NBN probably just boosted your upload speeds

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Your NBN upload speeds might already be faster than they were a day or two ago, thanks to speed boosts from NBN Co. Originally planned for last month, most households should see their upload speeds increase by between 4% and 15%, largely depending on technology type and NBN plan speed tier. Some Fixed Wireless plans could receive as much as a 50% boost.

As a rule of thumb, you can expect the full 15% (or thereabouts) if you have an FTTP or HFC connection. To maintain network stability, the speed increases will be closer to 4% for premises with an FTTN or FTTB. For those with FTTC, it could go either way. Though it's worth noting many FTTN and FTTC households are eligible for a free FTTP upgrade, so this is as good a time as any to look into if you qualify.

As for satellite NBN users, don't expect to see any changes.

Historically, upload speeds have been a weak point for NBN plans. Where it's commonplace for NBN 500 plans to report the full 500Mbps for typical evening download speeds, it's been rare to find a similar story for uploads. Even NBN 50 plans, with their maximum upload speeds of just 20Mbps, have often reported around 17Mbps.

To help address this, NBN Co has increased the "overhead allowance" (OA) for upload speeds. Effectively, NBN Co is over-provisioning uploads as a way of hitting the originally intended speeds, as opposed to improving how well uploads perform over the network.

Here's a more in-depth look using data from internet provider Leaptel's website:

No matter what camp you find yourself in, you'll probably need to restart your router and possibly other NBN equipment (such as your NTD) for the new speeds to kick in. Don't forget to depower your equipment for a good 30 seconds to make sure the restart happens properly.

Why boost uploads?

As we become more reliant on online services for cloud storage, file transfer, and video streaming, among other things, demand for good upload speeds increases. And while this aspect of NBN plans rarely features prominently in advertising, the growing relevancy of uploads is already starting to filter into the public consciousness.

In its 2026 Community Engagement Report, which began collecting data as far back as 2024, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) specifically noted some focus group participants and other stakeholders recognised the increasing role upload speeds play when it comes to maintaining a useful and reliable internet connection.

But this recognition might still be in its early stages. According NBN Co's own report, published just a few days ago, 62% of fixed-line NBN customers don't understand the implications or importance of upload speed, while 44% don't even know what upload speed their NBN plan provides.

At the end of the day, whether you're in for a 4%, 15%, or 50% upload provision upgrade, you might as well reboot your NBN modem and WiFi router. It only takes a few minutes and it's a good idea to do from time to time, anyway. And this time you might end up with better upload speeds once all's said and done, to boot.

Alex Angove-Plumb

Digital Content Editor

Alex Angove-Plumb is a Digital Content Editor at WhistleOut and an award-winning journalist. He's been in the tech publishing industry since 2010, putting him a few short years away from the title of Grizzled Ancient in his chosen profession. He was an original WhistleOut-er before running NBN Co's corporate blog for two years, then moving on to a lengthy stint at CHOICE. Now he's come home.

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