Something big is about to happen to Australia\u2019s internet. As technology marches ever onward, with advances in artificial intelligence, 8K video streaming and a growing list of smart devices around our homes, Australians are about to see their internet services rise to meet the challenge. It will put us up there with global net leaders such as Singapore and Hong Kong, paving the way for an exciting digital future.<\/p>\n
But as we look forward to superior speeds and brag-worthy bandwidth, it\u2019s worth noting that there are still some questions to answer, such as who will have access to this next generation of internet? And which providers are best placed to take us there? With the help of James Di Trapani, a network engineer with the internet provider Aussie Broadband, let\u2019s explore.<\/p>\n
Australian internet is getting an upgrade<\/p>\n
From 14 September 2025, the National Broadband Network (NBN) is giving some internet plans a serious boost. Up to 9 million Aussies<\/a> on fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connections will find plans such as the 100\/20 (which provides up to 100Mbps download speeds and 20Mbps upload speeds) automatically upgraded to 500\/50. The NBN\u2019s 250\/25 plan will be upgraded to 750\/50, while users on the NBN\u2019s gigabit plan, the 1000\/50, will have their maximum upload doubled to 100Mbps.<\/p>\n New Home Hyperfast plans will take things further, offering the first multi-gigabit download speeds for home internet in Australia, with speeds of up to 2000\/200 for some users.<\/p>\n These new speeds should meet the growing and changing demands of modern internet users.<\/p>\n \u201cTen years ago, the average Australian household used around 40 gigabytes of data per month, with around seven internet-enabled devices,\u201d Di Trapani says. \u201cToday, the average Australian household uses around 443 gigabytes of data per month, and owns an average of 22 internet-connected devices. By the end of the decade, the average Australian household is expected to use more than one terabyte of data every month, with 44 connected devices.\u201d<\/p>\n As Australians are about to see, NBN service is just the first step; internet providers need to rise to the challenge, too.<\/p>\n Equipped for the change<\/p>\n Not all internet providers are the same. Only some will be able to offer the benefits of the new NBN high-data capabilities, such as 8K video streaming, cloud gaming and high-definition video conferencing. This is because the NBN flows through physical cables from its 121 points of interconnect (POI) across the country, and each internet provider links its network to one or more of these POIs. Some, such as Aussie Broadband, will be better equipped to meet the challenges of the NBN\u2019s next phase.<\/p>\n \u201cWe maintain and operate our own network to provide the best possible performance, reliability and connectivity,\u201d Di Trapani says. \u201cBy owning that network, we can control, manage and upgrade it as necessary. If another company is reliant on someone else\u2019s network to provide connectivity, they are then reliant on their provider for upgrades, troubleshooting and maintenance, which they may or may not do.\u201d<\/p>\n Aussie Broadband\u2019s network has also been created with redundancy in mind; it has built multiple paths of connection for internet traffic, so that even if one goes down, the internet keeps flowing.<\/p>\n These pathways have also been created to improve capacity (or bandwidth), meaning Aussie Broadband speeds should stay consistent, even when demand grows.<\/p>\n \u201cThese links are a little like lanes on a freeway \u2013 the more lanes you have, the more a network is capable of handling traffic without all the cars slowing down to a halt,\u201d Di Trapani says. \u201cWithout enough capacity, users will run into slower speeds and congestion issues.\u201d<\/p>\n Ready for the future<\/p>\n