NBN News: Free Fibre Upgrades For Everyone in July 2026

By Mike Chen | 2026-02-12 | Category: Internet

NBN Co is removing the speed tier requirement for fibre upgrades. Find out if your home is eligible for a free FTTP connection.

More than 600,000 Australian households are set to receive free fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) upgrades in 2026, courtesy of a policy shift from NBN Co that removes the previous requirement to sign up to a high-speed plan before triggering the upgrade. This guide explains what is changing, whether your address qualifies, what you can actually expect in terms of speeds and reliability, and how to choose the right NBN plan once your upgrade is complete.

Why NBN Co Is Upgrading the Network in 2026

When the NBN was originally built, most homes outside greenfield estates were connected using existing copper infrastructure — either Fibre to the Node (FTTN) or Fibre to the Curb (FTTC). These technologies used the old Telstra copper network for the final stretch to the premises, capping speeds and limiting long-term potential. FTTN in particular has been a persistent source of customer complaints, with evening speeds often falling well short of the advertised tier.

NBN Co's Fibre Upgrade Program, announced in 2021 and now accelerating through 2025 and 2026, is replacing this copper with fibre optic cable running all the way to the premises. For FTTC customers, this is typically a matter of running a short fibre lead-in from the nearby distribution point to the home — often a half-day job. For FTTN customers, the scope is larger but the company has committed to completing over one million upgrades by the end of 2026.

The original program required households to order an NBN 100 or above plan to trigger the free upgrade. From July 2026, NBN Co is removing this requirement for FTTC premises, meaning you can request the fibre upgrade and stay on your existing plan. This is a significant policy change driven by pressure from the ACCC and state governments who recognised the access barrier was preventing uptake in lower-income households.

The New NBN Speed Tiers Explained

NBN Co restructured its speed tiers in late 2024, and the 2026 landscape looks substantially different from the original "Basic, Standard, Fast, Superfast" nomenclature. Understanding which tier you actually need — versus which tier retailers market most aggressively — will save you money without sacrificing performance.

NBN 25 (Entry Level): 25 Mbps download, 5 Mbps upload. Suitable for a single person or couple who primarily browse the web, stream SD or HD video, and make video calls. No longer sufficient for 4K streaming or households with multiple simultaneous users. Priced from $49–$59/month.

NBN 50 (Standard): 50 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload. The most popular tier for small families. Handles 2–3 simultaneous HD streams, video conferencing, and casual gaming. Evening speeds on good FTTP or HFC connections are consistently close to the full 50 Mbps. Priced from $59–$75/month.

NBN 100 (Fast): 100 Mbps download, 20 Mbps upload. The sweet spot for 4–5 person households. Multiple 4K streams, cloud backup, and remote work all coexist comfortably. Evening speed guarantees on FTTP are typically above 85 Mbps. Priced from $75–$95/month.

NBN 250 (Superfast): 250 Mbps download, 25 Mbps upload. A noticeable step up for households with heavy usage — home offices with large file transfers, avid gamers who want minimal latency, and households with 6+ concurrent devices. Priced from $89–$110/month. Only available on FTTP, HFC, and some FTTC premises.

NBN 1000 (Ultrafast): Up to 1,000 Mbps download, 50 Mbps upload. Now available to most FTTP premises. Upload speeds on some plans have been doubled to 100 Mbps, making this viable for content creators uploading large video files. Priced from $109–$140/month.

NBN 2000 (Hyperfast): Up to 2,000 Mbps download, 200 Mbps upload. The new 2 Gbps frontier available to select FTTP areas. Overkill for virtually all residential use cases but a genuine option for small businesses operating from home. Limited availability; priced from $150–$180/month.

How to Check If Your Address Qualifies for a Free Upgrade

To check your upgrade eligibility, visit the NBN Co website and enter your address in the "Check your address" tool. The result will show your current connection technology (FTTN, FTTC, FTTP, HFC, Fixed Wireless, or Satellite) and whether a planned upgrade is scheduled for your area. The tool is updated regularly as new areas enter the upgrade schedule.

Alternatively, contact your current NBN retailer and ask specifically whether a free FTTP upgrade is available at your address. Retailers have access to the same NBN Co database and can initiate the upgrade request on your behalf. There is no cost for the upgrade itself — NBN Co and the Commonwealth Government are absorbing the infrastructure cost. You may need to be home for a technician visit to complete the lead-in installation, which typically takes two to four hours.

