West, Glen Waverley, Greensborough, Greenvale, Grovedale, Hamlyn Heights, Hampton Park, Harkness, Hastings, Healesville, Herne Hill, Highton, Hillside, Hoppers Crossing, Horsham, Hughesdale, Jan Juc, Kalimna, Kangaroo Flat, Keilor, Keilor Lodge, Kialla, Kilsyth South, Kyabram, Lakes Entrance, Lara, Leopold, Lynbrook, Lyndhurst, Lysterfield, Maribyrnong, McCrae, Meadow Heights, Mernda, Middle Park, Mildura, Moolap, Mornington, Mount Martha, Mount Waverley, Myrtleford, Narre Warren, Narre Warren North, Narre Warren South, Narre Warren South, additional areas of Narre Warren, Newport, Norlane, North Wonthaggi, Oakleigh, Ocean Grove, Pakenham, Pearcedale, Port Fairy, Port Melbourne, Queenscliff, Ravenhall, Reservoir, Rosebud, Rowville, Roxburgh Park, Sale, Sebastopol, Seymour, Somerville, Southbank, South Melbourne, St Albans, St Kilda, Sunbury, Sunshine, Sunshine North, Sunshine West, Sydenham, Tarneit, Taylors Hill, Taylors Lakes, Thomastown, Torquay, Traralgon, Wangaratta, Wantirna, Warragul, Warrnambool, Waurn Ponds, Werribee, West Wodonga, Whittlesea, Williamstown, Williamstown North, Wodonga, Wonthaggi, Woori Yallock, Yarra Glen.

QLD

Acacia Ridge, Albany Creek, Alexandra Headland, Andergrove, Annandale, Arana Hills, Arundel, Ashgrove, Ashmore, Avoca, Bald Hills, Bargara, Bargara, Battery Hill, Bayview Heights, Beachmere, Beaconsfield, Beaudesert, Bellara, Bellbowrie, Bellmere, Benowa, Bentley Park, Berrinba, Bethania, Biloela, Blacks Beach, Bli Bli, Bohle Plains, Bokarina, Bowen Hills, Bracken Ridge, Brassall, Bridgeman Downs, Brinsmead, Browns Plains, Buccan, Buderim, Bulimba, Bundall, Bungalow, Bunya, Burdell, Burleigh Heads, Burleigh Waters, Burpengary, Burpengary East, Bushland Beach, Caboolture, Caboolture South, Cannonvale, Cannon Valley, Carrara, Castaways Beach, Clifton Beach, Clinton, Condon, Coolangatta, Coolum Beach, Coomera, Cooroibah, Craiglie, Currimundi, Currumbin Waters, Darling Heights, Deception Bay, Deeragun, Depot Hill, Dolphin Heads, Doolandella, Douglas, Drewvale, Eagleby, Earlville, Edens Landing, Edmonton, Eight Mile Plains, Eimeo, Everton Park, Ferny Grove, Ferny Hills, Fig Tree Pocket, Flinders View, Forest Lake, Fortitude Valley, Frenchville, Freshwater, Gaven, Gilston, Glenella, Glenvale, Golden Beach, Goondiwindi, Grange, Griffin, Harristown, Hay Point, Heathwood, Helensvale, Heritage Park, Highland Park, Holmview, Idalia, Inala, Kanimbla, Kawungan, Keperra, Kewarra Beach, Kippa-Ring, Kirwan, Kuraby, Lammermoor, Lawnton, Loganlea, Main Beach, Mango Hill, Manoora, Mansfield, Manunda, Marcoola, Marcus Beach, Maroochydore, Maudsland, McDowall, Meadowbrook, Meridan Plains, Milton, Minyama, Moggill, Molendinar, Monoora, Mooloolaba, Mooroobool, Morayfield, Mountain Creek, Mount Coolum, Mount Louisa, Mount Pleasant, Mount Sheridan, Mudgeeraba, Mudjimba, Murrumba Downs, Narangba, Nerang, Newport, Newstead, Newtown (4350), Nikenbah, Ningi, Noosa Heads, Noosaville, Norman Gardens, Oakey, Ormeau, Ormeau Hills, Oxenford, Oxley, Pacific Paradise, Pacific Pines, Paddington, Palm Cove, Palmwoods, Parrearra, Pelican  Waters, Peregian Beach, Petrie, Pialba, Port Douglas, Proserpine, Raceview, Redland Bay, Redlynch, Regents Park, Richlands, Robina, Rockhampton City, Rothwell, Runcorn, Seventeen Mile Rocks, Shailer Park, Sinnamon Park, Sippy Downs, Smithfield, Southport, Springfield Lakes, Stafford, Stratford, Stretton, Sunnybank Hills, Sunrise Beach, Sunshine Beach, Surfers Paradise, TaranganbaTeneriffe, Tewantin, Toowoomba City, Townsville, Trinity Beach, Tugun, Twin Waters, Underwood, Upper Coomera, Upper Kedron, Urraween, Varsity Lakes, Victoria Point, Warana, Warner, Waterford, Wellington Point, Westcourt, White Rock, Woree, Worongary, Wurtulla, Wynnum West, Yorkeys Knob.

