As NBN Co upgrades its network technologies and momentum builds on its national investment in high-speed fibre, new research has found that world-class broadband delivered via the nbn® network is helping uplift the wellbeing and productivity of people across Australia. 

The research report by Ember Advisors¹, which was commissioned by NBN Co, found that 77 per cent of nbn users surveyed reported having the nbn network at home had a positive impact on their satisfaction with life in FY25.

This is the third year nbn has commissioned the report into the social benefits of digital inclusion. Higher speed benefits experienced over that time include:

• A 9 per cent increase in nbn users surveyed who used their home internet for telehealth to 43 per cent in FY25 (up from 34 per cent in FY23)
• A 9 per cent increase in nbn users surveyed who studied from home to 21 per cent (up from 12 per cent in FY23)
• A 7 per cent increase in nbn users surveyed who worked from home at least once day a week to 38 per cent in FY25 (up from 31 per cent in FY23)
• A 3 per cent increase in nbn users surveyed who connected with family or friends via their home internet to 91 per cent in FY25 (up from 88 per cent in FY23)

Key benefits of high-speed broadband over the past 12 months

• 38 per cent of surveyed nbn users worked from home at least one day a week via their internet connection – an increase of two per cent on the previous 12 months. And of those, 53 per cent reported being more productive at work and therefore more successful
• 48 per cent of nbn users who engaged in formal education via the nbn network reported that reduced travel time and flexible learning from studying online allowed them to do more paid work, leisure or study.
• 46 per cent of nbn users surveyed reported they were able to access courses - an increase of two per cent on the previous reporting period
• 47 per cent of those people reported they were able to see a health professional or access a health service more regularly and/or quickly as telehealth is more convenient for them
• 72 per cent of nbn users who connect with friends and family via the nbn network felt more connected to friends and family as a result. 

The Social Impact of the nbn network FY25 insights report, which examines employment and income, education and skills, health, the environment and social and community connectedness, asked respondents about their experience over the previous 12 months until November 2025.

The survey found that nbn customers are increasingly likely to use their home internet to work, study or access telehealth services.

Launched in September 2025, NBN Co’s Accelerate Great initiative has delivered faster speeds to many nbn customers. This has been followed by an improvement in the Ookla global broadband speed rankings at the end of December 2025².

Ookla reported a median download speed of 164.98 Mbps at the end of December 2025, up from 94.89 Mbps in August 2025. The jump followed NBN Co’s mid-September uplift that increased the speed of its 100 Mbps plan to 500 Mbps. Australia’s global ranking in Ookla’s Speedtest Global Index rose from 61st place in August to 41 in December 2025.

By 31 December 2025, 41 per cent of customers were on wholesale 100 Mbps download plans or above (up from 28 per cent in December 2024), 31 per cent were on wholesale 500 Mbps download plans or above (up from 3 per cent at December 2024).

NBN Co’s own research shows that Queenslanders had the highest average data download per user for the third consecutive year at 542 gigabytes (GB) in June 2025, while Tasmania had the lowest usage for the fourth year at 447 (GB).

Since then, average monthly data download per customer across all technologies nationally has increased to 557 GB, a 13 per cent year-on-year increase.

More than 10 million premises across Australia are eligible to order³ multi‑gigabit speeds, meaning 90 per cent of premises on the fixed-line network are eligible for the fastest residential wholesale speed tiers available.

Ember Advisors, who conducted the survey on behalf of NBN Co, found that nbn network enabled connectivity continues to have a positive impact on user wellbeing in FY25, with reported benefits higher than FY24. These include:

• Employment and income: 80 per cent of nbn users surveyed who worked from home or used job search platforms reported the nbn network positively impacted their employment outcomes
• Education and skills: 87 per cent of nbn users who engaged in education from home via the nbn network felt it positively impacted their education outcomes
• Health: 79 per cent of nbn users who accessed telehealth or medical information online reported that the access enabled by the nbn network positively impacted their health outcomes
• Social and community connection: 77 per cent of nbn users who connected with others or accessed news or information online reported the nbn network positively impacted their connectedness
• Environment: 75 per cent of nbn users who work, study, access health or other services online reported that the nbn network helped them to reduce their carbon emissions.

Low-income households

The survey found the nbn network is enabling positive impacts for low-income households, with 73 per cent reporting positive impacts on their satisfaction with life in FY25. 

Other benefits for low-income households in FY25 include 87 per cent who engage in formal or informal education from home, reporting the nbn network had positive impacts on their education outcomes.

76 per cent of low income nbn users who accessed telehealth or online medical information and 74 per cent who connected with family, friends or others online via the nbn network, reported positive outcomes. 

First Nations communities

The survey found that 81 per cent of First Nations people with the nbn network at home reported it having a positive impact on their satisfaction with life.

First Nations nbn users also reported education and skills benefits, with 87 per cent who engage in formal or informal education from home reporting the nbn network had positively impacted their education outcomes in FY25.

First Nations nbn users also reported other benefits, including 82 per cent who worked from home or used job search platforms reported positive impacts on employment outcomes. And 79 per cent who connected with family, friends and others or access news or community information via the nbn network reporting it positively impacted their social and community connectedness.

Travel benefits

Many nbn users were able to avoid travel as a result of studying, working and accessing health services from home.

On average, nbn users avoided 4.6 hours⁴ of travel per week through studying from home via the nbn network. 

On average, nbn users avoided 4.3 hours⁴ of travel per week through working from home via the nbn network. 

On average, nbn users avoided 5.8 hours⁴ of travel per month by accessing telehealth services via the nbn network. 

Smart energy appliances

nbn connectivity was used by 34 per cent of nbn users to connect a smart energy appliance. Of these, 19 per cent were air conditioners, 21 per cent rooftop solar systems, nine per cent were electric vehicle chargers and 13 per cent were home battery systems. There was a steady increase in smart energy appliance use in all categories compared to the previous 12 months.

The research comes as more than 10 million premises across Australia are capable of achieving near‑gigabit and multi‑gigabit speeds, meaning 90 per cent of premises on the fixed-line network are eligible for the fastest residential wholesale speed tiers available.

Stephen Smith, EGM Safety, Wellbeing and Sustainability at NBN Co, said: 

The nbn network supports the needs of over 20 million people every day and carries over 80 per cent of the nation’s data.

Our ongoing network investments are increasing the capacity and reliability of the nbn network with faster speeds helping support people with better outcomes in employment, education, health and wellbeing outcomes across Australia.

This is the third consecutive year we’ve examined the social benefits of digital inclusion, and over that time, people have reported higher satisfaction with life as faster internet has become more widely available.

This report shows how continued improvements to the nbn network are helping Australians stay connected, access essential services and participate fully in the digital economy.

Footnotes

1. Research commissioned by nbn.
2. Speedtest Global Index – Internet Speed around the world – Speedtest Global Index
3. Service availability including timing will depend on phone and internet providers offering nbn® Hyperfast and is subject to service qualification and only available where network capacity and equipment permits.
4. To estimate average hours avoided, each response bucket was represented by the midpoint of its upper and lower limits. Midpoint values were then used to calculate the overall average.

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