This appeared last week:
NBN set to become five times faster ‘at no extra cost’
By David Swan
March 5, 2024 — 8.51am
Broadband speeds are set to skyrocket for some 9 million Australians, with NBN Co launching a proposal to make its most popular plan five times faster at no extra cost amid an explosion in demand for data.
In a move the company says is to meet unprecedented usage of high-definition streaming and remote work, NBN Co announced plans to raise its 100/20 Mbps Home Fast product to 500/50 Mbps and triple its Home Superfast product from 250/25 Mbps to 750/50 Mbps.
The accelerated speeds would be made available by the end of the year and apply to the 9 million broadband customers who have access to a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) NBN connection, which is the majority of Australians. Customers served by other technologies would also have the ability to upgrade.
Critically, the accelerated speeds would come at no added wholesale cost to retailers, and therefore likely no extra cost to consumers. The move could signal an end to the ongoing “price wars” between NBN Co and retailers like Telstra, Optus and TPG, who have been at odds for years on pricing and access terms.
The NBN has long also served as a political football, with the Coalition government under former prime minister Tony Abbott scrapping Labor’s full-fibre rollout in 2013 in favour of a cheaper mix of technologies. Abbott said at the time: “[We] are absolutely confident that 25 megs is going to be enough, more than enough, for the average household.”
The network build is effectively now complete, with the focus shifting towards speed upgrades. The company is in the midst of a multi-year project to eliminate ageing copper infrastructure and replace it with fibre.
Broadband retailers have until April 19 to comment on the proposals.
Data demand and usage has doubled in the last five years, with the average household now consuming 443 gigabytes per month across 22 devices, with the likes of Fortnite, Netflix and Stan fuelling demand. NBN Co expects this to grow to 40 devices per household by the end of the decade.
“Despite this explosion in data usage, many customers have remained on the same broadband plan for years,” NBN Co chief customer officer Anna Perrin said.
“Our network monitoring suggests that some customers are potentially hitting their maximum speed on a regular basis. These customers may enjoy a better internet experience on a faster speed tier.
“And, most importantly, we are proposing to deliver these accelerated speeds at no extra wholesale cost to internet retailers. By working together with the industry, we hope to deliver these accelerated services to customers later this year or early next year,” Perrin said.
The company launched an industry consultation paper on Tuesday and said it is seeking input on introducing the changes sooner than planned, if possible.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said on Tuesday that: “Reliable, quality, high-speed internet is not a luxury or nice-to-have: it is essential 21st century infrastructure.
“NBN Co’s proposal is consistent with the Albanese Labor government’s objectives and will deliver turbo-charged speeds that would deliver significant benefits for businesses and households alike. The government expects NBN to consult closely with its retail partners and work with them to enable these speed enhancements to be available for consumers as soon as practical.”
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This seems to be unequivocally good news to me! Well done NBN to have this happen!
David.
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