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Tom's Guide
24-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Planning to upgrade to one of NBN Co's new NBN 500 or NBN 750 plans this September? Don't make this rookie mistake
There are 81 days until new NBN plans are set to roll out into the Australian internet landscape, and as Tom's Guide's resident broadband expert, it has come to my attention that many Aussies aren't prepared for the changes. So, let me break them down for you, dear reader. On September 14, 2025, NBN Co will debut new speed tiers to the wholesale market — NBN 2000, NBN 750 and NBN 500 — the last two of which will act as 3x and 5x speed boosts for existing NBN 250 and NBN 100 plans, respectively. These speed upgrades will come at no additional cost for retail service providers (RSPs) to buy at a wholesale level, with hopes for minimal cost changes for consumers. It's reasonable to expect that a few early adopters will have 500Mbps, 750Mbps and 2,000Mbps plans readily available to order by early October but, much like the NBN 1000 introduction a few years ago, it might take until early 2026 for a wider NBN 2000 plan rollout. However, before considering any of these high-speed plans, there are several updates you can make to ensure your property can access the fastest speeds possible. Read on to find out. Sometimes falling for propaganda pays off, and it does tenfold when it comes to NBN Co's free fibre rollout — a feat that has been trekking on since 2021. The full fibre upgrade has continued to evolve the existing fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) network to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), with more than 9 million homes and businesses already able to achieve fibre-fast speeds. Note that this doesn't mean you can access the FTTP network right now, but just that you are likely eligible to activate the upgrade. According to an update in March 2025, NBN Co expects to upgrade around 90% of the network — around 10 million homes and businesses — by December 2025, providing access to the highest NBN speeds possible. The NBN will also provide new upgrade paths for the remainder of the network, benefitting around 622K homes and businesses, largely located in regional Australia. As for the new tiers coming into play, NBN Co has confirmed these speeds are only available for FTTP and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) addresses. So, if you have any other connection type at home, you'll need to upgrade to FTTP first in order to purchase an accelerated plan. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. If you're currently on an FTTN or fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) NBN connection type, you're likely eligible for an upgrade. If you're not sure of your connection type, you can either check the details of your NBN plan or head to the NBN Co website and enter your address in their suburb tracker. Once you've completed your checks and found you are eligible for the upgrade, you'll need to order an NBN plan with 100Mbps or more from a participating NBN provider. A full list of providers can be found on the NBN website. After ordering your new plan, all you need to do is sit and wait for an NBN technician to visit your address and, hey presto, you're on your way to faster speeds. Do make sure to cancel your current plan before transferring over to your FTTP plan. It goes without saying that technology, in any form, often has a lifespan. Some items need updating more than others — like a phone or laptop — and your Wi-Fi modem should be at the top of that list. If you haven't upgraded your modem in the last five years, it's about time you changed that to get ahead of the curve. It's recommended that you replace your modem every three to five years, especially if you experience connection problems and slow speeds. Making the switch to a newer, better Wi-Fi modem has a plethora of benefits, including improving the performance of your devices, like laptops, smart TVs, game consoles and even smart home products such as doorbells or indoor cameras. If you're keen on getting a new Wi-Fi modem that will support 2,000Mbps speeds, it's worth considering one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers. Wi-Fi 7 is the latest technology available, providing the fastest speeds and the lowest latency possible. Though, it's worth noting that Wi-Fi 7 modems do cost a pretty penny, but there are a few affordable options out there. Right now, the Amazon eero 7 dual-band mesh router is AU$299 on Amazon, and offers support for download speeds up to 2.5Gbps. If you'd prefer less bandwidth, like either a 500Mbps, or 750Mbps plan, the eero 6 router can support those speeds too, now just AU$199 on Amazon. Both eero options are plug and play modems, meaning they're relatively easy to set up (and you won't need to bother that one tech-savvy friend in your life). Let's dive into speeds. On one hand, having plenty of internet speed can be a good thing, especially if you have multiple people and several devices living in your household. On the other hand, you could be paying too much for speeds you don't use, which could prove costly in the long run. Now, speeds over 250Mbps suit heavy internet users, streamers, gamers and larger families best, given that there's plenty of internet to go around without lag or interruptions. When 500Mbps, 750Mbps and 2,000Mbps plans come into effect, you may question whether it's worth a switch to a faster plan, and to that I say, it depends. It truly depends on what NBN plan you're currently using, as NBN 100 plans will see a 5x boost to NBN 500 and NBN 250 plans will get a 3x boost to NBN 750. Provided your preferred RSP passes down these wholesale