NBN speeds for some customers on Fixed Wireless Plus have seen a significant boost in the past six months, according to new research from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The Measuring Broadband Australia report found the average download speed for uplifted NBN Fixed Wireless Plus services was 96.7 Mbps across all hours in May 2024, compared to an average download speed of 58.6 Mbps for all NBN fixed wireless services in December 2023.
The ACCC found download speeds during the peak hours of 7 to 11pm on weeknights increased from 49.8 Mbps to 78.2 Mbps across the same comparison period.
Anna Brakey, ACCC commissioner, says the positive result comes on the back of extensive investment from NBN Co into its network infrastructure.
“Download speed performance has never been higher on NBN’s fixed line and fixed wireless networks,” she says in a statement.
“This improved performance is encouraging to see following NBN Co’s investments in its network and its recently simplified wholesale pricing.”
The report also found that the average download performance across all NBN fixed wireless services, including those with lower plan speeds, was “100.1 per cent of the maximum plan speed across all hours and 84.1 per cent during the busy hour.”
Or put more simply, all NBN fixed wireless services reached their advertised speeds during off peak hours, but only 84.1 per cent did during peak hours.
Underperformers a tiny minority
Underperforming NBN services – defined as services which rarely, if ever, reach 75 per cent of their advertised download speed – made up just four per cent of services tested, which is the lowest figure since the NBN began.
The highest proportion of underperforming NBN services was found on connections using the Fibre to the Node technology.
“We will continue to monitor underperforming services as they can have a big impact on consumers who rightly expect to receive the speeds they are paying for,” Ms Brakey says.
“We encourage consumers that are experiencing significant speed delays in their internet connection to contact their service provider and ask whether they can access an upgrade to a Fibre to the Premises connection at their address.”
Plans are working
NBN Co announced in November last year that they would be boosting the speed of existing Fixed Wireless Plus wholesale plan without lifting the wholesale price, and this research was undertaken to assess those boosted speeds.
To boost speeds, NBN Co introduced Wireless Network Terminating Devices (WNTDs) for new build houses and all upgrade work. WNTDs allow for much higher wireless data transfer speeds and NBN Co says this is reflected in their research.
The ACCC is currently determining whether it can add performance of satellite services, such as those provided by NBN Sky Muster and Starlink, to their speed monitoring program.
Do you have NBN Fixed Wireless at your place? What are your download speeds like? Let us know in the comments section below.
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