NBN Co is rolling out significant improvements to its broadband infrastructure. Starting in September, a new speed tier of NBN 2000 will be available, offering download speeds of up to 2,000 Mbps, double the previous maximum speed. This service will likely be priced around AU$150 to AU$200 monthly.

However, a notable change is the automatic upgrade of existing NBN 100 plans to NBN 500, which will boost current connections from 100 Mbps to 500 Mbps and upload speeds from 20 Mbps to 50 Mbps.

In a competitive move, Exetel has started offering NBN 500 plans at AU$80 a month, two months ahead of competitors. This plan replaces all other offerings, simplifying the signup process for customers. Those currently on NBN 100 should consider switching if they’re paying more than AU$80.

While the NBN 500 upgrade is advantageous, it requires either a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial connection. Customers on fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) cannot access speeds above 100 Mbps at present. The deployment of FTTP is increasing, and many may soon qualify for a free upgrade through NBN’s rollout program.