NBN Guide

NBN Connection Types Explained: What Your Business Actually Gets

Not all NBN connections are the same. The type of NBN at your address directly affects the speeds you can achieve, and in many cases it is the connection type, not your plan, that limits your performance.

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Upgrading your NBN plan will not help if your connection type is the bottleneck. Understanding what you have is the first step to getting the speed your business needs.

The Six NBN Connection Types

FTTP

Fibre to the Premises. The best NBN option. Fibre runs directly to your building with no copper. Speeds up to 1000Mbps.

FTTN

Fibre to the Node. Fibre runs to a street cabinet, then copper covers the last stretch. Performance depends on distance from the node.

FTTB

Fibre to the Building. Fibre reaches your building basement, then internal wiring distributes the connection. Capped around 100Mbps.

HFC

Hybrid Fibre Coaxial. Uses old pay TV cable infrastructure. Good downloads but weak uploads. Shared bandwidth means peak-hour congestion.

Fixed Wireless

Wireless signal from a tower to your roof antenna. Used in regional areas. Now upgraded to 100-400Mbps capability.

Satellite

Signal via satellite for remote locations. Limited speeds, high latency, data caps. A last resort for areas with no other options.

Quick Comparison Table

TypeMax DownloadUpload QualityConsistencyBusiness Suitability
FTTPUp to 1000MbpsStrong (up to 500Mbps)ExcellentBest NBN option for business
FTTNVaries (often under 100Mbps)PoorInconsistentLimited, consider alternatives
FTTB~100MbpsLimitedAcceptableSmall office only
HFCUp to 1000MbpsWeakPeak-time dropsDownload-heavy work only
Fixed Wireless100-400MbpsModerateGood (post-upgrade)Regional businesses
SatelliteLimitedLimitedHigh latencyRemote areas only

Each Connection Type in Detail

What it is: Fibre optic cable runs directly from the network all the way to your building. No copper involved at any point.

What you get: The best NBN connection available. Capable of speeds up to 1000Mbps download and up to 500Mbps upload on business plans. Consistent performance because there is no copper to degrade the signal.

Business impact: If your premises has FTTP, you have the best foundation for any NBN plan. High-speed plans will deliver close to their advertised speeds. Video calls, cloud software, and VoIP all run well on FTTP.

Availability: FTTP is expanding. NBN Co is upgrading 95% of FTTN connections to FTTP by 2030, so if you do not have it now, you may get it soon.

What it is: Fibre runs to a street cabinet (the node), then existing copper wiring covers the remaining distance to your building. The copper stretch is where the problem lies.

What you get: Speeds that depend heavily on how far your premises is from the node. The ACCC confirmed that FTTN consistently underperforms every other NBN connection type. On a 100Mbps plan, FTTN averages 88Mbps download compared to 104Mbps on FTTP. The further you are from the node, the worse it gets.

Business impact: If you are on FTTN and experiencing slow speeds, upgrading to a higher plan may not help. The copper bottleneck limits what the connection can deliver regardless of the plan. Businesses on FTTN that need consistent performance should consider business fibre as an alternative.

The future: NBN Co is progressively replacing FTTN with FTTP. If your area is scheduled for the upgrade, it may be worth waiting or switching to business fibre in the meantime.

What it is: Fibre runs to a communications room in your building (usually the basement), then existing internal wiring distributes the connection to individual units or offices.

What you get: Speeds capped at around 100Mbps, limited by the age and quality of the building’s internal wiring. Common in apartment blocks and multi-tenant office buildings.

Business impact: Adequate for small offices with basic internet needs. If your business requires higher speeds or symmetrical upload, FTTB will not deliver it. Businesses in FTTB buildings needing more should explore direct fibre options.

What it is: Fibre runs to a node in your street, then an existing coaxial cable (originally installed for pay TV) covers the last stretch to your premises.

What you get: Download speeds can reach up to 1000Mbps, but upload speeds are significantly limited. More importantly, HFC uses shared bandwidth. When multiple premises on the same cable segment are online, speeds drop for everyone.

