ACT Fibre Upgrade: Faster, more reliable NBN hits 97,000 homes

Construction is officially underway on the biggest fibre upgrade ever delivered in the ACT, with around 97,000 homes and businesses set to gain access to faster and more reliable NBN.

The rollout, led by NBN Co, is part of a national Fibre to the Node (FTTN) upgrade program announced in January 2025. Backed by up to $3 billion from the Australian Government and more than $800 million from NBN, the program will upgrade around 622,000 premises across Australia from legacy copper to full fibre by 2030.

For the ACT, this marks a major step towards completing the Territory’s transition to a modern, future-ready fibre network.

What’s happening in the ACT?

Construction has begun in Narrabundah and Symonston, with works progressively rolling out across Canberra - from Mawson, Kambah and Calwell in the south to Campbell, Holt and Flynn in the north.

The upgrade will use a mix of new underground fibre and existing aerial infrastructure. Residents can expect civil works in local streets, road reserves and, in some cases, private property. NBN says it will work closely with ACT authorities and utilities to minimise disruption and communicate any temporary traffic or access changes in advance.

Once construction is complete in each area, households and businesses will need to speak to the team at Compare Broadband to get sorted with a full fibre plan.

Why this upgrade matters

Data use across the ACT is surging. The average household now downloads more than 513GB per month - up 28 per cent since 2022 - driven by streaming, remote work, online learning, gaming and connected devices.

Full fibre offers significant advantages over older copper-based connections:

• Greater reliability, especially during storms, floods and extreme weather
• Faster reconnection times if outages occur
• Access to much higher download and upload speeds
• Reduced ongoing maintenance compared to copper

Importantly, the upgrade will almost double the proportion of ACT premises eligible to order NBN’s top residential wholesale speed tiers of up to 2Gbps - increasing eligibility from around 50 per cent to more than 94 per cent.

For households, that means smoother streaming, clearer video calls and fewer slowdowns during peak periods. For businesses, faster upload speeds can improve productivity, support cloud services and enable more advanced digital tools.

Why now is the time to switch plans

As fibre becomes available in more ACT suburbs, many households will suddenly have access to faster speed tiers than ever before - often at competitive prices.

There are more than 150 retail providers offering NBN plans nationally, and competition in the market means better value for consumers willing to review their options.

If you’re currently on an older copper-based FTTN service, you may be paying for speeds your connection can’t consistently deliver. Moving to full fibre can unlock:

• Higher and more stable speeds
• Better performance during busy evening periods
• Improved reliability in extreme weather
• Greater long-term value as data needs continue to grow

With household data usage climbing rapidly and more devices connected than ever, reviewing your broadband plan now could future-proof your home or business for years to come.

What should ACT residents do next?

If works are happening in your suburb, keep an eye out for communications about construction timing and availability. Once your premises is eligible, you’ll need to place an order with a retail provider to activate a full fibre service.

Not sure whether you’re on the right plan - or what speeds you actually need?

Contact Compare Broadband on 1300 764 000 to check your eligibility, compare plans from leading providers and find a broadband option that suits your home or business.