---
title: "Understanding internet speed tiers and what they mean"
description: "What each nbn speed tier means in practice, how typical evening speeds work and which tier suits your household or business."
url: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/help/internet/understanding-internet-speed-tiers"
canonical: "https://dev.www.lightningip.com.au/help/internet/understanding-internet-speed-tiers"
updated: "2026-10-04"
---

# Understanding internet speed tiers and what they mean

What each nbn speed tier means in practice, how typical evening speeds work and which tier suits your household or business.

Speed tiers describe the maximum your connection can reach. The number that matters day to day is the typical evening speed.

## Choosing a tier

One or two people browsing and streaming in HD are well served by a lower tier. A household streaming 4K on several screens, working from home and gaming will notice the difference on a higher tier.

## Upload matters more than people expect

Video calls, cloud backups and sending large files all depend on upload speed. If you work from home, compare the upload figure as carefully as the download.

Not every technology type can reach every tier. FTTN and FTTC services have a maximum achievable speed that depends on your specific premises.