Adding more fuel to the fire over which city is actually Australia’s best place to live, those residing in the all-seasons-in-a-day city of Melbourne have a new statistic on their side — and it all relates to fixed-line broadband speed.

Ookla, the company behind the hugely popular Speedtest tool that helps anyone diagnose their home internet speeds, has published its latest Global Index rankings, revealing median fixed-broadband download speeds by country and city.

As a country, Australia is slowly but surely moving up the table. There was a time we ranked as low as 86th, but we now sit at 50th, with a median fixed-broadband download speed of 162.34Mbps.

That improvement follows NBN Co’s September 2025 speed-tier shake-up, which introduced a 2Gbps wholesale option for eligible FTTP and HFC premises, alongside faster speeds on several existing higher-end tiers. Of course, not every Australian can access 2Gbps just yet — and, as we’ll see, the plan you choose is only one part of the equation.

For context, Singapore takes the crown with a median download speed of 447.75Mbps. One can only dream of a day when that becomes a reality Down Under.

Why the huge gap?

There are several reasons why Australia trails the pack so dramatically — although with 141 other countries clocking slower speeds, things could certainly be worse — and, in my mind, one of the most obvious is that many Australians are still connected to comparatively slow NBN plans.

The Australian Competition & Consumer Commission publishes a quarterly Wholesale Market Indicators Report that provides an overview of active NBN connections and their download data rates.

The most recent report, covering the March quarter of 2026 and published in July, revealed there were just over 2.665 million active 50Mbps NBN connections, out of a total of 8.839 million residential broadband services. That works out to around 30.2%.

A 50Mbps plan naturally puts a ceiling on the speed a customer can record in a Speedtest. If enough users on lower-speed tiers are represented in Ookla’s sample, that will bring the national median down.

One relatively straightforward way for Australia’s international standing to improve, then, is for more eligible households to take advantage of NBN Co’s free fibre upgrade. The program is open to millions of eligible FTTN and FTTC premises, allowing them to upgrade to FTTP if they take out an eligible high-speed service — such as one of the best NBN 500 plans.

A fixed-line civil war

Move the slider over to ‘City’ and the results become much more varied, with cities from North and South America, Asia and Europe all jostling for position. Valparaíso in Chile takes the crown with a huge 425.84Mbps, followed by Abu Dhabi with 399.92Mbps, for example.

Australian cities evidently have some work to do. Scroll down to position 64 and you hit Melbourne with a median download speed of 177.69Mbps — faster than Australia’s national median, it must be said — while Sydney trails behind in position 76 with a meagre 149.91Mbps.

A difference of 27.78Mbps might not sound like much, but Melbourne’s median result is around 18.5% faster than Sydney’s. When intercity tensions are already high, that’s a huge bragging right for the southerners.

Wait, we can (try to) explain

Nobody ever wants to be seen as the weaker of two, and while the reported figures are great news for people in Victoria, there is potentially a plethora of factors at play that pave the way for a Melbourne victory.

We’re not here to make excuses, of course, but there are plenty of unknowns.

Firstly, there could simply be a larger proportion of Melburnians connected via superior fibre-to-the-premises infrastructure. FTTP allows households to access the fastest NBN plans, including the newer multi-gigabit options where available.

While it’s not totally conclusive, there is some evidence to support this idea. That evidence is publicly available technology-mix figures, although they’re reported at a state level, rather than for Greater Melbourne and Greater Sydney specifically. Data compiled from NBN rollout information indicates Victoria has a higher share of premises using FTTP than NSW — roughly 66% versus 60% — while it also indicates there are more active connections on the inferior fibre to the node (FTTN) connection type in NSW too.

This doesn’t completely settle the argument. The figures not only include regional areas, but they also show the technology available to a property, as opposed to an active plan supplying an address.

All fixed-line connections are welcome

Furthermore, on the subject of NBN, Ookla’s Speedtest results don’t only capture NBN connections, but fixed-broadband tests from other fixed networks too, including private fibre operators. Both Melbourne and Sydney are home to several such networks, including Vocus, GigaComm and OptiComm, while Melbourne also has DGtek — a private FTTP network concentrated in the city’s CBD and inner south-east.

Exact figures for active connections on those networks are tricky to come by. But if Melbourne has a higher concentration of people connected to these kinds of high-speed private fibre services, they could be recording considerably quicker test results and helping push its city median upwards.

Not telling the complete story?

Another excuse potential explainer is the way Ookla collects its data. Whereas the ACCC’s Measuring Broadband Report — which published its final instalment in June 2026 — monitors a selected group of Australian homes across nine popular ISPs, Ookla receives data when people choose to run a Speedtest.

