Future plans for the National Broadband Network (NBN) are anything but certain — the only way to be sure you’ll gain access to a fast fibre connection is to move to a location where it already exists. Here are 10 suggestions for places that might be worth the journey.
The reality for the NBN right now is that there are no firm commitments as to when future developments will happen, and no certainty as to what sort of technology mix will be used. Whatever your views on the politics of how this happened, its practical impact is simple: the only certain way to know you’ll have access to fibre broadband is to be living in one of the locations where it has already rolled out.
We’ve highlighted 10 of the most attractive choices below. If you were planning a move, you’d still need to check specific addresses on the NBN rollout map — all of these locations have live sites, but many also have proposed builds close by. If you have additional suggestions, share them in the comments.
10. Armidale, NSW
Armidale was the first mainland location to switch on the NBN. An attractive university town in the New England region, there’s only one obvious downside: the winters are cold. (Believe me: I lived there for 20 years.) Picture: denisbin
9. Kiama, NSW
Another early NBN site, Kiama offers the attraction of coastal living while also being only two hours from Sydney (by train or car). Picture: Gonzo Carles
8. Canberra, ACT
Canberra jokes are common and inevitable given its chief role as the seat of Federal Parliament, but there are many worse places to live in Australia (property values are growing rapidly, for one thing). Transport connections are excellent and it’s a great place to live if you own a bike. Like Armidale, though, winters are icy. Picture: enjosmith
7. Hobart, TAS
Tasmania has a more diverse range of locations where the NBN is available than any other state, but we’re going to put our hands up for urban living and suggest the state capital as an obvious choice. That said, nothing is that far away by car when you live in Tassie. Picture: Andrew Braithwaite
6. Brunswick, VIC
The first urban location to see an NBN rollout, this is the obvious broadband choice for the committed hipster. There’s even an NBN cafe if you want to try before you move.
5. Coffs Harbour, NSW
If you ache to combine high-speed surfing with actual surfing, Coffs is the place to be. Also: the Big Banana, still the most iconic of Australia’s many Big Things. Picture: Jenny Mealing
4. Darwin, NT
Top End at top speed? Sounds good to us. Crocodiles might prove a challenge, but the NT News will keep you up to speed in that department. Picture: Ken Hodge
3. McLaren Vale, SA
Excuse me, I’ve just discovered a wine region near Adelaide which has NBN access. I may not return. Picture: Jocelyn Kinghorn
2. Mandurah, WA
Mandurah is close enough to Perth (by either road or car) that you could sensibly work in the city then return at night to its coastal charms. Picture: Michael Spencer
1. Townsville, QLD
NBN Co has described Townsville as “Australia’s most NBN-ready city”. Provided you can cope with tropical humidity, there are diverse employment opportunities, attractive coastline and a thriving university. Go north, young broadband seeker! Picture: John Skewes
Comments
20 responses to “Top 10 Places Worth Moving To For NBN Access”
Those are probably the only places with FTTP NBN….
I have FTTP in Sydney. It’s gone into most new developments I think.
Erh, how about Victoria Park in WA? Two minutes away from the city, as opposed to 40 on a good day (Mandurah).
It’s going live in Kingston now, best suburb in the country.
Erm, which Kingston? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kingston,_Australia
I’ve had an NBN connection in Kingston, Tasmania for about 18 months now.
Then you are in the correct one! I think it was on sunrise or something and the local paper here picked it up too.
it’s taken a while to roll out across the whole area. When I was in Kingston in February the people I stayed with were still months away from it going live.
(and by god I was envious as I went home to my 3.8mb-and-dropping DSL connection)
The other option is new housing estates. I am building in Fernbrooke Ridge (Redbank Plains), which is serviced by Opticomm fibre.
Hungry Birds in Brunswick closed down in April 🙁
They did the best tacos
TOWNSVILLE! TOWNSVILLE!! the only place in QLD with NBN??!!!!
really! not even Brisbane or the Gold coast made this list…. ugh.
Well it’s not the ONLY place, no… But NBN coverage in Brisbane is pretty patchy, and I can’t really imagine anyone recommending places like Aspley as a nice suburb to move to.
bout to say thats not correct, Coomera Springs has NBN
How did Willunga not get onto this list? a 5 minute drive out of McLaren Vale which is a 30 minute drive out of Adelaide, second place in mainland australia to have NBN switched on and still has that quaint country town feel even though suburbia is slowly creeping closer.
Hobart and Tasmania is just great. So many towns and suburbs connect to FTTP and more in build. Plus, no traffic, lots to do. Surf beaches, mountains and rivers full of trout.
How about Gosford? Close enough to commute to Sydney, great surrounds, FTTP NBN in a lot of it. Or you could suggest Dapto lol…
Maybe it’s because of my inner-city bubble but Gosford is anything but ‘commute distance’ from Sydney.
Canberra is a big place and to say it is fully serviced by the NBN is anywhere near the truth. I live in a suburb that is surrounded by NBN FTTP served homes but I (and all other parts of Canberra that are not NBN) have been dropped of the work commenced areas. There seems to be no areas of Canberra where NBN work of any kind seems to be happening which seems to fit with the Coalitions anti Canberra agenda.,
Gunghalin was a high priority for the initial NBN rollout as it has a miserably overloaded kilometers distant exchange. Yet despite suffering from the same issues as the rest of the region, Nicholls has been sadly left out, and we’re stuck on our pitiful connection while literally across the road NBN going strong. We have considered moving one suburb over already.
Yes Gungahlin was on NBNco and sad to say boundary of NBN’s Fibre starts at Gungahlin Drive Ngunnawal. Let’s wait maybe your area will be next to build commenced after Casey.
There’re 15 new city that was activated by NBN. The latest was in Paget, South Mackay, West Mackay, Mackay last 10th of July and 7 out of the 15 were QLD activations.
Recently moved back to the UK from Sydney…. Changing from TPG’s 20 meg (Really 6.5) Unlimited package to virgin broadband 152 meg (really 160) Unlimited package was worth the move just on it’s own. Oh and it’s $7 cheaper too! 🙂 ‘Straya
Bacchus Marsh near Melbourne is now a FTTP NBN town. Will be interesting to see if it attracts more residents to live here.
I’d also like to highlight that the CBD’s of Mackay and Cairns have access to NBN FttP, plus much of the East coast just North of Rockhampton to Port Douglas and the Atherton Tablelands (including the Burdekin) are now active access areas for NBN Fixed-Wireless.
The longer term effects on house/business premise prices in areas that have FttP compared to FttN will be interesting to watch. We are already seeing businesses preferentially relocate into areas of Townsville that have FttP access.
Taree (mid North Coast NSW) has recently been activated with FttP NBN.