Australian Online Habits Transform in 2025 with Surging Speeds and Data Consumption, NBN Co Reports

Australia's Digital Landscape Undergoes Significant Evolution in 2025

NBN Co has reported a transformative year for Australian online habits in 2025, characterized by substantial increases in both internet speeds and data consumption across the nation. The findings highlight a growing reliance on high-speed broadband for various activities, from entertainment to remote work.

According to NBN Co's reports, average monthly data downloads per premises surged by more than 10 per cent, climbing from 460 GB in June 2024 to 508 GB in June 2025. For premises connected via Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), this increase was even more pronounced, with average monthly downloads rising by 13 per cent to 606 GB. Upload volumes also saw significant growth, increasing by 12 per cent during 2025.

Accelerated Speeds and Network Upgrades Drive Usage

A major catalyst for these evolving habits was NBN Co's strategic upgrades to its network and the acceleration of wholesale speed tiers. From September 14, 2025, the company dramatically increased wholesale download and upload speeds for its three highest residential products: NBN Home Fast, Home Superfast, and Home Ultrafast.

• The NBN Home Fast plan saw its download speed quintupled, moving from 100/20 Mbps to 500/50 Mbps.
• The Home Superfast plan's download speed tripled, increasing from 250/25 Mbps to 750/50 Mbps.
• The Home Ultrafast tier was boosted from 500-1000/50 Mbps to approximately 1000/100 Mbps.

Additionally, NBN Co introduced a new 2 Gigabits per second (Gbps) 'Hyperfast' tier for eligible FTTP and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections. These upgrades, which incurred no additional wholesale cost, were made available to internet retailers to pass on to customers.

Ellie Sweeney, CEO of NBN Co, stated that these results demonstrate the effectiveness of their strategy to upgrade the network to full fibre and other leading technologies, benefiting customers, businesses, and the nation. By the end of December 2025, NBN Co is on track to complete its initial five-year Fibre Connect program, making over 10 million premises, or 90 per cent of the fixed-line network, eligible for near gigabit and multi-gigabit wholesale speeds.

Streaming and Remote Work Shape Data Demands

The surge in data consumption is largely attributed to the increasing popularity of streaming video services and the continued prevalence of remote work. Streaming video is projected to account for nearly half (48 per cent) of all data downloaded on the NBN network by 2026, with a further increase to 59 per cent by 2035. Communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom continued to dominate upload traffic, representing 24 per cent of all uploads during 2025.

The average Australian household now downloads eight times more data than a decade ago, a figure projected to double again within the next seven to eight years. Uploads are expected to double even sooner, within the next four years. This trend underscores the growing demand for robust and reliable internet connectivity to support modern digital lifestyles.