NBN Co today published research from Ember Advisors showing 77 percent of surveyed users believe fast internet in the home leaves a positive impact on their satisfaction with life.
The research explores the impact of high-speed broadband across a range of metrics like employment, education, health, social and community connection, and the environment.
It also looks at impacts for low-income households, First Nations communities, and other assorted benefits.
Benefits
This is the third year that NBN Co has commissioned the research. It’s interesting to look at the year-on-year changes between FY25 and FY23.
Health
Users who use their home internet for telehealth are up to 43 percent from 34 percent in FY23. 47 percent of those reported they could see a health professional or access a health service more regularly or more quickly as telehealth is more convenient for them.
79 percent of NBN users who accessed telehealth or online health services felt that the network positively impacted health outcomes.
Education
Users who studied from home are up to 21 percent from 12 percent in FY23. 48 percent of users engaged in formal education via the NBN network reported that reduced commuting time and flexible learning allowed them more time to pursue other activities like paid work or leisure.
87 percent of users who engaged in education from home felt that the network positively impacted education outcomes.
87 percent of First Nations users who accessed education services reported that the NBN had positively impacted their education outcomes.
Work
Users who worked from home at least one day a week are up to 38 percent from 31 percent in FY23. Of those, 53 percent report being more productive at work.
80 percent of surveyed users who work from home or used job search platforms report the NBN network positively impacted employment outcomes. 82 percent of First Nations users surveyed reported the same.
Community
And the biggest figure in this set is 91 percent of users connecting with family or friends via home internet, up from 88 percent in FY23. Of these, 72 percent felt more connected to friends and/or family as a result of being able to connect online.
77 percent of users who connected with others or accessed news or information online felt that the network positively impacted their connectedness. 79 percent of First Nations users also reported a positive impact.
Speed and Data Insights
After the increase in NBN speeds in September 2025, median download speed on the network reached 164.98 Mbps, up from 94.89 Mbps in August of that year. That puts Australia at 41st place in the Ookla Speedtest Global Index.
The average monthly data usage per customer across all NBN technologies nationally has reached 557 GB.
90 percent of premises on the fixed-line NBN network are eligible for multi-gigabit speeds – the fastest wholesale speed tiers on offer.
Environmental Impacts
Many NBN users were able to avoid travelling as a result of studying, working, and accessing health services from home. Per week, this helped save 4.6 hours of commuting for study, and 4.3 hours of commuting for work.
The NBN was used by 34 percent of users to connect a smart energy appliance such as an air conditioner, rooftop solar, electric vehicle chargers, or home battery systems.
For the full research set, you can check out the NBN website here.
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