If your address is FTTN and not currently in the upgrade schedule, you may still be able to request an upgrade under the Fast Fibre Access program, though this may involve a connection fee of $300–$480 depending on the complexity of the lead-in. Compare this one-off cost against the ongoing speed and reliability improvements — for most households it is worthwhile, particularly if you work from home.

Evening Speed Performance: What to Realistically Expect

The NBN speed tier you purchase is a maximum speed, not a guaranteed speed. Evening congestion (the "peak hour" period from 7 PM to 11 PM) can reduce actual speeds significantly, particularly on FTTN and congested HFC networks. NBN Co now requires retailers to publish Typical Evening Speed (TES) data, which represents the average download speed delivered to customers in the busy period.

FTTP connections consistently deliver the best TES results, often at 90–95% of the plan's maximum speed. HFC connections (Foxtel cable-based) perform well in uncongested areas but can degrade in high-density suburbs. FTTN connections are the most variable — a household 200 metres from the node may get TES close to plan speed, while a household 700 metres away on degraded copper may struggle to sustain 30–40 Mbps even on an NBN 100 plan.

Before signing up to a higher NBN tier, ask your prospective retailer for their published TES figure for your connection type. Providers like Aussie Broadband, Superloop, and Leaptel consistently publish TES above 90% across all tiers and have among the highest customer satisfaction scores in the industry. The cheapest plan from a large provider may deliver worse real-world performance than a mid-priced plan from a quality mid-tier retailer.

The Best NBN Providers for Your Upgrade in 2026

The NBN retail market is competitive. Over 120 retailers resell NBN services, though the top ten providers hold around 85% of the market. For households completing a fibre upgrade, the key factors are: evening speed performance, network reliability, customer support quality, contract flexibility, and value for money at your target speed tier.

Aussie Broadband consistently tops customer satisfaction surveys, with TES scores above 90% and a highly regarded Australian-based support team. Their NBN 50 plan at $69/month and NBN 100 at $89/month are strong value propositions. No lock-in contracts are standard. Their app provides real-time usage data and network performance metrics.

Superloop acquired MyRepublic's Australian operations and has invested heavily in network infrastructure. They offer aggressive pricing on higher speed tiers and frequently run promotional deals for new customers. Their NBN 250 plan is competitive and worth considering for households upgrading to FTTP for the first time.

Leaptel is a smaller provider with an excellent reputation for reliability and customer service. Their NBN 100 plan includes generous inclusions and their support is genuinely responsive. Worth considering if you prefer a boutique provider with higher touch service.

Telstra remains the largest retailer with the broadest customer base. Their plans carry a premium but their network management and 24/7 support are industry-leading. For businesses or households where reliability is paramount, Telstra's Business NBN plans with prioritised traffic management may be worth the higher cost.

What the Upgrade Means for Working From Home

The FTTP upgrade program arrives at a time when hybrid working is firmly embedded in Australian culture. Approximately 36% of Australian workers now spend at least one day per week working from home, and for knowledge workers in capital cities the figure is closer to 60%. The quality of your home internet connection is no longer an amenity — for many households it is a professional requirement.

Video conferencing (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet) demands consistent upstream bandwidth. While a single HD video call requires only 3–5 Mbps upload, household conflicts arise when multiple family members are simultaneously on video calls, gaming, or streaming. An FTTP connection on NBN 100 or above provides sufficient headroom that these conflicts disappear — and the dramatically lower latency of fibre versus copper eliminates the packet loss and jitter that can make video calls on FTTN connections unreliable.

For households with VPN requirements for corporate work, upload speed and latency matter enormously. FTTN connections with 5–10 Mbps upload speeds and 15–30ms latency are marginal for VPN-intensive work. FTTP connections with 20+ Mbps upload and 2–5ms latency are comfortable. If you have been working around slow VPN performance on FTTN, the upgrade to FTTP will be immediately noticeable.

How to Maximise Value After Your Upgrade

Once your fibre upgrade is complete, it is worth running an audit of your current NBN plan against your actual usage. Many households are on NBN 50 plans simply because that was what they signed up to several years ago. With FTTP now delivering consistent 90%+ speeds, upgrading to NBN 100 or 250 may cost only $10–$20 more per month while dramatically changing what is possible — 4K streaming on multiple TVs simultaneously, cloud gaming, professional-grade video conferencing.

Use the SaveNest internet comparison tool to see current pricing across all retailers for your postcode and connection type. Filter by the speed tier you need and sort by annual cost. Look beyond the sign-up promotional price to the ongoing monthly rate — some plans revert to a higher rate after three or six months, which can erode the initial saving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will my internet be disconnected during the upgrade?

