We offer four types of home internet: nbn, Opticomm, 5G Home Internet and Satellite. If you're not sure about which one's best for your home, this article's for you.
Time well spent: a few minutes checking out your home internet choices means you'll end up with the right type for your household.
From nbn to Opticomm, easy-to-set-up 5G Home Internet to our Satellite Home Internet for remote areas, there’s an internet type to suit your home, where you live and how you use it. Let's start by checking what’s available at your address.
Check what type of home internet you can get
Nowadays, home internet comes in a few different shapes and sizes, and we love all of them. Whether it’s new tech, established tech, tech we don’t quite understand yet (we'll explain): we embrace it all. But getting the right one for you and your household is what matters most.
nbn is a well-established option and if you’re reading this article on a PC at home, chances are you’re using it. However private companies have also layed fibre in selected estates and new buildings (Opticomm is one of those, providing fibre to the premise connectivity).
5G Internet on the other hand, is fairly new in the home internet space with limited (but increasing) availability and capacity depending on where you live.
Satellite Home Internet provides a home phone and internet even in the most remote areas. Using low earth orbiting (LEO) satellites, low latency internet is now possible.
Figuring out which internet is right for your home depends on where you live. One of the best ways to find our, fast is to check your address by clicking on the link at the end of this section. If you’re only eligible for nbn, it will tell which type. You can learn about the 6 nbn types and speeds here.
It's an educated guess, but we suspect most of you are eligible for nbn and only some of you for 5G Home Internet at this time. That’s why we’ll explain nbn first and 5G second. If you'd like to jump straight to 5G, click, here.
Check what type of home internet you can get
This is your home’s wireless network. It lets you connect to the internet without plugging in a cable. The modem sends out the WiFi signal and the modem itself gets internet from either nbn or 5G, depending on your setup.
Internet → Modem → WiFi signal → Your devices
The internet connects computers worldwide, your modem brings that connection into your home from nbn or 5G, sends it out as a WiFi signal and your devices receive it.
A Wi-Fi signal has limited range, that’s why you can only use it locally. Go too far and you lose the signal. Next-gen modems like the Telstra Smart Modem 3 have stronger Wi-Fi signals, so they can reach more corners of your house.
When you enable a Wi-Fi hotspot on your phone or broadband device, you’re creating your own local mini network!
You’re already using a WLAN if you’re on WiFi. A LAN is the same thing, but with a cable (like ethernet). Think of ethernet as another kind of cord, like USB or HDMI.
The nbn (National Broadband Network) is a government rollout that began in 2011 to bring fast internet to Australia. It replaces the traditional copper phone network as the main way for people to access the internet. It's about faster speeds and no more dial-up tones (remember them?).
It's now in 9M premises, giving them access to Ultrafast speeds approaching 1Gbps via the full fibre and HFC components of the network. NBN Co aims to enable over 10M premises to access nbn Home Ultrafast plans by the end of 2025, representing up to 90% of the nbn fixed line network. To achieve this target, NBN Co has released details of 145,000 premises that will be eligible for NBN full fibre upgrades between now and the end of 2025.
This established internet technology has reliable download speeds that are less affected by weather, walls, ceilings or electro-magnetic interference, although you may still be affected if you use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. It comes in various plans based on the download/upload speeds your household needs and how many people use the internet at one time. This gives you more control over your monthly bills with plans to suit.
The nbn uses a mix of technologies to connect you to the internet. They include: optical fibre cables (or fibre optic cables), parts of the former copper telephone network and hybrid fibre coaxial cable used for pay TV (depending on your location).
A higher bandwidth intrenet allows for faster file downloads, makes streaming 4K movies and shows easier and means more people can use the internet at the same time. The nbn also delivers lower latency than mobile networks, meaning choices like Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) and some Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) have the lowest latency - important if you play online video games (like shooters, battle royales and MOBAs like CS:GO, Fortnite or DOTA).
Fibre to the Premise (FTTP) or some Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections support Home Internet Plans with the fastest speed and you can learn about the 6 nbn types and speeds here. As the nbn network improves, you may be elgible for upgrades to FTTP from if you ccurrently have an FTTC or FTTN connection.
Telstra’s Home Internet Plans are compatible with Opticomm, also via the Fibre to the Premise technology. Opticomm is a privately owned company with selected areas, which generally do not overlap coverage with the nbn.
5G Home Internet brings internet directly to your home using 5G mobile network technology. It's just a case of plugging in your modem and you're online. Availability can vary based on your location, so despite having 5G on your mobile device, it might not be accessible. for your home internet in your area.
Many Aussies already enjoy reliable home internet through our other Home Internet plans, but if you live remotely, a different connectivity solution - like our Satellite Home Internet is a great choice.
It uses innovative LEO satellites to provide high speed, low latency internet in even in the most remote places and wll even provide you with a home phone connection. Each Telstra Satellite Home Internet connection comes with a Telstra Smart Modem 3 included for use alongside a Starlink Standard Kit.
On a Premium, Ultimate or Ultrafast nbn plan with FTTP (fibre to the premise) or HFC (hybrid fibre coaxial)? You’ll automatically be upgraded in September! For other nbn plans and tech types, upgrade now.
