There are three speed tiers available to households that are considered fast NBN plans: NBN 1000, NBN 250 and NBN 100. These numbers indicate the top download speed available on each plan, but it doesn’t mean the internet providers always reach it.
For some time Telstra had the fastest NBN plan for consumers with a promised typical evening speed of 700Mbps, but as of February 2024, Superloop’s NBN 1000 plan now matches Telstra for speed and it costs significantly less too – we have more details on this plan below.
If you’re wanting to upgrade to a fast NBN plan, now is an excellent time to do so. Spintel’s crazy-fast NBN 250 plan is now also insanely cheap, and it’s our new pick for the best NBN 250 plan on the market. It appears that NBN Co’s decision to make fast internet cheaper by cutting the wholesale price of NBN 100 plans and above in December 2023 is starting to pay off for consumers shopping around.
Our recommendations for the fastest NBN plans come from crunching the numbers, and finding plans which offer top speeds in their respective tiers for a fair price. We’ve partnered with WhistleOut to compare NBN plans from over 30 Aussie providers to make our top picks on this page – you can also skip ahead to the speed you want by clicking on the links below:
Can you get NBN 250 or NBN 1000?
Not everybody will be able to sign up for a high-speed NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan. These speed tiers are only available on two types of NBN connection – fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC). If your household is serviced by an FTTP or HFC installation, you should be able to sign up to an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan.
Noteworthy fast NBN deals
Below we’ll run through our top plan picks, but first, check out these ace offers currently available on fast NBN plans:
- Origin: complimentary 12-month Paramount Plus streaming subscription with all Origin NBN plans (from AU$74)
- Spintel: save AU$10.95p/m for 6 months on NBN 250 plan (from AU$75)
- Optus: save AU$24p/m for 6 months on NBN 100 plan (from AU$75)
- Superloop: save AU$10p/m for 6 months on NBN 1000 plan (from AU$99)
Best fast NBN plans
Best NBN 100 plan
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Our choice for large households and those who want a little extra speed
• NBN 100 plans are the most broadly available fast plans, with the telcos reporting a typical evening speed of 97Mbps on average.
Best NBN 250 plan
The go-to for lightning-quick broadband
• The availability of NBN 250 plans is now almost on par with that of NBN 100, with telcos reporting a typical evening speed of 228Mbps on average.
Best NBN 1000 plan
The fastest you can get, but only available in select locations
• The once sparse NBN 1000 tier is growing in availability, with an average typical evening speed of 552Mbps reported by the telcos.
Fast NBN plans: major telcos
When it comes to the big three internet providers, these are the best fast plans available:
Optus' best high-speed NBN plans
• Optus NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$75p/m (first 6 months, then AU$99p/m)
Optus is offering an epic AU$24 discount for your first six months on this plan, saving you AU$144 over your first half-year. Optus’ NBN 100 plan promises a typical evening speed of 100Mbps, which is the fastest speed available for the tier. Its discounted price makes it cheaper than the average NBN 100 plan, but once the cost increases after the first six months, it goes above that threshold.
• Optus NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$85p/m (first 6 months, then AU$119p/m)
Optus is offering a AU$34 discount each month for your first six months on this plan, which will save you up to AU$204. Even once the initial discount ends, this NBN 250 plan is fairly priced for a big provider, though it sits above the average monthly cost of AU$112. Optus promises a typical evening speed up to 240Mbps.
• Optus NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$109p/m (first 6 months, then AU$149p/m)
This plan is down to AU$109 a month for your first six months, which is a huge AU$40 discount on the usual price. While the standard price of Optus’ NBN 1000 plan is above average, you’re getting a good typical evening speed of 600Mbps.
TPG's best high-speed NBN plans
• TPG NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$79.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$89.99p/m)
TPG’s NBN 100 plan sits just below the average cost of all plans on this tier, making it the most affordable option among the three major telcos. Typical evening speeds are respectable too, sitting at 97Mbps.
• TPG NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$94.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$124.99p/m)
At AU$124.99 a month, there’s a significant price jump between TPG’s NBN 250 plan and its NBN 100 option, though the initial discount will see you save AU$180 over your first six months. Typical evening speed is quoted at 232Mbps, which is a significant increase from the 210Mbps it reported prior to February 2024.
• TPG NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$114.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$144.99p/m)
There’s quite a bit of disparity between claimed typical evening speeds on the NBN 1000 tier. As of February 2024, TPG reports a typical evening speed of 671Mbps, which puts it ahead of Optus and well on its way to catching up with Telstra. We’ve previously said that TPG’s NBN 1000 plan wasn’t particularly good value, but the new increase in speed makes it a more attractive option.
Telstra's best high-speed NBN plans
• Telstra NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$1 (first month, then AU$110p/m)
Telstra is now offering its NBN 100 plan for just AU$1 for your first month, after which is reverts back to its standard pricing of AU$110 each month ongoing. That’ll save you a massive AU$109 upfront, but afterwards you’ll be paying for the most expensive plan in the NBN 100 tier.
• Telstra NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$1 (first month, then AU$135p/m)
Telstra’s NBN 250 plan is also down to AU$1 for your first month, but your internet bill will increase to AU$135 after that initial discount, which makes this NBN 250 plan about AU$20 more than the average monthly price on this speed tier. Telstra’s NBN 250 plan has a maxed-out typical evening speed of 250Mbps, but you can get this speed for cheaper from providers such as Swoop.
• Telstra NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$170p/m
As you might expect, Telstra has the most expensive NBN 1000 plan on the market at AU$170 a month. The good news is that Telstra quotes a typical evening speed of 700Mbps, which is one of the best claimed-speeds available on NBN 1000. This plan was priced at AU$180 a month prior to November 2023, but changes at NBN Co mean it’s now a little bit cheaper.
- Telstra vs Optus NBN: who has better broadband?
Fast NBN FAQ
What are NBN 1000 real world speeds?
NBN 1000, which the NBN Co refers to as 'Ultrafast', is the fastest consumer NBN speed tier. The small but growing number of internet service providers which offer NBN 1000 plans advise a typical evening speed of 499Mbps on average, which is quite low considering the top speed available on these plans is 1,000Mbps. Outside of the peak busy period, we’ve seen real-world speed test results that are much higher at 900Mbps, though still not reaching the maximum amount.
What are NBN 250 real world speeds?
The second-fastest tier is NBN 250, which the NBN Co refers to as 'Superfast'. The amount of providers which offer an NBN 250 plan has grown significantly in the past two years, and it’s now almost on par with the number which offer NBN 100 plans. Among the telcos we monitor, the average download speed on these plans is 223Mbps during the evening hours. Actual speed does vary among the internet providers with NBN 250 plans, so be sure to read the fine print.
What are NBN 100 real world speeds?
The NBN 100 tier is the most affordable option from the fastest NBN category, and you can expect a typical evening speed of 97Mbps on average. While the tiers mentioned above are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of speed, they are also limited in their availability – only FTTP and HFC connections can sign up to NBN 1000 and NBN 250 in most cases.
NBN 100 is referred to as 'Fast' by the NBN Co – it’s available for most connection types, and is often the fastest option available for the millions of Australians using fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology. If you want the top typical evening speed of 100Mbps for your NBN 100 plan, only a select few providers offer it: Telstra, Optus, Belong, Dodo, Exetel, Pennytel, Southern Phone and Spintel.
You can read more about each connection type in our guide to the best NBN plans.
