Australia’s National Broadband Network has been rolling out for over a decade, but the experience you get still depends heavily on where you live. We analysed data across all 14,894 suburbs in our database to see how each state and territory stacks up on internet quality, fibre coverage, and household connectivity.
The big picture
The national average internet quality score sits at 4.58 out of 10 — a middling result that reflects the patchwork nature of the NBN. Some states have invested heavily in fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) infrastructure, while others remain locked into older copper and fixed wireless technologies.
Here’s how every state and territory compares:
| State / Territory | Suburbs | Total Premises | Avg Score (/10) | FTTP % | Avg Connected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACT | 134 | 210,503 | 6.12 | 40.4% | 89.7% |
| NT | 252 | 94,334 | 5.08 | 71.1% | 62.3% |
| NSW | 4,369 | 4,107,358 | 4.63 | 32.9% | 78.9% |
| WA | 1,574 | 1,319,790 | 4.57 | 39.2% | 81.4% |
| VIC | 2,880 | 3,129,691 | 4.57 | 40.5% | 79.5% |
| QLD | 3,120 | 2,584,518 | 4.55 | 34.9% | 78.7% |
| TAS | 752 | 312,031 | 4.44 | 54.8% | 76.2% |
| SA | 1,809 | 971,040 | 4.40 | 30.2% | 79.2% |
The ACT leads the pack
The Australian Capital Territory tops the scoreboard with an average internet score of 6.12 out of 10. This isn’t surprising — Canberra is a compact, urbanised territory with high population density, making it cheaper to deploy quality infrastructure per household. The ACT also boasts the highest connectivity rate at 89.7%, meaning nearly nine in ten households are actively connected to the NBN.
Despite being predominantly FTTN (49.2% of connections), the ACT’s urban density means even its copper connections perform reasonably well. The territory’s FTTP share of 40.4% is climbing as upgrades roll out.
The Northern Territory: high fibre, low uptake
The NT presents an interesting paradox. It has the highest FTTP percentage of any state at 71.1%, yet its average score of 5.08 sits only second. The reason? Connectivity. Only 62.3% of NT households are connected — the lowest rate nationally. Remote communities, transient populations, and affordability barriers all contribute. Many NT suburbs outside Darwin and Alice Springs rely on satellite, dragging down the average.
Explore internet in Alice Springs and internet in Darwin’s suburb of Anula to see the NT’s extremes.
NSW and Victoria: big states, average performance
Australia’s two most populous states — New South Wales (4.63) and Victoria (4.57) — cluster near the national average. Both states have enormous geographic diversity, from fibre-connected inner-city suburbs scoring 10/10 to satellite-only rural areas scoring 2.5.
Victoria edges ahead on FTTP at 40.5% compared to NSW’s 32.9%, reflecting Melbourne’s newer housing developments which received FTTP from the start. NSW’s strength is its sheer scale — over 4.1 million premises, making it the largest NBN market in the country.
Check out internet in Sydney and internet in Melbourne’s Alphington to compare.
Queensland and WA: sprawl challenges
Queensland’s 3,120 suburbs average 4.55, weighed down by a vast rural interior reliant on fixed wireless and satellite. Western Australia tells a similar story at 4.57, though WA’s higher connectivity rate (81.4%) suggests Perth’s suburban NBN is performing well. Both states are below 40% FTTP, and their geographic sprawl means a long tail of underserved communities.
Tasmania: fibre island with a catch
Tasmania has the second-highest FTTP rate nationally at 54.8% — a legacy of being the NBN’s pilot state. But its average score of 4.44 reveals that fibre alone doesn’t solve everything. Tasmania has zero HFC infrastructure and zero FTTC, meaning suburbs that didn’t get FTTP are stuck on FTTN (24.8%) or fixed wireless (15.4%). The digital divide within Tasmania is stark.
See the data for internet in Hobart’s suburb of Acton Park for a fibre success story.
South Australia: room to improve
SA brings up the rear with an average score of 4.40 and the lowest FTTP rate at 30.2%. Adelaide’s older suburbs are heavily FTTN, and the state’s rural areas face the same satellite and fixed wireless challenges as the rest of regional Australia. The silver lining: SA has one of the most diverse tech mixes nationally, with meaningful shares of HFC (21.8%) and FTTC (5.3%) alongside its FTTN base.
Explore internet in Adelaide and internet in Aberfoyle Park for SA-specific data.
What this means for you
Your state’s average is just that — an average. Individual suburbs within every state range from 1.5 to 10.0. The best thing you can do is check your specific suburb’s internet profile on PickNBN to see what technology serves your address, what speeds to expect, and whether an FTTP upgrade has been announced.
The NBN continues to evolve, with FTTP upgrades rolling out to thousands of suburbs nationwide. By 2026, the gap between states is narrowing — but it’s not closed yet.