Country takes on city with access to world-leading broadband
nbn rolls out upgrade to Fixed Wireless service.
More than half a million homes and businesses in regional and rural Australia will have access to world-leading Fixed Wireless broadband by 2020 following a recent upgrade to nbn™ Fixed Wireless service.
The Fixed Wireless network is designed to offer access to wholesale speeds up to 25-50Mbps download and 5-20Mbps upload.
Research conducted by global research company Ovum showed Australians connected to nbn™ Fixed Wireless experienced faster Internet speeds and access to much higher data allowances than comparable services currently available elsewhere in the world.
What is a Fixed Wireless connection?
The nbn™ Fixed Wireless uses technology commonly referred to as LTE or 4G to deliver broadband services to a fixed number of premises within each network area.
This means the bandwidth per household is designed to deliver access to a reliable and efficient service to people who have likely had a slow or irregular connection.
How does nbn™'s new Fixed Wireless speeds compare with everyday online tasks using ADSL?
Twenty-five to 50Mbps download and five to 20Mbps upload speed tier is the top wholesale speed tier currently offered on nbn™ Fixed Wireless. Here are the ways in which the service will streamline online experiences¹ ²:
| Task | Time taken using the new nbn Fixed Wireless service |
|---|---|
| 1. Downloading a 10 minute lecture from YouTube | 12 seconds |
| 2. Downloading a 2 hour podcast | 3 mins 12 seconds |
| 3. Downloading a 2 hour HD movie | 16 mins |
| 4. Uploading a 2GB document to the cloud | 13 mins 20 seconds |
Who will get it?
nbn is working to bring new fast broadband services to areas where there is often limited connectivity.
The new service will allow retail service providers to offer Fixed Wireless to regional and rural areas across the country including Bendigo, Victoria; Mackay, Queensland; Stirling, WA; and Wagga, NSW.
Across Australia, around 300,000 homes and businesses in regional Australia can already connect to Fixed Wireless and enjoy the benefits of access to wholesale speeds of up to 50/20 speeds, with more than 600,000 planned to be able to connect by 2020.
Why do we need it?
The Fixed Wireless network is designed to offer wholesale speeds up to 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload. The Fixed Wireless service transmits signals to and from a small high-gain antenna fixed on the premises; this is designed to enable reliable, consistent internet speeds for people in regional and rural areas.
Accessing fast internet will be made easier, whether it’s to help improve a home business, access to remote education materials or improving entertainment services.
How do I connect to Fixed Wireless?
nbn is a wholesale provider, so once Fixed Wireless becomes available, you will need to contact a retail service provider in order to set up the service.
Before the network equipment is installed, a service validation test will be carried out and once confirmed, the installation will be completed in the same appointment with the nbn™ supplied equipment.
This Fixed Wireless upgrade is designed to help Australians reap the many benefits of fast internet for business, education or entertainment.
References:
*Ovum, Fixed Wireless Broadband: A Global Comparison
Speed test example:
1. Based on a 10-minute YouTube video – running at 720p – would constitute a file size of around 75MB.
2. A two-hour podcast with 128Kbps bitrate contains 120MB of data.
3. A two hour HD Netflix movie contains 6GB of data.
Example is based on average Australian ADSL speed of 13Mbps down and 533kbps up.
² Your experience including the speeds actually achieved over the nbn™ network depends on the technology over which services are delivered to your premises and some factors outside our control like your equipment quality, software, broadband plans and how your service provider designs its network.
Last updated on 20 March 2018