Business nbn® plans and small business internet explained

Business nbn® vs residential nbn®

Business and residential plans run on the same nbn® network. The difference is the service wrapped around it. Things like how fast business internet faults get fixed, who answers when you call and what comes included in the package should all be considered.

Source: NBN Co (2026a), Aussie Broadband (2023).

Small business internet: When a residential plan is enough

A residential nbn® plan is enough if a few hours offline is an inconvenience, not a lost day of sales. You'd be in good company: 83% of small businesses rely on consumer nbn® plans for daily operations (NBN Co 2026d). Of the 2.8 million actively trading businesses in Australia, more than 1.8 million don't employ anyone (ABS 2026).

A residential internet for business plan usually suits you if:

• You're a sole trader or freelancer working from home
• Your work is email, browsing, video calls and cloud apps
• You can hotspot from your phone if the connection drops for an hour
• Nothing on your network needs to be reached from outside

You need a business plan if:

• You need a guaranteed fault repair time
• Several staff rely on the connection to trade all day
• You run a server, remote desktop or security cameras that need a static IP

If that's you, a residential plan isn't the right fit. We don't sell business plans, so you'll need to go to a business provider directly.

Working from home for an employer? That's a residential plan job. Our guide to internet speed for remote work covers what video calls and cloud apps need.

Business nbn® speeds for your team

Choose your speed by how many people work online at once and how much you upload. A third of small businesses don't know their current speed (NBN Co 2026d), so check what your plan can include first.

Upload speed matters more for a business than for most homes. Cloud backups, sending large files and video conferencing all push data out, and nbn® 50 uploads at up to 20 Mbps. Since September 2025, nbn® 1000 uploads at up to 100 Mbps and the new nbn® 2000 tier at up to 200 Mbps on FTTP (NBN Co 2024).

Start with nbn® 50 plans for sole traders, step up to nbn® 500 plans for a busy office, or go to nbn® 1000 plans for heavy uploads. Not sure? Our guide on what nbn® speed you need breaks it down by use.

On FTTN or FTTC, nbn® 100 is the ceiling until your line moves to fibre. That upgrade is now compulsory. Providers will contact eligible premises from 1 July 2027, copper services start switching off from January 2028, and you no longer need a faster plan to qualify. 

NBN Co expects more than 99% of remaining FTTN premises to get fibre by December 2030 (NBN Co 2026c). FTTB buildings aren't part of the program. Check if your business address can get a free fibre upgrade and get ahead of the timeline.

Small business internet plans we can set up

We can set your small business up on a residential nbn® plan from any of the providers we compare: Aussie Broadband, Superloop, Optus, Dodo, Tangerine, More Telecom and iPrimus.

Before you sign up, we'll confirm three things with you:

• The plan is a residential plan, sold for residential use
• Business-grade extras like repair targets and priority support don't apply
• The speed suits how many people work online at your address

You can compare Aussie Broadband nbn® plans, see Superloop's nbn® plans or check Optus nbn® plans side by side with the other providers at your address.

Weighing up a Telstra plan for your business? Call us on 1300 764 000 and we'll show you the residential alternatives at your address.

Static IP, eSLA and backup explained

These extras come with business plans, which we don't sell. Here's what each one does, so you can tell if you need one.

• Static IP address. A fixed internet address that doesn't change. You need one to reach a server, remote desktop, VPN or security cameras from outside the office. Some residential plans offer one as an add-on (Aussie Broadband 2023).
• eSLA (enhanced service level agreement). A fault repair target. Business nbn® Service Pro aims to fix faults within 4 hours and Essentials within 12 hours, in urban areas (NBN Co 2026a).
• 4G backup. Some business plans switch your modem to the mobile network if the nbn® drops.
• Priority support. A business queue, longer hours or 24/7 help, depending on the provider.

nbn® Business Fibre Zones and Enterprise Ethernet

Need fibre built to a larger site? NBN Co runs 322 Business Fibre Zones, including 142 regional centres, where providers can order Enterprise Ethernet with no upfront build costs (NBN Co 2026b).

Enterprise Ethernet offers symmetrical speeds, so upload matches download (Aussie Broadband 2023). It's sold through business providers, and most small businesses won't need it.

How to compare plans for your small business

Start with your address, then check a residential plan will do the job.

1. Enter your address in our nbn® plan comparison to see your connection type and the plans available.
2. Use the checklist above. If you need business extras, a residential plan isn't the right fit.
3. Pick a speed by how many people work online at once and how much you upload.
4. Compare the full monthly cost after any intro offer ends.
5. When you sign up, we'll confirm the plan is a residential plan, for residential use.

Already on a plan? Here's how to switch nbn® providers without a gap in service.

Comparing is free. Prices are the same as going direct to the provider, and there are no mark-ups or additional fees. Prefer to talk it through? Call us on 1300 764 000.

Hayley Griffin Content Lead Hayley draws on over ten years of experience in technology, internet, and communications fields. Her experience spans across global clients, offering expertise on about the nbn, internet plans and hardware challenges facing Australian households, businesses and consumers. Read full bio

References

• ABS (2026) 'Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, July 2022 to June 2026', Australian Bureau of Statistics.
• Aussie Broadband (2023) 'Business internet vs home internet: what's right for you?', Aussie Broadband.
• NBN Co (2024) 'nbn to accelerate higher speed tiers and launch multi-gigabit speeds in 2025', NBN Co.
• NBN Co (2026a) 'Business Service', NBN Co.
• NBN Co (2026b) 'Business Fibre Initiative', NBN Co.
• NBN Co (2026c) 'More Australian homes and businesses to benefit from full-fibre upgrades', 3 September 2026, NBN Co.
• NBN Co (2026d) 'Small business revolution possible as digital demands skyrocket', 8 September 2026, NBN Co.
• TIO (2025) 'Annual report reveals telco complaints remained steady, but mobile problems and financial stress rising', Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.