Two million households and businesses in New South Wales and Victoria will now be able to upgrade to fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) internet from slower, less reliable copper connections.
The Federal Government said FTTP is capable of delivering speeds 18 times faster than the average broadband connection over copper, and is less likely to drop out or degrade.
The milestone means more people than ever before across both states will be able to access faster speeds while streaming, gaming and working from home.
Following NBN Co’s initial construction work, fibre upgrades are available on-demand at no installation cost when an eligible household or small business takes out an eligible higher-speed plan.
Average data usage in Australia has increased ten times over the past ten years, with the average home now hosting 21 internet-connected or smart devices.
NBN Co is currently consulting with industry on a new plan to turbocharge speeds available over the network. The plan would give customers who upgrade to full-fibre speeds of up to 500Mbps, at no extra wholesale cost.
Upgrades to full fibre access will continue across the country, with the Federal Government investing $2.4 billion to expand full-fibre access to an additional 1.5 million premises, including more than 660,000 in regional communities.
Upgrades to the network are designed to enable more than ten million homes and businesses to access NBN Co’s fastest residential speed plan by the end of 2025.
Check if your property can get full fibre here.
Federal Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, said, “Fast and reliable full-fibre broadband unlocks greater social inclusion and economic productivity. It’s essential infrastructure in 2024.
“This is a fantastic milestone for two million households in New South Wales and Victoria who have been saddled with slow and unreliable copper technology.
“Access to this technology is a gamechanger for families who have had to struggle with drop outs and slow speeds over copper.
“I strongly encourage households to check the NBN website to see if you might be eligible for a full-fibre upgrade,” Ms Rowland said.