This doesn’t mean someone repeatedly checking their connection can single-handedly skew the data, as Ookla averages each unique user’s results into a single sample for the relevant time period and location. Still, the results are dependent on who chooses to test. Melbourne’s sample could contain a different mix of internet plans, connection technologies, devices and Wi-Fi setups than Sydney’s.

When did you last check your Wi-Fi router?

Home equipment can make a considerable difference too. A household with a Wi-Fi 5 router tucked away in a cupboard, a busy 2.4GHz network and a phone testing from the other end of the house could record a much slower result than the same connection tested over Ethernet.

On the flip side, a newer Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router, a properly positioned mesh system and a compatible device can give a household a far better chance of getting close to the speeds it actually pays for. That doesn’t make the underlying internet plan any faster, of course — it simply means the home network is less likely to be the bottleneck.

If your own Speedtest result seems suspiciously low, it may be worth checking out our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems to find out if your home could benefit from an upgrade.

And, trying to claw a point back for Sydney, it can be argued that people often run a speed test when their internet connection starts lagging. While Melbourne’s median tested speed is higher, that doesn’t necessarily mean every connection in the city is consistently faster or more reliable.

• Advanced Full Fibre Broadband from EE offers download speeds of 2.3Gbps and 8Gbps
• Speeds are potentially 222 times faster than standard superfast fibre
• Initially available in Guildford and Woking, expanding as Openreach rolls out its XGS-PON glass fibre network

Following a successful trial in early 2026, EE has launched its new Advanced Full Fibre Broadband plans, advertising download speeds of 2.3Gbps and 8Gbps. This makes EE the first provider to sell access to the Openreach XGS-PON glass fibre network.

The plans are initially only available in the Guildford and Woking areas, two Surrey towns in the London commuter belt, where the glass fibre network is installed and active.

EE is targeting users who rely on video conferencing, remote working, and content upload, and with multiple Internet of Things devices, as well as online gamers and streaming consumers. Speeds are up to 222 times faster than the standard superfast fibre broadband plans.

Two plans for EE’s XGS-PON fibre

Customers can access two plans from EE. The 2.3Gbps Advanced Full Fibre Broadband plan starts at £54.99 per month, while the 8Gbps plan is available from £74.99 a month.

No upload speeds have been stated, nor are they listed on the sign-up page, but they can be expected to be similarly fast.

XGS-PON (10-Gigabit-capable Symmetric Passive Optical Network) is a high speed, high-bandwidth data network standard, currently available in various forms across Europe, North America, and other regions. In the UK, it is used in the nexfibre, CityFibre, and Openreach networks, with EE using the latter to provide these plans.

With streaming speeds supporting 4K and 8K video, these plans are likely to be popular where available, and support for up to 190 devices suggests the plans will include routers suited to IoT and smart home applications.

Will faster fibre improve British broadband?

“Today marks a major milestone for EE as we become the first major UK provider to offer broadband speeds of up to 8Gbps on next-generation XGS-PON technology," noted Luciano Oliveira, Director of Product, Home and TV at EE.

"As homes become more connected and customers place greater demands on their broadband, we're investing in the technologies that will power the next generation of digital experiences.”

EE regularly wins recognition as the UK’s most popular network, with its business built on mobile (where its 4G, 5G and 5GSA speeds cover more than 90% of the UK) and an advertising campaign featuring Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon.

Unlike Virgin Media which owns its own fibre network, EE’s domestic and business broadband plans rely on third party infrastructure, mostly provided by Openreach, and due to the differences in connections across the country (and the legacy copper lines that remain in place in some locations), struggles to offer the same speeds for all customers.

This is a problem faced by all providers who sell access to Openreach lines, so EE’s immediate competitors will no doubt be watching with interest.

Anyone who has dealt with spotty Wi-Fi knows that a fast NBN plan doesn’t mean your Wi-Fi will work equally well in every room.

The connection might work well in the living room near the router but be frustratingly slow upstairs or at the other end of your house, especially in homes with thick walls or concrete floors.

That’s where a mesh Wi-Fi system can help, as it improves coverage by using several connected units around your home instead of relying on a single router.

This guide explains how mesh Wi-Fi works, how it connects to NBN services and whether your home needs it.

If you want to read more about the best mesh systems we have tested, take a look at our guide to the best mesh Wi-Fi systems in Australia.

What is mesh Wi-Fi and how does it work?

A mesh system consists of a main router and one or more extra units, usually called nodes or satellites.

Mesh nodes usually communicate with each other over Wi-Fi, which can make the system easier to set up. The mesh system can’t increase the speed of your NBN plan, but it can help more of that speed reach your devices.

The advantage of a mesh system is that each node uses the same network name and password. This means your devices can automatically connect to a nearby node as you move between rooms, helping them maintain a more reliable connection around your home.

Since mesh systems connect to each other wirelessly, there’s no need to run extra Ethernet cabling through your house. If you already have Ethernet ports, though, you can connect the nodes to them for more consistent performance.

