If your speed tier is too slow
- NBN Premium Unlimited
- 100Mbps typical evening speed
- Unlimited data and no contract term
- $15.95 discount for first 6 months
$69
Congestion-free NBN
- nbn50 Unlimited Plan
- 50Mbps typical evening speed
- No contract term
- First month free
- $21.10 discount for first 6 months
$53.90
Go to Site
Fast NBN alternative
- 5G Home Internet
- 378Mbps average evening speed
- 1000GB Data
- First month free
- No modem fee
$85
Struggling with subpar NBN speeds is the absolute worst. When you’re met with the spinning loading wheel of doom you can feel so powerless, but there are ways to reclaim that power.
Not every NBN speed issue can be fixed immediately, but there are some solutions that you can get through in five minutes that will make a significant difference. Others… well they’re longer term problems. We’re not claiming to be able to solve all of your speed sads, but we can give you an idea of what might be causing them.
#1. You’re still on a too slow speed tier
If you picked your NBN plan based solely on the price, or if your situation has changed since you chose it then you may need faster speeds than you’re currently getting.
More than half of Aussie households connected to the NBN are using an NBN 50 plan. Generally speaking, it strikes a good balance between affordability and speeds, but if you’re a larger household, or one that demands more capacity than it simply might not be enough. If you’re on anything slower than NBN 50 then we’re not surprised that your internet feels slow. It kinda is.
Fix it by upgrading your speed tier
The simple fix is to upgrade your NBN speed tier, or to pick a provider with better typical evening speeds. Even though upgrading might cost you more, the trend right now is for providers to offer six month discounts that bring your plan fees down significantly for that period of time.
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#1
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Belong
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN Premium – Unlimited
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
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#2
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Tangerine Telecom
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Speedy NBN 100/20
$67.90/mth
Min. cost $67.90
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#3
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Superloop
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Family nbn100/20
$74/mth
Min. cost $74
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#4
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amaysim
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN100
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
Link not supplied
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#5
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iiNet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn Home Fast Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
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Most of these providers offer up BYO modem plans, with no contract, and no set up fees - so if you want to skip between providers every 6 months it isn’t that difficult. Swapping NBN providers usually takes less than an hour and you won’t get any down time in between. We’ve got around 30 NBN providers on site - if you swapped every six months to chase the deals then you could get discounted NBN for 60 years. Let that sink in.
#2. You're stuck on a terrible technology type
Annoyingly enough the NBN ended up being a lottery of sorts. Those with FTTP hit the jackpot but to those on FTTN, we are sorry for your loss.
You can however regain some semblance of hope due to the NBN upgrade undertaking. NBN Co has begun upgrading up to 2 million homes from FTTN to FTTP for free, and there will be a nominal upgrade program for FTTC households as well. Unfortunately, these upgrades are going to take time, and they do run on the NBN clock so who knows when they will actually be completed. However, there are short term options that you can go for while you wait.
Fix it with an NBN alternative
If you’re stuck on a less desirable technology type you can just ditch the NBN. Wireless home broadband options are cropping up more and more - even TPG is now offering 5G home broadband.
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#1
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iiNet 
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Link not supplied
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#2
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TPG 
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Link not supplied
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#3
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Vodafone 
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Link not supplied
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#4
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Yomojo 
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Link not supplied
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#5
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Telstra 
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Link not supplied
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#6
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Optus 
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Link not supplied
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#7
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SpinTel 
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Link not supplied
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These broadband options operate on mobile networks, and tend to give you comparably faster speeds than the NBN but for a lower price. Why? Because telcos don't need to pay NBN co to use their hardware, they can just use their own and save money while doing it. And hey - so can you.
#3. Network congestion
The NBN is a shared commodity like a road - the more people on it, the slower it goes. When everyone is trying to stream Netflix at the same time (specifically in the evenings) speeds tend to slow down - this is called congestion.
Fix it with congestion-free NBN providers
Your best bet to beat congestion is to pick an NBN provider that is offering congestion-free NBN, or maximum typical evening speeds. When an NBN provider is promising 50Mbps download speeds on an NBN 50 plan, during peak times then that is what you can expect to get.
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#1
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Belong 
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#2
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Dodo 
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#3
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Moose NBN 
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Link not supplied
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#4
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Tangerine Telecom 
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#5
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Flip 
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#6
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Superloop 
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#7
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Swoop 
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Link not supplied
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#8
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Kogan Internet 
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#9
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iiNet 
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Link not supplied
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#10
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TPG 
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Link not supplied
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In order to do this, NBN providers need to purchase an appropriate amount of bandwidth from NBN co, and if they have it is a good indicator that they care about their speeds as much as you do.
There are plenty of providers offering congestion-free NBN 50 plans, but there aren’t as many expanding out to NBN 100 as yet.
#4. Your modem is the culprit
While we love an NBN bash as much as the next Aussie, sometimes it really isn’t the network’s fault. Put down your pitchforks! Your speed problems may be stemming from your modem.
In 2019 NBN Co completed an analysis of over 700 households in an attempt to get to the bottom of speed complaints. According to this investigation, the most common issues stemmed from:
- Modems with out of date firmware
- Channel interference
- Positioning and placement of the modem.
Fix it by doing some basic modem troubleshooting
The quickest, and easiest solution is to make sure your firmware is up to date, and to put your modem in prime position.
WiFi speeds can be slowed due to interference in the home. Large electronic devices such as TVs and fridges, walls, doors, and space between you and your modem can affect the speeds you’ll get through a WiFi connection. The more of these barriers you can eliminate, the faster your WiFi connection will be.
Try moving your modem away from major appliances and have it out in the open. In an ideal world you should have a marble pillar in the centre of your home specifically for your modem. Unfortunately we’re a bit limited by things like cords, where your NBN connection point is, and how expensive marble is so just do your best.
We go into these solutions in more comprehensive detail in our guide to whether you need a new modem or not.
#5. Your house is haunted (by old wires)
Spooky. But in all seriousness, sometimes older homes will just let you down. At the end of the day our NBN network does still utilise the old copper in some way - some technology types just use less of it.
If you happen to live in an older building then the wiring within it may be a bit worn out and result in slower speeds, even if you are with a fast provider.
Don't fix it yourself
This one definitely is not DIY friendly. You’ll need to call an electrician to see what your options are.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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