Gigabit internet (NBN 1000) plans in Australia

With multiple technologies and NBN 100 long being considered to be the top NBN speed – it is, after all, still called NBN Fast today – the prospect of gigabit internet (that's 100Mbps potential) in Australia may seem a long way off for most, but it’s closer today than it’s ever been.

In late 2019, NBN Co shifted things up for its wholesale offerings, launching the now standard 100/20Mbps speed tier (to replace the once ubiquitous 100/40Mbps), alongside Superfast 250/25Mbps and the ultimate 1000/50Mbps offering. What started off with a few NBN plans from Aussie Broadband and Superloop is now offered by most NBN providers, which makes for great competitive pricing on NBN 1000.

Before we get into it, here are the six most popular NBN 1000 (gigabit) plans right now:

If you're after NBN 1000, we're going to assume that speed is your first priority. That's why we've chosen Aussie Broadband's reliable Home Ultrafast Unlimited as our top pick. It's far from the cheapest option but it does promise some of the fastest typical evening download speeds and Aussie Broadband's award-winning customer care. It's also a no-contract month-to-month plan so cancelling won't cost you a cent if you decide it's not for you. 

See the table below for more of the fastest NBN 1000 plans available for comparison. 

Energy provider Origin has a powerful offering at the Ultrafast NBN tier. In fact, its 600Mbps typical evening speeds rival even that of Aussie Broadband. The one (big) downside is the cost of $154 per month. 

It's better value if you're already an Origin energy customer. Bundling with your energy bill will bring the price down to $144 per month. That's still steep, but a bit cheaper than Aussie Broadband's plan.

If you're looking to dips your toes in with Ultrafast NBN 1000Mbps but don't want to break the bank, MyRepublic currently has the best introductory deal available. Not only is the plan $99 per month for the first six months (and $109 every month after) but it also offers a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. So not only can you cancel within your first month, but you can cancel without paying anything at all (not even your first month's fee).

The downside is the typical evening speeds. MyRepublic only promises 350Mbps typical evening speeds, which is almost half of what Aussie Broadband and Origin NBN offer. The fact is, you're likely to get a lot more than that but the slower average speeds do speak to the provider's overall performance.

Take a look at some of the cheapest NBN 1000 plans to compare more typical evening speeds.

Like MyRepublic, Southern Phone offers a cheaper way to experiment with NBN 1000 plans. That is, for the first six months at least. After that, the monthly price goes from $105 per month to $135 per month, which equates to an additional $360 per year. Southern Phone also doesn't offer any estimates on typical evening speeds at the time of writing. While you can expect Southern will target 1000Mbps like every other provider, it's still a bit concerning they've taken so long to get on the same page as the rest of the industry.

With that said, the provider does offer decent mobile plans too, which is a benefit for those looking to keep all their services on one bill. 

For a lot of Australians, upload speeds are just as important as download speeds. But strangely enough, Ultrafast NBN 1000 plans don't actually offer the best and fastest upload speeds in Australia. They all target around 50Mbps upload speeds. But there are a few plans that offer better uploads for those working from home, like Aussie Broadband. 

Aussie's Build-Your-Own 250/100 plan isn't an Ultrafast NBN 1000 plan but it does offer faster uploads than any Ultrafast plan, targeting 100MBps for upload speeds (and 244Mbps typical evening speeds for downloads).

But there's a steep price to pay for better uploads. Aussie Broadband's Build-Your-Own 250/100 NBN plan currently shakes out at $209 per month; which makes it one of the most expensive NBN plans on the market. 

NBN 1000 plans are only available for customers with select connection types. All FTTP addresses can get NBN 1000, and 95% of HFC addresses can. If you're not familiar with what technology type you have, you can check on the NBN website.

If you're on FTTN or FTTC, NBN Co is currently in the middle of rolling out a program that will allow you to upgrade to FTTP for free. 

For FTTN customers, you'll simply need to order an NBN 100 plan or better once the upgrades are live in your area. For FTTC customers, you'll need to order an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan. You'll also need to stay on your need speed tier for at least a year.

The first of these upgrades are already happening, and NBN Co hopes to complete these by the end of 2023. 

But even if you're not on the FTTP upgrade map, 4G and 5G Home Wireless broadband plans have recently become a solid alternative to the NBN, with cheaper and more unlimited plans than ever before. Check the table below for a breakdown of some popular Home Wireless plans or head over to our hub for what to expect from 5G Home.