What NBN Speed Tier Is the Best for My Household?

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 60% of managers and professionals work from home. With these numbers continually growing, choosing the right NBN speed tier has never been so important.

From working, streaming or simply connecting, it’s hard to know what suits your household for day-to-day usage. There are so many options, from basic speeds to high-performance plans, which can be overwhelming.

Would it help to see a breakdown of each NBN speed tier currently available in Australia? Let me help you work out what’s likely to suit your home or business best.

NBN 12 (Basic I)

This is the entry-level NBN tier, here’s some more key information on whether this is the right one for you: 

• Typical evening speed is up to 12 Mbps download / 1 Mbps upload.
• Good for light browsing, emails, and occasional streaming on one device.
• Often used by low-data users or single-person households.
• It’s the closest equivalent to old ADSL speeds, so it’s not ideal for homes with multiple users or for video streaming in HD.
• NBN 12 has become relatively rare as most providers now start their plans from the next tier up.

NBN 25 (Basic II)

NBN 25 is a step up from the last one. Let’s have a look at whether this could be the best for you:

• Typical evening speed is up to 25 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload
• Good for small households, video streaming in HD, casual browsing
• Offers a decent internet experience for 1–2 people using a few devices.
• You can comfortably browse the web, stream Netflix in HD, and run smart home devices.
• It may still struggle if multiple people are trying to stream or work from home at the same time.

NBN 50 (Standard)

As the most popular NBN speed tier in Australia, it’s a good all-rounder. Let’s have a look more into it: 

• Typical evening speed is up to 50 Mbps download / 20 Mbps upload (upload speed may vary by provider).
• Good for families, remote work, HD streaming on multiple devices.
• NBN 50 supports everyday internet use for households with 3 to 4 users.
• It allows for smooth video calls, multiple HD streams, online gaming, and reliable smart device connectivity.
• It strikes a balance between performance and price for most homes.

NBN 100 (Fast)

You might have been using NBN 50, and then started working as a creative, or started gaming, or similar. It’s completely normal to upgrade the speed based on your change of lifestyle, and this speed tier gives you that extra bit of power. 

• Typical evening speed is up to 100 Mbps download / 20–40 Mbps upload.
• Good for larger households, heavy streamers, regular file sharing or large uploads.
• NBN 100 is a high-speed option for people who want a smoother, faster internet experience.
• It’s great for households with multiple users streaming in 4K, online gaming, or uploading large files to the cloud.
• Some providers offer NBN 100/20, while others provide 100/40 upload speeds.
• Especially helpful if you work from home, upload videos, or run a business online.

NBN 250 (Superfast) and NBN 1000 (Ultrafast)

Are you a business owner? Or do you just have a busy household? No matter what the needs are, from multiple devices for the family or a small office for your team, this speed tier copes with these requirements. 

Typical evening speeds include:

• NBN 250 is up to 250 Mbps download / 25 Mbps upload.
• NBN 1000 is up to 1000 Mbps (1 Gbps) download / 50 Mbps upload.

Good for tech enthusiasts, busy households, creators, small offices.

These premium tiers are only available to customers on Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) and some HFC connections. 

While they might be overkill for the average household, they’re a strong option for homes with many connected devices or anyone who needs serious speed, like video editors, streamers, or professionals handling large data uploads.

Speed vs performance

The speed tier is only part of the story, and actual performance can vary depending on the following factors:

• Your modem
• Internal Wi-Fi setup
• Your provider's network quality
• How congested the network is during peak hours (usually between 7pm and 11pm).

As a tip, definitely look for companies that advertise their typical evening speed, as this gives a clearer picture of what you can expect during busy times.

So, which NBN speed tier do you need?

To make things easier, I’ve broken it down into a simplified guide for your specific lifestyle and day-to-day requirements. So, which applies to you?

I live alone

If your internet use is minimal and you’re just browsing the web, then NBN 25 could be enough.

I have a small family 

If you just have a few devices within the household, then NBN 50 offers great value and performance.

I work from home

For work purposes, you need the connection to be extra reliable.  In this case, NBN 100 or higher would be the best for this. 

I stream in 4K and share big files

Similarly to the above, go for NBN 100 or higher.

I run a business

If you want the fastest speed possible, look at NBN 250 or NBN 1000 (if your connection supports it).

Whether you’re a casual browser, or an enthusiastic gamer that needs top speeds, there’s a tier to suit your needs. There’s nothing more frustrating than internet speeds not matching your daily digital requirements. So, it’s important you know the best ones for you! 

Browse Swoop NBN plans to see what tier suits you the best to make sure that you’re getting the most out of your internet package.

Key takeaways

• NBN 50 is the most popular tier in Australia and it is perfect for families and remote work.
• NBN 100 gives you the reliability if you are working from home or need a fast connection for work purposes, or just streaming and gaming.
• NBN 250 or higher is the best for businesses and sharing big files.

Marshall Thurlow is Director and Founder of Orion Marketing Pty Ltd. He is a digital marketer with expertise in SEO, website design, content marketing, and project management.