speeds to consumers, anyone on a 100Mbps plan or above on an FTTP connection should be able to access these fast speeds. So in theory, you may not even need to upgrade your plan at all. As for NBN 2000, I'd say, if you're a heavy internet user, have the means to afford one or simply want to try out hyperfast speeds when they do become available, go for it. But again, you may be satisfied with an existing speed boost, and find there's no need to switch plans or providers. After upgrading your modem and connection type, it's definitely worth considering what speeds you actually need. You can always try a faster tier from your preferred provider in the meantime, and decide what's best for you when new plans become available. Right now, there are bargains aplenty on some great NBN deals, thanks to EOFY sales. But you'd better get in quick — these attractive introductory rates are set to expire on June 30, 2025! Aussie Broadband | NBN 100 | AU$85p/m using code DEAL10 (for 6 months, then AU$95p/m) Advertising 99Mbps downloads and 16Mbps uploads, Aussie Broadband's NBN 100 plan comes in at AU$85p/m for 6 months using code DEAL10 during EOFY. Knocking a total of AU$60 off the first year before the price increases, ABB discounts are few and far between — the last time we saw similar outlays was during Black Friday 2024 — so if you've wanted to try out the telco's premium service for less, now's a great time. ABB is highly rated among gamers and heavy internet users alike, so if you find your current provider is lacking in those areas, it could be worth the switch. You can also bundle a home or mobile phone line alongside your service, starting from AU$10p/m. Total minimum cost: AU$85 | Total first year cost: AU$1,080 | Total yearly cost: AU$1,140 SpinTel | NBN 750 | AU$95p/m SpinTel already has a leg up on its competition by offering this new 750Mbps plan, for just AU$95p/m ongoing. This plan will reach theoretical maximums during the busy evening hours. That said, SpinTel's NBN 250 plan is currently AU$14 cheaper (or $81p/m) thanks to a six-month introductory discount, and we'd anticipate that it will be boosted for free to NBN 750 later this year. So, you could be paying a little more by opting for SpinTel's unofficial NBN 750 plan right now instead of waiting for NBN Co's official rollout. Total minimum cost: AU$95 | Total yearly cost: AU$1,140 Superloop | NBN 1000 | AU$85p/m (for 6 months, then AU$109p/m) Right now, Superloop's NBN 1000 plan has been slashed by a massive AU$24p/m over the first six months, offering a nice AU$144 discount. Advertising lightning-fast speeds of 860Mbps in the busy evening hours, Superloop's speed claims are some of the fastest available on the tier, coming in just behind Flip's 900Mbps, Swoop's 890Mbps and Buddy Telco's 875Mbps. This deal offers incredible value for money, as the AU$85p/m cost is far cheaper than some of the major telcos' 50Mbps plans — and delivers 17.2 times the maximum speeds. If you need all the megabits, Superloop's got 'em. Total minimum cost: AU$85 | Total first year cost: AU$1,164 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,308
Tom's Guide
11-06-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
NBN 750 plans are coming soon as a FREE upgrade – here's everything we know about the imminent NBN 250 replacement
If you're someone who keeps abreast of NBN-related news, it should probably come as no surprise to learn that NBN Co is planning to deliver some significant speed upgrades to select NBN tiers come this September. That includes the introduction of a brand new top speed tier called NBN 2000, increasing the fastest consumer internet plans available in Australia to 2,000Mbps – or double the current maximum download speed of 1,000Mbps. However, this new tier isn't the only change on the horizon, as both NBN 100 and NBN 250 are set to receive free speed boosts, too. From September 14, 2025, NBN Co is planning to triple the download speeds of NBN 250 plans to 750Mbps, and double the upload speeds from 25Mbps to 50Mbps – all for no extra cost. While we've yet to receive final confirmation, internet providers will likely introduce new names for these NBN plans that reflect the speed increase — in other words, NBN 250 plans may soon be renamed to NBN 750 plans. While the wholesale speed changes were confirmed some time ago, there are still plenty of questions surrounding the new NBN 750 tier and what this means for Aussie consumers — especially those on existing Superfast 250Mbps plans. We've gathered up all the best answers on what to expect from the new speed boost, pricing, connection types and more, so you can be prepared for the September rollout. Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate. According to NBN Co, the new plans are rolling out on September 14, 2025. However, this will be the date that plans will be available at a wholesale level for retail service providers, and not necessarily consumers. There is currently no definitive answer as to how NBN 750 plans will be made available to end users, as each retail service provider (RSP) is free to decide exactly how it will implement the changes. However, we believe at least some providers to be fairly rapid in passing the increased speeds on to consumers. As such, we'd expect that some providers will also have NBN 750 plans available to order for new sign ups at by both consumers and businesses by October. According to the NBN Co, NBN 250 wholesale speeds will increase to a theoretical maximum of 750Mbps downloads and 50Mbps uploads. If speed boosts are fully passed on by RSPs (and for traffic within Australia, there's no obvious reason why they shouldn't be), NBN 750 plans will therefore provide theoretical speeds of up to 750Mbps during the