Summary
How fast your internet goes depends on two factors – its ‘speed potential’ and its ‘throughput speed’. In this article we explain these terms, what may affect your speed and what to do if your internet isn’t going as fast as you expect it to.
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What's speed potential?
Your speed potential is the theoretical maximum download speed your internet connection can achieve.
What are throughput speeds?
Your actual throughput speeds measure the rate at which your network or device sends or receives data, which is what you see if you run an upload/download speed test on your device.
These speeds are different to your speed potential because of your connection type. For example, devices connected by Wi-Fi may experience slower speeds than those connected by Ethernet cables.
What affects speed potential?
Your internet speed depends largely on the type of connection you have. In Australia, there are seven nbn® connection types:
Fibre to the Node – FTTN
Fibre to the Curb – FTTC
Fibre to the Building/Basement – FTTB
Fibre to the Premise – FTTP
Hybrid Fibre Coaxial – HFC
Fixed Wireless
Satellite
Customers using FTTB and FTTN connections can experience decreased speed potential. The main reasons for this are:
distance from the node
quality of the copper path, including internal cabling
number of phone points at the premises
other devices connected to your phone points (e.g. back-to-base alarms)
legacy copper services that are still active in your area e.g. ADSL or fixed phones (co-existence)
We check speed potential on new FTTB/FTTN connections
After connecting your new FTTB/FTTN service, we’ll check your speed potential and let you know if we find any issues. If your speed potential is lower than expected, we’ll email you and offer adjustments to your internet plan, without extra costs.
Experiencing decreased speed potential?
If you'd like us to check your speed potential again or you have questions about your internet service or plan, give us a call on 1300 980 711.
And if you find your internet connection speed is slower than usual but your speed potential isn’t affected, check out other reasons why your internet connection might be slower.
See also Origin internet for our latest offers, and more info about internet speeds, modems and fees.