Business impact: Download performance can be good outside peak hours, but upload speeds are weak. Businesses that upload frequently through cloud backups, video calls, and file sharing will notice the limitation. Peak-time congestion from residential neighbours can affect your daytime business operations.

What it is: A transmission tower sends the signal wirelessly to an antenna installed on your roof. Used primarily in regional and outer suburban areas where running fibre is not practical.

What you get: Speeds up to 100-400Mbps following NBN Co’s recent $750 million upgrade to the fixed wireless network. More reliable than mobile wireless because the antenna is permanently installed and aimed at the tower.

Business impact: A solid option for businesses in areas where fibre is not available. Performance is more consistent than mobile 5G because the connection is fixed, not shared with passing mobile users. Business-grade fixed wireless plans can include a 99.95% uptime SLA.

What it is: A satellite dish installed on your premises receives the NBN signal from a satellite in orbit. Used in remote and very rural locations.

What you get: Basic internet access with limited speeds and higher latency. The signal has to travel to space and back, which adds delay. Data caps are common on satellite plans.

Business impact: A last resort for locations with no other options. Not suitable for real-time applications like VoIP or video conferencing due to the inherent latency of satellite communication.

What If Your Connection Type Is the Problem?

If you are paying for a fast plan but not getting the speeds you expected, check your connection type first. On FTTN, you might be limited to 50-80Mbps regardless of what plan you are on. On HFC, your uploads may cap at 20-40Mbps no matter what.

In these situations, upgrading your plan will not solve the problem because the infrastructure itself is the bottleneck. Your options are: wait for the FTTP upgrade if your area is on the NBN Co schedule (95% of FTTN premises will be upgraded by 2030), switch to business fibre which bypasses NBN infrastructure entirely, or consider enterprise ethernet for guaranteed performance.

Not sure what NBN type you have? We can check your address and tell you exactly what connection type is available and what speeds you should expect.

Send Enquiry Form CALL US: 1300 293 266

Frequently Asked Questions

You can check your NBN connection type on the NBN Co website by entering your address. Alternatively, contact us and we can check for you. The connection type is determined by the infrastructure installed at your address, not your internet plan or provider.

You cannot choose your NBN connection type as it is determined by the infrastructure at your address. However, NBN Co is upgrading 95% of FTTN connections to FTTP by 2030. If you need better performance now, business fibre bypasses the NBN network entirely with a dedicated connection.

If you are on FTTN, the copper wiring between the street node and your premises limits your actual speed regardless of your plan. On HFC, shared bandwidth causes peak-time slowdowns. Only FTTP consistently delivers speeds close to the plan you are paying for.

Yes. FTTP provides the most consistent speeds, the best upload performance, and the highest reliability of all NBN connection types. It uses fibre optic cable all the way to your premises with no copper involved. If your address has FTTP, you have the best possible NBN foundation.

FTTP runs fibre directly to your building for maximum performance. FTTN runs fibre only to a street cabinet, then uses existing copper wiring for the last stretch. The copper section is the weak link that limits speed and reliability. The ACCC data shows FTTN consistently underperforms FTTP.

Following NBN Co’s $750 million upgrade, fixed wireless now supports speeds up to 100-400Mbps, making it a viable option for businesses in regional areas. It is more reliable than mobile 5G because the antenna is fixed and aimed at the tower. Business-grade fixed wireless plans can include SLAs.

It depends on your timeline and how much your current connection is costing you in lost productivity. If the FTTP upgrade is imminent in your area, waiting may make sense. If your business needs reliable speeds now and the upgrade is years away, business fibre provides an immediate solution with symmetrical speeds and SLAs.

Yes. VoIP requires consistent upload speeds and low latency. FTTP handles VoIP well. FTTN can cause choppy calls if you are far from the node. HFC struggles during peak times when shared bandwidth reduces upload capacity. If VoIP quality is critical for your business, ensure your connection type can support it.

We can check your address and tell you exactly what NBN connection type you have, what speeds you should expect, and whether there are better options available. Get in touch for a straight answer.

Send Enquiry Form CALL US: 1300 293 266