typical evening hours of 7pm-11pm. Upload speeds should also approach 50Mbps. Do keep in mind that the 750Mbps figure is theoretical, meaning that not all customers will be able to access those speeds in the real world due to various factors including connection type, location and provider. However, considering most NBN 250 plans achieve close to their maximum theoretical speeds, it's likely that RSPs will eventually pass on this boost to end users and increase their claimed typical evening speeds to match. What we don't know is how these new speeds will impact international internet speeds, which travels beyond the NBN. International fibre pipelines connect Aussies to services and sites hosted in other countries, such as online games servers and streaming platforms. These speeds are largely dependent on each RSP's own capacity to handle international bandwidth, which can vary greatly. Thankfully, major sites such as YouTube, Meta and Netflix have dedicated Australian servers, and the speed increase may fundamentally deliver faster connections to these platforms. However, for other sites hosted in overseas locations, some RSPs may not have enough bandwidth to simultaneously handle thousands of customers suddenly downloading at 3x their previous speeds — particularly during the peak evening hours. With NBN Co providing these speed upgrades to providers at no cost, NBN 750 plans should theoretically be priced similarly to NBN 250 plans — which, as of June 2025, is roughly about AU$106 per month. Given current prices, we can reasonably speculate that NBN 750 plans could cost between AU$100p/m to AU$120p/m, in line with most NBN 250 plans right now. We suspect that potential introductory offers could reduce this to around AU$90p/m for the first six months. NBN plan pricing does differ greatly between telcos, though, with the most expensive NBN 250 provider being Telstra, which charges AU$130p/m. The cheapest provider is SpinTel, offering its superfast plan for just AU$80p/m ongoing. SpinTel also offers an unofficial NBN 750 plan for AU$90p/m ongoing, which is the first and therefore cheapest of its kind (so far). Much like other NBN plans, it will undoubtedly pay to shop around for the best NBN 750 deals when they debut. As with the current NBN 250 plans, NBN 750 will only be available to homes and businesses with either fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection types. If you're on another NBN connection type, such as FTTN, you'll likely need to upgrade to a full fibre installation to access NBN 750 plans. Thankfully, many properties are eligible for NBN Co's free fibre rollout program, which is set to provide over 10 million households with 2Gbps-capable FTTP by the end of 2025. If you want to jump into the superfast lane but haven't upgraded yet, you can check your eligibility on NBN Co's website. If you're contemplating the switch to an NBN 750 plan, there are a few things you should consider. First off, your chosen NBN plan will depend on your household's internet needs and connection type. We've already covered the connection types you'll need above, so let's talk speeds. If you're already on a 250Mbps plan and connect via HFC or FTTP, your plan should, in theory, automatically upgrade to NBN 750 with the speed boost. However, NBN 250 plans aren't the only ones getting accelerated this year. NBN 100 plans will get a 5x maximum speed increase to 500Mbps, and at a wholesale level, NBN 1000 plans will have their included bandwidth increased to support a minimum speed of 750Mbps. (This could, in turn, help more providers finally offer 'true' gigabit plans that reach 1,000Mbps typical evening speeds.) Alongside these increases, NBN 2000 plans will also be introduced for FTTP and HFC addresses. So, in essence, all NBN 100 plans and above should automatically get upgraded to faster speeds. This may come with a small price increase vs current plan costs, too, given the NBN Co wholesale changes coming into effect on July 1. However, given that all tiers have received a wholesale increase of under AU$2, we don't expect prices to shift too much. You might wonder whether upgrading to an NBN 750 plan is really necessary, and to that, we say that if you're a heavy internet user, can afford it, or just want to test out these turbocharged speeds when they become available, then go for it. However, if you're already on an NBN 100 plan, you may be satisfied with the 5x speed boost that's coming to NBN 100, and find there's no need to switch plans or providers after all. And if you're already on NBN 250, you might, in fact, want to consider downgrading from an NBN 250 to an NBN 100 in preparation for the September speed increase, which should still theoretically double your current speeds. Right now, there are some seriously attractive NBN deals on offer from some top-rated telcos. One provider is in fact already offering an unofficial NBN 750 plan well ahead of the rollout, and that's SpinTel. SpinTel | NBN 750 | AU$90p/m SpinTel already has a leg up on its competition by offering this new NBN 750 plan, priced at just AU$90p/m ongoing. SpinTel claims this plan achieves its theoretical maximum 750Mbps download speed during the busy evening said, SpinTel's NBN 250 plan is currently AU$11 cheaper (or $79p/m) thanks to a six-month introductory discount, and we'd anticipate that it will be boosted for free to NBN 750 later this year. So, you could be paying a little more by opting for SpinTel's unofficial NBN 750 plan right now, instead of waiting for NBN Co's official rollout. Total minimum cost: AU$90 | Total yearly cost: AU$1,080 If this plan doesn't tickle your fancy, you can check out some of the most poplular NBN plans with Tom's Guide readers in the widget below.