Briefly, yes. The technician will need to switch your connection from the old copper-based service to the new fibre lead-in. This typically causes a one to two hour outage during installation. You will be given advance notice of the appointment window.

Do I need to buy new equipment?

If your existing modem router is compatible with FTTP (it connects via the NBN Co Network Termination Device, or NTD), you should not need new equipment. Most modern routers are compatible. If your current equipment is several years old, this may be a good time to upgrade to a Wi-Fi 6 capable router to maximise the benefit of faster speeds throughout your home.

Can I keep my existing plan after the upgrade?

Yes. Your plan does not automatically change when the connection technology upgrades. You will receive the same speed tier, just delivered more reliably and consistently via fibre. You can choose to upgrade your plan separately at any time.

Understanding NBN Wholesale Pricing and Retail Margins

NBN Co charges retailers a wholesale price for the capacity they sell to customers. These wholesale costs are structured differently at each speed tier, which is why the retail price does not scale linearly with speed. The wholesale cost per Mbps is highest at the lowest speed tiers (NBN 25 and NBN 50) and falls significantly at higher tiers, creating a pricing structure where the consumer gets more value per dollar at higher speed tiers than at lower ones.

Retailers add their own margin on top of the NBN Co wholesale cost, covering their network management, customer service, billing systems, and profit. The most competitive retailers operate lean networks and pass a larger portion of the wholesale cost structure through as consumer savings. The least competitive retailers maintain higher margins, particularly at the lower speed tiers where consumer price sensitivity is lower.

Understanding this structure helps explain why upgrading from NBN 50 to NBN 100 often costs only $10–$15 more per month despite the speed doubling. The wholesale cost increase is modest at this tier transition, and competitive retailers pass this low incremental cost to consumers. The larger jump in retail price comes between NBN 100 and NBN 250, where the wholesale tier change is more substantial.

What to Expect From the Upgrade Process

When NBN Co schedules your FTTP upgrade, the process involves a field technician visiting your property to run the fibre lead-in from the distribution point (typically in the street or on a nearby pole) to an entry point on your home. The fibre terminates at a Network Termination Device (NTD) installed at your premises — a small wall-mounted box that converts the optical fibre signal to an Ethernet connection your router plugs into.

Most upgrade appointments are scheduled within a 4-hour window during business hours. The actual work time is typically 1–3 hours depending on the complexity of the lead-in run and the location of the NTD installation point. During the upgrade, your existing internet service will be disconnected for 1–3 hours — plan accordingly if you work from home and schedule the appointment for a time with the lowest disruption impact.

After the upgrade, your router plugs into the new NTD via Ethernet. If your current router is relatively modern (purchased within the last 4–5 years), it will likely work immediately with the new FTTP connection. Some older routers may need a configuration update or replacement. The key test is whether you can access the internet at your expected plan speed immediately after the technician leaves — if not, contact your retailer's technical support before the technician departs the premises.

Regional NBN: Fixed Wireless and Satellite Updates

The FTTP upgrade program primarily benefits urban and suburban households. For the approximately 4% of Australian premises served by NBN Fixed Wireless (mainly regional and peri-urban areas) and the 1% on Sky Muster Satellite (remote areas), the upgrade story is different. NBN Co has invested in capacity upgrades and tower technology improvements for the Fixed Wireless network, improving speeds in many areas from the original 25 Mbps maximum to 50–75 Mbps on upgraded towers.

For truly remote premises on Sky Muster Satellite, NBN speeds and latency remain limited by geostationary orbit physics — 600+ ms round-trip latency is fundamental to geostationary satellites and cannot be solved with tower upgrades. Starlink's low-earth orbit satellite service has effectively superseded NBN Satellite for the remote households that can afford the $139/month service cost and $599 hardware cost, delivering 50–150 Mbps at 20–40 ms latency. NBN Co has acknowledged this competitive pressure and is not investing in Sky Muster capacity expansion beyond current commitments.

Conclusion: Making the Most of NBN's 2026 Improvements

The NBN fibre upgrade program, the expansion of high-speed tiers, and the growing competitive pressure from 5G Home Internet are all reshaping Australia's fixed broadband market in ways that benefit consumers. Whether your priority is the most affordable plan, the fastest speeds, or the most reliable performance for work-from-home, 2026 offers genuinely better options than were available two years ago.

The practical action plan: check your address on the NBN Co website for upgrade eligibility, request the upgrade through your retailer if eligible, run a plan comparison on the SaveNest internet comparison tool to find the best plan for your upgraded connection, and set a calendar reminder to review your plan again in 12 months as the competitive market continues to evolve.

Checklist for Action

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