Which NBN speed tier should I choose?

What a tier is

An NBN plan is sold on a wholesale speed tier that NBN Co defines in its Wholesale Broadband Agreement: the number is the tier's download speed in megabits per second, and the tiers retail plans are sold on are NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, NBN 500, NBN 1000 (some addresses can also order NBN 2000). OpenStream files every plan it reads against the tier the provider names, so "NBN 100" on this site always means the same wholesale tier whatever the provider calls it.

Choosing between two tiers

The honest way to choose is to compare the price of the tier you are on with the one above it, on the same day. Today the cheapest NBN 50 ($80) is $23 a month more than the cheapest NBN 25 ($57). The cheapest NBN 100 is $4 a month more than the cheapest NBN 50. The cheapest NBN 1000 ($100) is $16 a month more than the cheapest NBN 100. A higher tier's cheapest plan can be the cheaper one on a given day, because each tier's cheapest comes from a different provider. Those gaps move as providers change prices, which is why this page states the day it was read rather than a rule of thumb.

The tier you are on now is the first question of the NBN check below; it opens the switch flow with that tier and your address, and lists what your line can carry, cheapest first.

What your line can carry

Not every address can order every tier. OpenStream's address check applies NBN Co's ceilings per technology: fibre to the premises (FTTP) up to NBN 2000, HFC cable up to NBN 1000, fibre to the curb (FTTC) up to NBN 100, fibre to the node (FTTN) up to NBN 100, fibre to the building (FTTB) up to NBN 100. Fixed wireless and satellite are separate products with their own plans. The guide on FTTP, HFC and FTTN has the figures.

Speed you actually get

The tier is a wholesale maximum. The ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia program measures the busy-hour download speed delivered as a share of the plan speed, per provider, for the providers it reports individually (1,119 measured services, Measuring Broadband Australia Report 33, released 17 June 2026). For today's cheapest picks the ACCC reports: Superloop on NBN 250 97% of plan speed in the busy hour; Exetel on NBN 500 102.1% of plan speed in the busy hour. Your own evening speed against the ACCC's figure for your provider is the speed check.