Aussie Broadband now has 5080 'up to gigabit' NBN customers

Aussie Broadband has increased customer numbers on NBN Co’s newly-affordable ‘up to gigabit’ speed plans to 5080, a greater than 90 percent share of all signups.

The up to gigabit residential plan is called ‘Home Ultrafast’ by NBN Co and has a nominal speed profile of up to 1000/50Mbps, depending on access technology.

Aussie Broadband signed up about 2300 customers in the first week of the up to gigabit plan being available.

New numbers [pdf] from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission released today show that figure grew to 4247 by the end of the June, an 84 percent increase.

Managing director Phillip Britt told iTnews that signups had continued to climb and have now surpassed 5000 as at August 13.

"We now have over 5080 customers on our 1000/50 plan," he said.

The Ultrafast plan is presently known to be offered by Aussie Broadband, Superloop and Launtel; the ACCC does not break out numbers for the latter two.

However, the ACCC numbers released today shows that Vodafone has five active 'up to gigabit' services.

Overall, NBN Co clocked up 4646 Home Ultrafast signups in the three months to June 30.

The ACCC tracks the sales performance of more traditional gigabit NBN plans - those with a 1000/400Mbps speed profile - separately. Aussie Broadband continued its strong momentum there, doubling the number of active services from 51 to 100.

Big signup boosts at 250Mbps, 100Mbps as well

The ACCC numbers also show continued strong interest in the also-cheaper NBN 250/25Mbps services.

The total number in operation slightly more than doubled during the quarter from 1856 to 3780.

Aussie Broadband continues to have the largest market share at 250Mbps as well, with almost 60 percent of all active connections (up from 49.5 percent in the previous quarter).

As of August 13, Aussie Broadband had 2564 users on 250/25Mbps services.

"As the ACCC report shows, the demand for higher speed plans has been just incredible during the COVID-19 pandemic," Britt told iTnews.

"Interestingly, after Aussie launched both [1000/50Mbps and 250/25Mbps] products back in May, we actually smashed our sales records for four days in a row.

"People have become used to using their internet for more things and on more devices - whether it be working and schooling from home, streaming entertainment or shopping online or anything else.

"So, not surprisingly, they are choosing the higher speed plans to accommodate their increased usage."

The ACCC noted in a statement that there had also been an “11.9 percent jump in the uptake of the higher speed 100Mbps plans, with 9.1 percent of households now subscribing to a 100Mbps plan.”

“Many more households have been at home during the day during the COVID-19 pandemic and have likely chosen higher speed plans to accommodate increased broadband use whether it be for work, entertainment or even for their children to attend school during the lockdown,” ACCC chair Rod Sims said.

Updated, 1pm: With commentary and newer figures from Aussie Broadband.