WA

Alexander Heights, Armadale, Ascot, Attadale, Atwell, Aubin Grove, Balcatta, Baldivis, Balga, Banksia Grove, Bassendean, Bayswater, Beaconsfield, Beckenham, Belmont, Bentley, Bicton, Cannington, Canning Vale, Carramar, Churchlands, City Beach, Claremont, Cloverdale, Coogee, Coolbinia, Daglish, Darch, Dianella, Double View, East Cannington, East Fremantle, Edgewater, Ferndale, Forrestfield, Fremantle, Girrawheen, Gosnells, Gwelup, Halls Head, Hamilton Hill, Hammersley, Highgate, High Wycombe, Hillarys, Hilton, Huntingdale, Inglewood, Innaloo, Morley, Jandakot South, Joondanna, Karawara, Karrinyup, Kewdale, Kingsley, Landsdale, Langford, Leederville, Lynwood, Marangaroo, Maylands, Midland, Morley, Mosman Park, Mount Hawthorn, Mount Lawley, Myaree, Nollamara, Noranda, North Coogee, North Fremantle, North Perth, Osborne Park, Padbury, Palmyra, Perth, Piarra Waters, Port Kennedy, Queens Park, Redcliffe, Riverton, Rivervale, Rockingham, Rossmoyne, Safety Bay, Samson, Scarborough, Seville Grove, Shelley, Shoalwater, Sinagra, Southern River, South Fremantle, South Guildford, Spearwood, Stirling, St James, Stratton, Subiaco, Swan View, Tapping, ThornlieTrigg, Viveash, Tuart Hill, Waikiki, Wandi, Wannanup, Wanneroo, Waterford, Wattle Grove, Wembley Downs, Westminster, White Gum Valley, Willagee, Willetton, Wilson, Woodbridge, Woodlands, Yokine.

SA

Adelaide, Andrews Farm, Angle Park, Ascot Park, Athol Park, Bowden, Burton, Clovelly Park, Craigmore, Croydon Park, Davoren Park, Eastwood, Edwardstown, Elizabeth, Ethelton, Evandale, Exeter, Ferryden Park, Findon, Frewville, Fullarton, Gepps Cross, Glanville, Glenunga, Globe Derby Park, Golden Grove, Grange, Greenwith, Highgate, Hyde Park, Joslin, Kilkenny, Largs Bay, Largs North, Littlehampton, Malvern, Mansfield Park, Mawson Lakes, Maylands, Melrose Park, Mitchell Park, Morphett Vale, Munno Para West, Nairne, New Port, Osborne, Parafield Gardens, Paralowie, Parkside, Peterhead, Port Adelaide, Queenstown, Renown Park, Rosewater, Salisbury, Seaton, Semaphore, Semaphore Park, Semaphore South, Smithfield, St Clair, Stepney, St Peters, Tennyson, Thebarton, West Lakes, West Lakes Shore, Woodville Gardens, Woodville North, Woodville South, Woodville West.

ACT

Banks, Campbell, Conder, Dickson, Gordon, Hume, Lyneham, O’Connor, Reid, Turner.

TAS

Camdale, Cooee, Devonport, Howrah, Legana, Ocean Vista, Park Grove, Parklands, Sandy Bay, Shorewell Park, Tranmere.

NT

Alice Springs, Araluen, Braitling, Ciccone, Desert Springs, East Side, Gillen, Ilpara, Larapinta, Ross, Sadadeen, The Gap.

Should I get an nbn FTTP upgrade?

If you’re in one of the lucky areas that will soon get an FTTP upgrade, you might be wondering if upgrading to the new technology and getting a faster plan is right for you. Here are a couple of things worth considering before making the switch:

Internet speed
It should come as no surprise that the biggest upside of an nbn fibre upgrade is that you’ll get a massive boost in internet speed and reliability. Unlike FTTC or FTTN which can struggle to hit even 100Mbps download speeds, FTTP will allow you to achieve speeds up to 1000Mbps. This gives you the option to access nbn’s highest speed tiers, from nbn 250 plans to nbn 1000 plans. 

Internet habits
While the idea of super-fast internet may be appealing, depending on your internet habits, it may not be all that necessary. A household of 4-6 moderate internet users could easily get by with a Ripper nbn 50/20 plan on a FTTC or FTTN connection.

But if you live in a large household where 4K video streaming, online gaming, video calls and downloading large files is common, then chances are that upgrading to FTTP and getting a super-fast Fair Dinkum nbn 250 plan is for you!

👉 Want to upgrade to FTTP with MATE? Have questions? Click here for more information!

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