Category: Outages & Maintenance · Last updated 5 Oct 2026
Understanding nbn network congestion during peak times
Why nbn speeds can dip in the evening even when nothing is wrong, what causes peak-time congestion and what you can do about it.
Congestion happens when demand on a shared part of the network gets close to its capacity. It's most common in the evening, between 7pm and 11pm, when the most people are online at once.
Where congestion can happen
- Shared local infrastructure - such as a Fixed Wireless tower or an HFC node shared by many homes.
- Your provider's network - the capacity a provider has connecting its customers to the nbn and the wider internet.
- The sites you're using - popular streaming or gaming services can slow down at busy times, regardless of your connection.
Is this a fault?
No. A predictable dip in speed during the same busy hours each evening, which returns to normal afterwards, is congestion rather than a fault. It's why plans are advertised with a typical evening speed.
When it's worth reporting
If your speed is poor at all times of day, not just in the evening, or has dropped suddenly and stayed low, contact us - it may be a fault rather than congestion.
See our guide on why your internet speed may be slower than expected for other common causes, like Wi-Fi coverage.
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