Why can't I get certain speed tiers on my nbn connection?

The speed tiers you can get depend on the type of nbn connection at your address, and sometimes on the condition of the line or equipment serving your home. The fastest plans need fibre or cable most of the way to your home, so they aren't available on every connection type.

In short, there are three main reasons a plan might not be available to you, or might not reach its full speed:

• Your nbn technology type can't support that speed.
• Your individual line or signal can't reach the full speed of that tier.
• Your nbn equipment needs an upgrade first.

1. Your nbn technology type

Each nbn technology has a different maximum speed. Connections that use fibre or cable all the way (or most of the way) to your home can support much faster speeds than those that rely on old copper phone lines, radio signals or satellite.

FTTP (Fibre to the Premises)

FTTP supports every speed tier we offer, including our fastest plans: Basic, Standard, Fast Fibre, Super Fast, Ultra Fast (up to 1000 Mbps download / 100 Mbps upload) and Hyper Fast (up to 2000 Mbps download / 200 Mbps upload). It also supports our Pro 250 and Priority 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 plans.

HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial)

HFC also supports our fastest home plans: Basic, Standard, Fast Fibre, Super Fast, Ultra Fast (up to 1000 Mbps download / 100 Mbps upload) and Hyper Fast (up to 2000 Mbps download / 100 Mbps upload), plus Pro 250 and Priority 250. The main difference is upload speed: Hyper Fast on HFC has a maximum upload of 100 Mbps, compared with 200 Mbps on FTTP. For the same reason, our highest-upload Priority plans (500, 1000 and 2000) are only available on FTTP.

FTTC (Fibre to the Curb), FTTN (Fibre to the Node) and FTTB (Fibre to the Building)

These connections use a copper line for the last part of the journey to your home. Copper can't carry the same speeds as fibre, so these connections are limited to plans of up to 100 Mbps: Basic, Standard, Fast and Pro 100.

Fixed Wireless

Fixed Wireless has its own set of speed tiers: FW Basic, FW Plus, FW Home Fast (up to 250 Mbps) and FW Super Fast (up to 400 Mbps). The two faster plans are only available at eligible addresses, depending on your nbn tower and signal strength.

Sky Muster satellite

Satellite has its own plans, with lower speeds than other nbn technologies because of the distance the signal travels to space and back.

2. Your individual line or signal

On some technologies, how fast your connection actually runs depends on the condition of your own line or signal, not just the technology type. This can vary between two homes on the same street.

• FTTN and FTTB: The speed your connection can reach (often called your line rate) depends on the length and condition of the copper line between the node and your home. You can still choose a higher speed tier, but if your line can't reach the full speed of that tier, your connection will run at the maximum your line supports. If we see that your line rate is well below your plan's speed, we'll let you know and suggest moving to a plan that better matches it. Some customers prefer to stay on the higher tier to get every bit of speed their line can deliver, and that's your choice.
• FTTC: The copper run is much shorter, so most FTTC lines can reach 100 Mbps, but the condition of that final section of copper still matters. The same applies as for FTTN: if your line can't reach your plan's full speed, we'll let you know your options.
• Fixed Wireless: Your distance from the tower and anything in the way, like hills, trees or buildings, affect which plans are available at your address.

3. Your nbn equipment

Some of the newest, fastest plans need up-to-date nbn equipment at your home:

• HFC: Some older HFC nbn Connection Boxes (sometimes referred to as NTDs) can't support Hyper Fast speeds and need to be replaced with a newer model.
• FTTP: Some older FTTP nbn Connection Boxes are limited to 1 Gbps and need to be replaced before you can get the full speed of a 2000 Mbps plan.

These upgrades are arranged through nbn Co. We'll let you know if your equipment needs upgrading when you order, and arrange it with you.

Can I get access to faster speeds?

If you're on FTTN or FTTC, you may be able to upgrade to FTTP, which opens up our full range of plans, including Hyper Fast.

• FTTC: Since 1 July 2026, FTTC customers at eligible addresses can request an upgrade to FTTP without needing to order a high-speed plan.
• FTTN: Eligible addresses can usually be upgraded to FTTP by ordering an eligible higher-speed plan.

nbn Co is also upgrading some areas to fibre as part of its ongoing network upgrades. Contact us and we'll check whether an upgrade is available at your address.