What can mesh Wi-Fi fix?

Mesh systems are most useful when internet speeds over Wi-Fi are good near the router but drop in other parts of your home. If your home still has slow or weak areas, you can add another node to extend the coverage.

This can extend coverage across multiple storeys, into a garage and through obstacles that can weaken Wi-Fi, such as double-brick walls and concrete floors.

It won’t fix every internet problem, though. A mesh system can’t increase the speed of your NBN plan, repair a faulty connection or fix congestion on your provider’s network. It may also struggle if the nodes are too far apart or positioned where their signal is blocked.

There’s a simple test to see if a mesh system can help your connection. Head to speedtest.net and run one test beside your router, then repeat it in the problem area using the same device.

If there’s a large difference in the results, your Wi-Fi coverage may be the issue. Poor results in both locations are more likely to point to a problem with your internet service, router or connected device.

Does mesh Wi-Fi work with the NBN?

Mesh Wi-Fi works with the main NBN connection types, but setup depends on the equipment installed in your home.

With Fibre to the Premises (FTTP), Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC), Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) and Fixed Wireless, the main mesh unit usually connects to the NBN connection box using an Ethernet cable.

It can often replace the Wi-Fi router supplied by your provider. You may need to enter provider-specific settings first, but this is usually handled through an easy-to-use setup app or wizard.

Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Fibre to the Building (FTTB) connections are different because they require a compatible VDSL2 modem to handle the connection over the existing copper line. A mesh router can’t normally replace that modem, but it can connect to the modem or modem-router and then handle Wi-Fi across your home.

If you’re unsure, your provider can confirm the best setup for your connection. Some providers offer mesh Wi-Fi systems when you sign up, and our guide to the best NBN providers in Australia can help you compare your options.

Do you actually need mesh Wi-Fi?

A mesh system makes the most sense when one router can’t cover all parts of your home reliably. That often includes multi-storey homes, double-brick houses, converted garages or even a backyard granny flat.

You probably don’t need a mesh setup if you live in a compact unit or apartment and already get reliable Wi-Fi in every room. Repositioning your router, upgrading an older model or connecting key devices by Ethernet may solve the problem much more cheaply.

A basic Wi-Fi extender can be cheaper when you only need to improve one small weak area. A mesh system costs more, but it is usually easier to manage when you have several problem areas.

How many mesh nodes do you need?

The right number of nodes depends more on layout and building materials than floor area alone. A two-node system is a sensible starting point for a smaller townhouse or single-storey home, while a larger or multi-storey property may need three or more.

More nodes aren’t automatically better. Too many can leave several units covering the same area.

Too few can also cause problems because each node needs a reliable connection to the main router or another unit. A node placed deep inside a dead zone may have too little signal to connect properly.

Placing your main router or mesh node in an open position is usually best, but the exact spot tends to depend on where your internet connection enters your home. The goal is to place the next node a bit over halfway towards the problem area.

A higher, open position is often better. Keep nodes off the floor and away from closed-off areas or cluttered shelves, and avoid placing them directly beside large appliances or behind thick internal walls.

For a home office, converted garage or granny flat, Ethernet backhaul may be more reliable where cabling is available. Start with fewer nodes and add another if coverage remains patchy.

Is Wi-Fi 7 worth it over Wi-Fi 6?

Wi-Fi 6 is enough for many Australian homes, particularly when the main goal is improving coverage rather than reaching the highest possible speeds.

Wi-Fi 6E adds the less congested 6GHz band for compatible devices, though its shorter range makes node placement particularly important. Wi-Fi 7 is more useful for newer devices, very fast NBN plans or demanding local-network use.

The newest standard isn’t always the best value. Check how many units are included, whether you can expand the system later, the speed of its Ethernet ports, wired backhaul support and whether parental controls or security features require a subscription.

Mesh Wi-Fi FAQs

Does mesh Wi-Fi make your internet faster?

Mesh can improve the speeds devices receive in weak coverage areas, but it can’t make your NBN plan faster. For faster plan options, see our guide to the best NBN plans.

Is mesh Wi-Fi better than an extender?

Mesh is usually easier to manage across several rooms and keeps one network around your home. An extender can still be the cheaper option for one small weak spot.

Does mesh Wi-Fi replace your NBN modem?

Sometimes. FTTP, HFC and FTTC users may be able to connect a mesh router to the NBN connection box, though provider settings or a bundled phone service can affect the setup. FTTN and FTTB services still need a compatible modem. If you’re unsure, ask your provider.

Is a Wi-Fi 7 mesh system worth it?

Wi-Fi 7 makes more sense for newer devices, very fast NBN plans and demanding local-network use. Wi-Fi 6 is still perfectly fine for many households and usually costs less.

Is mesh Wi-Fi worth it?

