What is nbn Fixed Wireless.
nbn Fixed Wireless is designed to connect homes and businesses in regional, rural, and semi rural areas where a fixed line fibre connection may not be available.
Instead of running fibre all the way to the premises, nbn Fixed Wireless uses a radio connection between an outdoor antenna installed at the property and a nearby nbn Fixed Wireless tower. From there, traffic connects back into the wider nbn network.
For many country areas, this has been a major step forward. It gives regional customers access to more reliable internet than older copper, mobile broadband, or satellite style options may have provided in the past. It also gives regional homes, farms, and businesses a more practical way to work online, run cloud software, use video calls, process orders, access remote support, and stay connected.
A major upgrade for regional Australia.
nbn has completed a major Fixed Wireless and Satellite Upgrade Program. The program represented a 750 million dollar investment by nbn and the Australian Government and involved upgrades to more than 2300 towers.
The aim was to improve capacity, improve busy period performance, extend Fixed Wireless access to more locations, and introduce faster wholesale speed options for eligible customers.
This upgrade has been important for regional Australia. Better internet in country areas supports more than home entertainment. It helps commercial farmers use cloud based platforms, remote monitoring, online ordering, accounting systems, weather tools, and equipment support. It helps regional businesses use modern phone systems, online bookings, eftpos, video meetings, and customer management systems. It also supports industries such as mining, transport, construction, tourism, and agribusiness, where reliable connectivity can make a real operational difference.
The new Fixed Wireless speed options.
For a long time, many Fixed Wireless customers were mainly familiar with Fixed Wireless Plus. This service was previously known for potential download speeds that could reach around 70 Mbps or more under the right conditions.
Following the upgrade program, nbn increased the potential maximum wholesale speed of Fixed Wireless Plus to up to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload.
nbn also introduced newer high speed Fixed Wireless tiers for eligible upgraded locations.
Fixed Wireless Home Fast.
This tier is designed for eligible locations and offers potential maximum wholesale speeds of around 200 Mbps to 250 Mbps download and 8 Mbps to 20 Mbps upload.
Fixed Wireless Superfast.
This tier is designed for eligible locations and offers potential maximum wholesale speeds of up to 400 Mbps download and 10 Mbps to 40 Mbps upload.
These speeds are a major improvement for many regional customers. They can make a real difference when several people are online at the same time, when a business is using cloud systems, or when a farm or rural property needs stronger performance for daily operations.
What about burst speeds up to 600 Mbps.
One of the exciting parts of the upgraded Fixed Wireless network is that some services may achieve burst speeds above the standard plan speed when network conditions allow.
nbn notes that some Fixed Wireless services are overprovisioned. In simple terms, this means the service may be allowed to burst above the listed plan speed when there is enough spare network capacity and the local tower is not heavily utilised.
For Fixed Wireless Superfast, nbn has referred to possible layer 2 download rates of up to 600 Mbps when conditions allow.
This does not mean every customer will get 600 Mbps. It also does not mean 600 Mbps can be guaranteed. It simply means that, under the right network conditions, burst performance may sometimes exceed the normal wholesale speed tier.
Expected speed vs real speed.
The upgrade program is excellent news for regional Australia, but it is important to set the right expectation.
Fixed Wireless is a radio based network. That means the final speed at a property can be affected by factors that do not apply in the same way to fibre connected premises.
The expected speed is the speed range that may be possible for a plan under suitable conditions.
The real speed is what the customer actually achieves at their premises, after the antenna is installed, the service is connected, and speed testing is completed.
These two numbers are not always the same.
Why some Fixed Wireless customers may not reach the advertised speed range.
Not every property will achieve the top speed available on a Fixed Wireless plan. This can happen even when the tower has been upgraded and the customer is technically eligible for a higher speed tier.
Factors that can affect real world speed include the distance from the tower, the strength of the wireless signal, the angle and position of the outdoor antenna, trees or buildings between the premises and the tower, terrain, weather conditions, tower utilisation, local interference, customer router performance, internal wi fi performance, device limitations, and the number of people using the connection at the same time.
Peak period demand also matters. Speeds can be lower during busy periods when more users are active on the same tower.
These factors are part of the nature of radio style broadband networks. Some are outside the direct control of nbn. Some are outside the direct control of FibreMax. That is why FibreMax cannot guarantee that the highest expected speed will be achieved at every Fixed Wireless location.
How FibreMax helps customers get the best possible result.
FibreMax will always aim to help customers get the best possible result from their Fixed Wireless service.
Your account manager can check whether the high speed Fixed Wireless tiers are available at your location. If a higher speed tier is available, FibreMax can request the service modification with nbn and arrange the required equipment upgrade at no cost to the customer where applicable.
Once the nbn technician completes the installation and the service is connected, FibreMax will help confirm the final performance with speed testing.
If the achieved speed is strong enough for the higher speed tier, the service can remain aligned with that plan.
If the achieved speed is below what would make the higher tier worthwhile, FibreMax can realign the service to a more appropriate plan so the customer does not pay more for speed they are not actually receiving.
What customers should do during the nbn installation.
Customers should be involved when the nbn technician attends the property.
The outdoor antenna position is very important. A better mounting location can improve line of sight to the tower and may improve signal quality.
When the technician is on site, customers should ask where the best signal is being achieved, whether the antenna location has clear line of sight, whether trees or buildings may affect the connection, whether the antenna can be placed higher or in a better position, whether the signal readings look strong, whether any alternative mounting locations were tested, and whether the technician has confirmed the best available direction to the tower.
Customers should also make sure the internal equipment is installed in a practical location. The nbn connection should ideally feed into a quality router that is positioned to provide good coverage inside the premises. Poor internal wi fi can make a good Fixed Wireless connection look slow, even when the outdoor link is performing well.
How to test your Fixed Wireless speed properly.
To get an accurate result, speed tests should be done in the right way.
Use a computer connected by ethernet cable directly to the router where possible. Avoid testing only over wi fi, because wi fi can be affected by distance, walls, interference, and older devices.
Close unnecessary apps and downloads before testing. Make sure no one else is streaming, gaming, uploading files, or using cloud backups during the test. Run several tests at different times of the day, including outside busy hours and during the evening busy period.
Record the results and share them with FibreMax if performance appears lower than expected.
What happens if the service underperforms.
If your Fixed Wireless service is not performing as expected, contact FibreMax.
FibreMax will help review the service, request the required speed tests, check the likely cause, and escalate underperforming services with nbn where appropriate.
We have extensive experience working with nbn, technicians, provisioning teams, and performance related cases. Our team will do everything reasonably possible to help identify the issue and improve the result.
In some cases, optimisation or escalation may improve the service. In other cases, the radio conditions at the premises may limit what can realistically be achieved.
Where the final achieved speed does not support the value of a higher speed plan, the practical solution may be to move the service to a lower tier so the customer does not pay extra for performance that cannot be achieved at that location.
A fair and practical approach.
The new nbn Fixed Wireless high speed tiers are a major improvement for many regional customers. They create new opportunities for households, farms, local businesses, and regional industries that need better connectivity.
However, Fixed Wireless is not the same as fibre. It depends on radio conditions, tower capacity, signal quality, equipment placement, and the unique characteristics of each location.
FibreMax will always help customers check availability, manage the upgrade process, confirm real world performance, and escalate issues where required. We will also help customers choose the most appropriate plan based on the speed actually achieved.
Your account manager is here to help. If you are using nbn Fixed Wireless and want to check whether a high speed tier is available at your address, reach out to FibreMax and we will guide you through the process.