Compared to other countries, Australia's average internet speeds are seriously slow. But now, thanks to the 'hyperfast' tier rollout, Australia ranks 55th for fixed broadband speeds, as per Speedtest's Global Index, averaging 109.19Mbps across the country. Meanwhile, Singapore still reigns supreme, with 400.68Mbps, closely followed by Chile at 352.63Mbps.
The hyperfast tier has boosted Australia's fastest speeds theoretically possible to a mighty 2,000Mbps. Right now, only five providers that we monitor have released NBN 2000 plans, but there's sure to be more plans on the horizon.
Best NBN 2000 plans
NBN 2000 FAQ
How fast are NBN 2000 plans?
NBN 2000 plans theoretically provide a maximum of 2,000Mbps downloads, doubling the previous fastest speeds of 1,000Mbps. Upload speeds are also expected to increase when compared to NBN 1000 plans, reaching 200Mbps; however, this is only expected for FTTP connections.
As we often say here at Tom's Guide, this 2,000Mbps estimate is a theoretical figure, meaning that most plans are unlikely to reach those high speeds in the real world. Though, in our experience, we've seen providers get surprisingly close to the speed estimates, much like Flip claiming 900Mbps TES on the NBN 1000 tier.
While it's unlikely that customers will be able to reach the full 2,000Mbps download speeds, some households could achieve a higher download speed margin than others, depending on their location, NBN connection type and preferred ISP.
What connection types are compatible with NBN 2000 plans?
Right now, NBN 2000 plans are only available to homes and businesses with either fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection types.
Customers with other connection types will need to upgrade to full fibre to access NBN 2000 plans. NBN Co's free fibre rollout is expected to offer 2Gbps speeds to over 10 million households by the end of 2025. Alongside the network upgrade, NBN Co is introducing new NTD multi-gigabit connection boxes in September.
If you wish to jump into the hyperfast lane but haven't upgraded yet, you can check your eligibility on NBN Co's website.
How much does a NBN 2000 plan cost?
At the time of writing, only five providers are offering NBN 2000 plans, with the average price being AU$167p/m.
The cheapest provider that we monitor is Southern Phone, with its plan costing AU$149p/m and the most expensive provider right now is Aussie Broadband at AU$189p/m.
Should I switch to a NBN 2000 plan?
Your chosen NBN plan often depends on your household's internet needs and connection type. That said, for most homes and businesses with FTTP or HFC, NBN 2000 plans won't be the go-to option due to some pretty hefty price tags.
However, NBN 2000 plans aren't the only new offering being introduced this year, as NBN Co has announced that all fast tiers (think 100Mbps and up) will be recipients of a speed boost. NBN 100 plans will get a 5x maximum speed increase to 500Mbps, NBN 250 plans will increase to 750Mbps maximum and NBN 1000 plans will bump minimum speeds to 750Mbps.
So, in essence, all NBN 100 plans and above should automatically get upgraded to faster speeds. You should also note that these promised speed increases will only apply to customers with either an FTTP or HFC fixed-line NBN connection. If you’re on the older FTTN or FTTC infrastructure, then you will need to take advantage of the free fibre upgrade if you want to increase your home download speed.
You may question whether upgrading to an NBN 2000 plan is necessary after all, and to that we 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. However, you may already be satisfied when these boosts come into effect and find there's no need to switch plans or providers after all.
