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 May 2024, we've seen a few NBN providers making serious improvements to their advertised typical evening speed figures. At the time of writing, Swoop is the telco with the fastest claimed speed of 975Mbps on its NBN 1000 plan. Superloop isn't too far behind, claiming 811Mbps (an improvement on the 700Mbps it was quoting in February 2024)
However, while telcos will advertise a typical evening speed figure, it doesn't always paint the full picture, but we can use official data collected by Australia's consumer watchdog to gain a greater insight into the real world performance of select providers.
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.
All NBN connection types should be able to support 100Mbps speeds, but if you want to be sure, then you'll want to see if you can get a free fibre upgrade and have FTTP technology installed at your premises.
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$20p/m for 6 months on NBN 100 plan (from AU$79)
- Superloop: save AU$20p/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.
Also consider
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.
Selecting the best option fastest NBN 250 plan is tricky, because at the time of writing, only three NBN providers of the group we monitor advertise maximum speeds during the busier evening hours: Telstra, Swoop and Southern Phone.
Telstra and Swoop plans are on the more expensive side, and Southern Phone has such bad reviews online that we feel we can't recommend it. We've therefore look at the remaining NBN providers and taken into account other factors they offer to settle on an overall pick.
Also consider
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$79p/m (first 6 months, then AU$99p/m)
Optus is offering a generous AU$20 discount for your first six months on this plan, saving you AU$120 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 – and the telco consistently performs well in ACCC reports, delivering over 100% of advertised plan speeds. 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$89p/m (first 6 months, then AU$119p/m)
Optus is offering a AU$30 discount each month for your first six months on this plan, which will save you up to AU$180. Even once the initial discount ends, this NBN 250 plan is fairly priced for a big provider, though it sits a fair way above the average monthly cost of AU$106. Optus promises a typical evening speed up to 240Mbps.
• Optus NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$119p/m (first 6 months, then AU$149p/m)
This plan is down to AU$119 a month for your first six months, which is a respectable AU$30 discount on the usual price (we have seen it discounted by AU$40p/m in the past). While the standard price of Optus’ NBN 1000 plan is above average, you’re getting a seriously good claimed typical evening speed of 780Mbps.
TPG's best high-speed NBN plans
• TPG NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | One month free | 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, and you get one month free, before receiving a discounted rate for six months, 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 | One month free | AU$94.99p/m
With a flat rate of AU$94.99 a month, plus one month free, TPG's 250 plan is one of the most affordable in the country. Typical evening speed is quoted at 232Mbps, which is a significant increase from the 210Mbps it reported prior to February 2024, and 21Mbps extra over the most affordable provider at this speed, Spintel. `
• TPG NBN 1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | One month free | AU$104.99p/m
TPG has significantly reduced the cost of its NBN 1000 plan in the few months since we looked at this page. In February, TPG was charging AU$144.99, but now in May, that has reduced to a AU$104.99 flat rate – and you also get one month free. The new price makes TPG the most affordable provider on the NBN 1000 tier. Typical evening speeds remain at 671Mbps – as it was in February – so if the provider can eek out a bit of extra speed it will make for a seriously tempting proposition.
Telstra's best high-speed NBN plans
• Telstra NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$100 (first 6 months, then AU$110p/m)
Telstra was previously offering its NBN 100 plan for just AU$1 for your first month, but that offer appears to have ended now, and instead you'll need to pay AU$100p/m for the first six months, before it reverts back to its standard pricing of AU$110 each month ongoing. Despite this AU$60 total saving, it still makes Telstra the most expensive provider at this speed – the regular price of AU$110p/m is AU$20 more than the current average.
• Telstra NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$135p/m
Telstra’s NBN 250 plan is currently at a flat rate of AU$135 a month – a fair amount more than the AU$106 average. It also makes Telstra's plan AU$654 more expensive than the cheapest provider, Spintel, over the first year. Telstra is one of just three NBN providers to quote maximum speeds at this speed tier, and the telco throws in trials to various popular subscription services. However, these are only available to new customers to those services. You can get this speed for cheaper from other 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. For a time that price was somewhat justifiable, as Telstra was offering the fastest speeds available at 700Mbps. But smaller providers now offer faster connections for less money. This does make Telstra's part that bit harder to recommend, but if you absolutely must go with Telstra, this plan will hold you in good stead.
- 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 647Mbps on average. This is undeniably an improvement, but still a fair way off the theoretical top speed available on these plans of 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 235Mbps 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 98Mbps 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.
