The NBN isn't a single uniform technology — it's a collection of different connection methods deployed across Australia depending on what infrastructure existed in each area when the rollout was planned. FTTP, FTTC, FTTN, HFC, Fixed Wireless — these acronyms describe meaningfully different ways of getting internet into your building, each with different speed capabilities and different performance characteristics. Knowing which one serves your premises helps you understand what speed plans are actually available to you, and whether you might benefit from an upgrade.
Why your connection type matters
The connection type at your premises determines your maximum available speeds — regardless of what plan you're on. Signing up for an NBN 1000 plan when your premises is on FTTN won't deliver anything close to gigabit speeds in practice, because the copper segment between the street node and your building is the limiting factor. Understanding the technology is the first step to understanding what performance is actually achievable at your address.
FTTP — Fibre to the Premises
FTTP is the premium option and the one that NBN Co is progressively expanding to. With FTTP, a fibre optic cable runs all the way from the NBN network into your building. A small connection device called an ONT (Optical Network Terminal) is installed on an interior wall — about the size of a smoke detector — and your router connects to it.
Because the connection from end to end is fibre optic cable, FTTP delivers the best possible performance: low latency, consistent speeds unaffected by distance or cable condition, and support for the highest speed tiers including NBN 1000 and NBN 2000. There's no copper segment to introduce variability or degradation. FTTP is what every other NBN connection type is trying to approach, and it's the reason NBN Co's upgrade program is specifically focused on converting FTTN premises to FTTP.
Caznet supports FTTP across all Business and Standard NBN plans. If your premises is eligible for a free FTTP upgrade, our FTTP upgrade page explains the process in detail.
HFC — Hybrid Fibre Coaxial
HFC connections use fibre optic cable from the NBN network to a distribution point in your street, then switch to existing pay-TV coaxial cable for the final run into your building. The coaxial cable segment is shared among premises in the immediate area — similar to how cable TV worked — which means your connection competes with neighbouring premises for capacity on that shared segment.
In most cases this doesn't create significant problems, but it can contribute to performance variation during peak usage periods, particularly in high-density areas. Reliability is generally good, and HFC supports high NBN speed tiers including NBN 1000 and NBN 2000. The coaxial connection plugs into an NTD (Network Termination Device) on your wall, which your router then connects to.
HFC customers in some areas are eligible for FTTP upgrades as NBN Co's infrastructure program progresses.
FTTC — Fibre to the Curb
FTTC is a middle-ground technology that came later in the NBN rollout. Fibre runs to a small connection device (a DPU, Distribution Point Unit) sitting in the pit or utility box immediately outside your building — right at the curb. A very short copper segment, often just a few metres, then completes the connection from that device into your building using the existing phone wiring.
Because the copper run is so short, the degradation that copper normally introduces over distance is minimal. FTTC can deliver speeds up to 100 Mbps download / 40 Mbps upload, and real-world performance is generally much closer to the theoretical maximum than FTTN. FTTC is eligible for FTTP upgrades where NBN Co has scheduled the upgrade program for your area.
FTTN — Fibre to the Node
FTTN was the most widely deployed NBN technology in the early rollout, and it's the one with the most room for improvement. With FTTN, fibre runs to a green street cabinet (the "node") that's typically somewhere on your street or nearby. From the node, existing copper telephone wiring completes the connection to your building — and that copper segment can be anywhere from 100 metres to over a kilometre depending on your location relative to the node.
This copper distance is where FTTN's limitations originate. Signal quality degrades with distance, cable age, and external interference. Real-world speeds are often significantly lower than the theoretical maximum of 100 Mbps download / 40 Mbps upload — and in some cases, premises far from their node struggle to access even modest speed tiers reliably.
FTTN customers have the most to gain from an FTTP upgrade. Converting from FTTN to FTTP eliminates the copper segment entirely and unlocks speed tiers that simply aren't possible on the existing infrastructure. Our FTTP upgrade page covers who's eligible and what the process involves.
Fixed Wireless
NBN Fixed Wireless uses radio signals rather than physical cables. A technician installs an antenna on the roof of your building, and it communicates with a nearby NBN tower to deliver internet service. The signal travels through the air rather than along cable infrastructure.
Fixed Wireless is available in areas where running cable infrastructure wasn't economically viable — typically rural and semi-rural locations beyond the suburban fringe. For Adelaide metropolitan businesses, it's rarely relevant. Where it is used, speeds are lower than cable-based technologies — most premises can access up to 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload, though older towers may deliver less, and performance varies with weather, tower congestion, and distance.
For rural Adelaide businesses or operations at regional sites where wired infrastructure doesn't reach, Fixed Wireless may be the best available option. For suburban and CBD premises with cable NBN access, it isn't the right choice.
How to find out which type you have
The fastest way is to call us with your address — we can look it up in under two minutes. If you want to check yourself, look at the connection device on your wall. An ONT device (usually white, with optical indicator lights) means FTTP. An NTD with a round coaxial port alongside the data port indicates HFC. A device with standard DSL ports (similar to an ADSL modem socket) is FTTN or FTTC — and if there's a pit device just outside the building, it's likely FTTC.
Knowing your connection type is the foundation for making sensible decisions about your internet service — what business NBN plans are actually available to you, whether a free FTTP upgrade is worth pursuing, and what performance you can reasonably expect. Call our team and we can confirm everything in one quick conversation.