If you’re choosing internet for your home or business, it’s worth knowing how each technology works – and what that means for your speed, reliability, and experience.
Fibre (Rural Fibre Co network)
How it works: Fibre optic cables are laid underground directly to your premises.
Best for: Maximum speed, reliability, and low latency.
Performance: Up to 6 Gbps symmetrical (15x faster than many alternatives). Always consistent, weatherproof, and unaffected by congestion.
Price: From $79/month.
Perfect if you: Stream in 4K, game competitively, work from home, or run a busy household/business.
Fixed Wireless (NBN network and others)
How it works: Internet is transmitted from nearby towers to an antenna on your property.
Best for: Areas without fibre, where towers are in clear line of sight.
Performance: Up to ~400 Mbps, but speeds can drop at peak times. Susceptible to weather and congestion.
Price: Around $89/month.
Perfect if you: Have no fibre option but are within range of a reliable tower.
Low orbit satellite services (Starlink)
How it works: Low-orbit satellites beam internet to a dish on your property.
Best for: Locations with no fibre or fixed wireless access.
Performance: Averages at 198 Mbps&*, but can be higher or lower. Affected by dish position, weather, and congestion. Latency is higher, which can impact gaming and live streaming.
Price: Around $139/month + hardware cost for standard residential service or cheaper for a lite service.
Perfect if you: Live in remote areas and need better speeds than traditional satellite.
Feature | RFC Network (Fibre) | Starlink | Fixed Wireless |
Speed | Up to 6 Gbps symmetrical | ~198 Mbps, variable | Up to 400 Mbps, drops at peak |
Price | From $79/mth | $139/mth + hardware | From ~$89/mth |
Reliability | Always consistent, weatherproof | Affected by position & congestion | Weather & congestion dropouts |
Capacity | Unlimited | Congestion-prone | Limited by towers & spectrum |
Latency | Ultra-low – great for gaming/calls | Medium – not ideal for gaming/streaming | High – bad for sensitive apps |
Tip: If fibre is available in your area, it’s almost always the best choice for speed, reliability, and value.
*as measured by the ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia program June 2025