Mesh Wi-Fi is worth considering when one router leaves several parts of your home with weak or unreliable coverage. It won’t improve the NBN connection itself, but it can distribute that connection more consistently around your home, particularly if it is large or multi-storey. If you only have one small weak spot, repositioning your router or using an extender may be cheaper.

Useful guides and extra info

• Best mesh Wi-Fi systems in Australia
• Best NBN plans in Australia
• Best NBN provider in Australia
• Fastest NBN plans in Australia
• Best NBN 1000 plans
• Best NBN 2000 plans

• Ofcom is now implementing its proposal to use more 6GHz spectrum for Wi-Fi and mobile broadband
• The upper band of 6GHz will be used for better performance in both cases, though it'll be Wi-Fi only to start with
• 6G mobile will be part of the recipe in the 2030s, and both Wi-Fi and 6G will be able to share the same frequency band thanks to Automated Frequency Coordination tech, which is likened to air traffic control

Ofcom is aiming to boost Wi-Fi speeds in the UK, and eventually mobile data too, by opening more of the 6GHz spectrum to facilitate this improved connectivity.

Thus far, only the lower band of the 6GHz spectrum has been used, but following a previous consultation, Ofcom just greenlit the use of the upper band, from 6425Mhz to 7125MHz. The idea is that Wi-Fi will get priority access to the bottom 160MHz slice of this upper band (6425 to 6585MHz), with "non-prioritised access" to the rest (6585 to 7125MHz).

The idea is that the bigger chunk of the spectrum will be shared between Wi-Fi and mobile broadband, with the latter getting priority — although mobile won't happen until the 2030s. For now, only the Wi-Fi spectrum is being expanded in the UK. As Ofcom puts it: "This approach allows earlier use of the band by Wi-Fi while preserving the ability of mobile network operators (MNOs) to introduce mobile services in the future."

Notably this is the first time that both mobile and Wi-Fi services will be allowed share the same frequency band, and this is facilitated by a technology known as AFC or Automated Frequency Coordination.

As Ofcom explains, this hasn't been possible before because of the risk of crossed signals and interference therein, but AFC — which is effectively like an 'air traffic control' system for wireless signals — means that bands can now be shared in this way.

David Willis, Group Director for Spectrum at Ofcom, commented: "Everybody in the UK wants faster Wi-Fi and better mobile performance. Our decision today will allow mobile and Wi-Fi services to share the airwaves in the future, helping make this need a reality."

Note that a router must support Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 to tap the 6GHz spectrum, and of course the devices you wish to use on the wireless network must as well.

Analysis: a flexible solution

So, this move is bringing in more bandwidth, and therefore more breathing room, for wireless signals in the UK, starting with Wi-Fi and paving the way for next-gen 6G mobile connections down the road.

The end result will be faster performance and a greater capacity in dense environments where a lot of devices are trying to grab bandwidth, such as apartment blocks, offices, or stadiums. Ofcom notes that in the latter cases: "Outdoor and higher power use is also permitted, but only where devices operate under the control of an Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) system."

The sharing approach using AFC makes sense in terms of giving both Wi-Fi users and mobile network operators a slice of the pie, and it lends a good deal of flexibility to the implementation. In remote or rural areas, for example, where 6G isn't deployed, the entire higher part of the spectrum will always be available for Wi-Fi usage.

Of course, the proof will be in the pudding with the rollout in busier areas, and how AFC actually works in signal-dense environments.

In the current climate where tech devices seem to be rocketing in price due to the global memory shortage (Apple just annouced some pretty brutal hikes, as has Xbox), buying a new Wi-Fi router has now become one of the most affordable - and impactful - ways to upgrade the devices in your home, and for Prime Day, Amazon has cut the price on a number of its eero routers, including the three-pack eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi system, which is now $194.99 (down from $299.99).

• Browse the full Amazon Prime Day sale

Mesh routers are fantastic devices for ensuring every device in your home can access your Wi-Fi. Unlike single routers, mesh routers consist of several units that wirelessly connect to one another and help spread their Wi-Fi signal throughout your home.

Because so many devices in our homes need internet connections these days, making sure you have fast, reliable Wi-Fi can boost the performance of a wide range of devices in your home.

And while the likes of laptops, tablets, graphics cards, and other memory-dependent devices are seeing price hikes, mesh routers aren't as affected. So, rather than despairing over constantly rising prices, check out these eero router deals below and upgrade your entire home's internet instead.

Today's best eero router deals

All of these eero systems benefit from an easy, app-based installation process, automatic updates to keep your home secure, and they also act as an Alexa smart home hub, allowing your smart devices to be controlled by an Alexa-capable smart speaker.

Not in the US? Check out these eero deals where you are:

More Prime Day deals in the US

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More Prime Day deals in the UK (DELETE IF US ONLY DEAL)

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• Laptops: from £149
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