Best NBN 1000 plans: our top picks for ultrafast gigabit internet

Best
By
Contributions from
last updated

We look into the fastest NBN connection in Australia

NBN fixed wireless
(Image credit: NBN)
Jump to:
Best NBN 1000 plans: quick menu

1. Noteworthy deals
2. Best overall NBN 1000
3. Best fast NBN 1000
4. Cheapest NBN 1000

The best NBN 1000 plans deliver access to the fastest internet speeds in Australia. These plans are often referred to as 'ultrafast' or 'gigabit' internet, because they are theoretically capable of up to 1,000Mbps download speeds.

However, the majority of providers offering NBN 1000 plans don’t report this maximum number as their typical evening speed. For example, Telstra is one of the biggest NBN providers in the market, and it promises a typical evening speed of 700Mbps. For a time, this was the fastest advertised in Australia, but Telstra has now been dethroned by multiple providers. These include, Superloop, Optus, TPG, Vodafone and Swoop. Swoop currently claims the fastest typical evening speeds of 969Mbps. Best of all, all of these speed demon providers are more affordable than Telstra. 

We've also seen the arrival of a new ISP to the market in the form of Buddy Telco, which is a budget-focused offshoot of Aussie Broadband. It clearly means business, too, arriving with the cheapest NBN 1000 plan currently available. 

Remember that typical evening speed is the download speed you should achieve at a minimum during the traditionally busier hours of the day, which are identified as 7pm to 11pm. Outside of these hours, your service may well perform better. 

As the fastest NBN plans available, gigabit internet plans can also be expensive, but it’s actually become cheaper at some NBN providers thanks to wholesale price changes at NBN Co. 

Noteworthy NBN 1000 deals

We’ve picked out our recommended plans further down the page, but here’s a quick look at some of the current NBN 1000 deals going:

Best NBN 1000 plans

Best overall NBN 1000 plan

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

TPG | 800Mbps | AU$104.99p/m 

TPG | 800Mbps | AU$104.99p/m 

TPG is still our top overall pick on the ultrafast tier, despite not offering any introductory discounts. The telco was previously offering the first month for free, which made it a clear winner. It now offers a price beat guarantee against a specified list of other telcos. 

However, regardless of this, TPG is among the cheapest providers at this tier during the first 12 months, and the second-cheapest every ongoing year based on the telcos we monitor. We think this is fantastic value from one of Australia's biggest telcos, especially considering its 800Mbps typical evening speed claim is the third-fastest in the country. 

• AU$104.99 minimum cost
• AU$1,259.88 each year

View Deal

Best fast NBN 1000 plan

Swoop969Mbps | AU$119p/m

Swoop | 969Mbps | AU$119p/m (first 6 months, then AU$139p/m)

Swoop is currently the only NBN provider to break through the 900Mbps barrier with its claimed typical evening speeds – making it by far the fastest NBN 1000 plan currently available. The 969Mbps figure is actually a slight drop from a previous high of 975Mbps, but we'd wager this new figure is the result of analysing plan speeds of current customers, and therefore a good real-world indication of what you could achieve if you were to sign up.

The not so good news is that Swoop has increased the cost of this plan during the first 6 months, from a previous low of AU$99p/m, to a new price of AU$119p/m. This makes it one of the most expensive providers, but considering its speed claims, we think it's fair.

• AU$119 minimum cost
• AU$1,548 first year
• AU$1,668 each ongoing year

View Deal

Cheapest NBN 1000 plan

Buddy Telco | 600Mbps | AU$99p/m 

Buddy Telco | 600Mbps | AU$99p/m 

Buddy Telco is the newest NBN provider on the scene and it's come straight in with the cheapest NBN 1000 plan by some margin. The telco is a budget-orientated offshoot from Aussie Broadband, so it uses the same infrastructure – that's great news. Buddy Telco is the cheapest at this speed by just under AU$20 in the first year and just over AU$80 in each ongoing year.

• AU$99 minimum cost
• AU$1,188 yearly cost

View Deal

Also consider

Superloop811Mbps |AU$99p/m

Superloop | 811Mbps | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$109p/m)

Superloop was, for a long time, our outright recommendation. It's still a great plan, as it claims 811Mbps typical evening speeds (the second-fastest) yet is one of the cheapest providers during the first year and each ongoing year. 

• AU$99 minimum cost
• AU$1,248 first year
• AU$1,308 each ongoing year

View Deal

NBN 1000 FAQ

How fast is NBN 1000?

NBN 1000 is the ultimate speed tier offered on the NBN, with maximum download speeds of 1,000Mbps. However, the reality of the situation is that this maximum speed is much harder to reach than on other tiers.

In an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) report from June 2024, it was revealed that NBN 1000 plans experienced average speeds between 831 Mbps to 854 Mbps. This is a slight increase on the 818Mbps to 851Mbps observed during the first three months of 2024. This shows the ultrafast tier has improved with each passing year. 

So while you’re getting the maximum possible speed offered on the NBN at present, you might not necessarily be getting that maximum 1,000Mbps download rate, due to a wide variety of factors.

How much does NBN 1000 cost?

The lowest price we’ve seen for an NBN 1000 plan is AU$95 a month, but a price such as this is only available for your first six months at a minimum. Removing any discounted offers from the equation, the average cost of a plan in this tier is currently AU$123.

Most providers in this speed tier offer a discount for your first six months, and in most cases, the price jumps up by about AU$20 once that period ends. If you were hoping for more affordable high-speed internet, you might be better served checking our fastest NBN plans guide which takes a look at the best NBN 100 plans and best NBN 250 plans as well.

Can I get NBN 1000?

Not all connection types will have access to this ultrafast internet. It’s available to those with a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) connection, and in some cases, also those with hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cable, but be sure to check with the provider.

What providers have NBN 1000?

When the NBN first rolled out, this speed tier didn’t exist for residential customers, but now there’s a host of telcos now offering the service. This includes the big players such as Telstra, Optus and TPG, as well as excellent smaller ISPs including Aussie Broadband, Exetel and Superloop.

Max Langridge
Staff Writer

Max is a senior staff writer for TechRadar who covers home entertainment and audio first, NBN second and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella third. He's also a bit of an ecommerce fiend, particularly when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for a variety of publication. He has written for TechRadar's sister publication What Hi-Fi? as well as Pocket-lint, and he's also a regular contributor to Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. Max also dabbled in the men's lifestyle publication space, but is now firmly rooted in his first passion of technology.

With contributions from