Read your result

What your download, upload, ping and jitter numbers actually mean, measured against ACCC typical evening speeds.

See what good looks like

What Good Looks Like on the NBN

The download figures below are the typical evening (7pm–11pm busy hour) speeds the ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia programme reports for each NBN wholesale tier. Compare your own download reading against the tier you pay for. Verify the current figures against the latest ACCC report before relying on them — these change each quarter.

~24 MbpsNBN 25 typical eveningdownload, busy hour
~48 MbpsNBN 50 typical eveningdownload, busy hour
~95 MbpsNBN 100 typical eveningdownload, busy hour

The Four Numbers on Your Result Explained

Every NBN speed test returns four readings, and each answers a different question about your connection. Download is the headline number and the one your plan tier is named after; the other three shape how the connection feels for calls, gaming and video.

Download (Mbps)

How fast data reaches you — streaming, browsing, downloads. Compare this to the ACCC typical evening speed for your tier (e.g. ~48 Mbps on NBN 50). A reading well below that during the evening signals underperformance.

Upload (Mbps)

How fast data leaves you — video calls, cloud backups, sending files. On most NBN plans upload is a fraction of download; NBN 50 commonly provides around 17–20 Mbps upload depending on the plan.

Ping / Latency (ms)

The round-trip delay to a server, measured in milliseconds. Lower is better. On a healthy fixed-line NBN connection ping to a Sydney server is typically under 20 ms; over 50 ms feels sluggish for gaming and video calls.

Jitter (ms)

How much ping varies from moment to moment. Low, steady jitter (under ~5 ms) keeps calls and streams smooth; high jitter causes dropouts and stutter even when download looks fine.

What Counts as a Good Ping and Jitter on NBN

A good ping on a fixed-line NBN connection (FTTP, FTTC, HFC) to a nearby Australian server is under 20 ms; 20–50 ms is acceptable for most use, and above 50 ms becomes noticeable in gaming and video calls. Fixed Wireless and Satellite carry higher latency by design — Satellite ping runs into the hundreds of milliseconds because the signal travels to orbit and back. Good jitter is under 5 ms and steady; readings that swing above 30 ms point to congestion or a Wi-Fi problem rather than a raw speed shortfall. If your download matches your tier but calls still drop, ping and jitter — not the headline speed — are usually the reason.

Your Number Looks Wrong: Where to Go Next

Once you know what your four numbers mean, the next question depends on which one is off. This page interprets the reading; the pages below diagnose and act on it.

  1. 1

    Download far below your tier

    If your evening download sits well under the ACCC typical figure, read why your NBN is slow and check whether your plan is actually delivering.

  2. 2

    Slow only in the evening

    A number that drops between 7pm and 11pm usually points to busy-hour congestion — see the typical evening speed benchmark for your tier.

  3. 3

    Not sure your tier is right

    If even the advertised speed feels too slow for your household, check which NBN speed tier suits your usage.

Test on a Wired Connection for a True Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

how to read nbn speed test results
Read the four numbers in order: download and upload (Mbps) are your data speeds, ping (ms) is delay, and jitter (ms) is delay consistency. Compare your download to the ACCC typical evening speed for your NBN tier to judge whether the connection is delivering what you pay for.
what is a good ping on NBN
A good ping on a fixed-line NBN connection to a nearby Australian server is under 20 ms. Between 20 and 50 ms is fine for most use, while over 50 ms is noticeable in gaming and video calls. Fixed Wireless and Satellite have higher ping by design.
what is a good jitter on NBN
Good jitter is under 5 ms and steady. Low jitter keeps video calls and streams smooth even when download speed is modest. Jitter swinging above 30 ms causes dropouts and stutter, and usually points to network congestion or a Wi-Fi issue rather than a slow line.
is my NBN plan delivering
Compare your evening download reading to the ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia typical evening speed for your tier — roughly 48 Mbps on NBN 50. If your busy-hour reading sits well below that across several tests, your plan may be underperforming. Verify current ACCC figures before acting.
why is my NBN slow when the speed test looks fine
If download matches your tier but the connection still feels slow, high ping or jitter is usually the cause. These affect video calls, gaming and responsiveness even when raw speed is healthy. A large gap between Wi-Fi and wired results points to your home network, not the NBN line.
what does upload speed mean on an NBN test
Upload speed (Mbps) is how fast data leaves your connection — video calls, cloud backups and sending files. On most NBN plans upload is much lower than download; NBN 50 commonly provides around 17–20 Mbps upload depending on the plan you hold.