ADSL Internet

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What is ADSL?

Is ADSL still available in Australia?

What are some alternatives to ADSL internet?

Is NBN better than ADSL?

Looking for an Internet upgrade?

Long story short

ADSL was Australia’s first real taste of broadband

ADSL ran internet through copper telephone lines. For its time, it delivered fast speeds compared to its dial-up predecessor.

NBN’s fibre rollout pushed ADSL into retirement

A large majority of homes now use faster, more reliable fibre-based NBN connections, leaving a small number of remote homes still running on ADSL.

Regional homes can usually switch to newer alternatives

Satellite, mobile broadband, and fixed wireless connections could be available where ADSL once stood (or still does).

What is ADSL?

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) was the first taste of broadband for many Australians. Starting in the late 1990s, it delivered much faster internet speeds over the same copper home phone lines previously used for dial-up.  

ADSL later levelled up to ADSL2 and ADSL2+ in 2005. These upgrades helped increase top internet speeds from around 8 Mbps to 25 Mbps. Depending on your setup and how much copper line you were working with, that made it easier to enjoy smooth video streaming and online gaming. 

Then came the arrival of the National Broadband Network (NBN). Its faster and more reliable fibre technology started putting old copper telephone networks (ADSL’s bread and butter) out of business. This swap from copper to high-speed fibre optic technology meant that ADSL connections were permanently shut down in most areas across Australia. 

Is ADSL still available in Australia?

ADSL does still exist, but only for the selected few Aussie homes that can’t connect to the NBN network or jump over to a satellite service. It’s all but retired from the spotlight to make room for the new star: NBN. 

Helpful tip

If you rely on NBN’s Sky Muster satellite service in a rural area, things might be changing soon. NBN Co’s Sky Muster is being replaced by Amazon’s Project Kuiper in 2026. This isn’t anything to worry about; rather, it can mean faster, more reliable broadband powered by more than 10,000 satellites. To see if your home could get access to faster internet, check your address with NBN and see which options are available for your property.

Julia Paszka

General Manager – Utilities & Credit Cards

What are some alternatives to ADSL internet?

ADSL might be fading out, but regional Australia still has a few ways to get online. The ADSL alternatives that could be available at your place include mobile, satellite, and fibre-optic internet connections.

Mobile internet

Mobile broadband uses cellular networks (3G, 4G, or 5G) to power your home internet. It works like a mobile hotspot, connecting your home through cellular towers. But depending on where you are, signal strength can be a little bit of a hit or miss – so speeds can swing if your coverage is patchy.  

Satellite internet

Satellite internet is kind of like mobile internet, just swap towers on the ground for satellites floating in the Earth’s orbit. In Australia, there are two main satellite networks: NBN Sky Muster and Starlink. The downside to satellite internet is that speeds can change based on where you are, how many users are linked up to the same network at once, and the weather. 

Fibre-optic internet

Fibre-optic internet delivers your broadband connection through cables filled with thin glass or plastic fibres. These were installed as part of the NBN switchover, which replaced a large majority of ADSL copper lines. Full fixed-line connections like fibre to the premises (FTTP) run fibre all the way to your property, whereas hybrid connections like fibre to the curb (FTTC) or fibre to the node (FTTN) rely on existing copper cables for the last stretch. Because copper is older and slower, hybrid connections might not get the same performance as FTTP – especially in more rural areas where copper runs can be longer.

Is NBN better than ADSL? 

Yes, it’s better by a good measure. Compared to ADSL, NBN’s fibre-optic cables deliver much faster and more reliable internet speeds, which are a given for most homes nowadays. 

The copper wires of ADSL were the top tech in its day, but now NBN’s optical fibre cables are the new norm. ADSL’s once ‘fast’ speeds of 25 Mbps are nothing next to NBN’s blazing 2,000 Mbps: on ADSL, you may as well be watching paint dry. 

With higher speeds expected comes more data demand from users. In the past, signing up for an ADSL internet plan meant a strict cap. Use more data than your plan allowed for, and you’d see your download speed drop to a pace a lethargic snail could outstrip. NBN providers, on the other hand, know what a modern home needs, with most offering unlimited data that doesn’t stop your heavy streaming, gaming and smart home from running smoothly. 

The performance gaps make NBN plans the practical winner. It’s why ADSL services have been phased out, not because it failed, but because there’s something newer and faster. 

Looking for an Internet upgrade?

If you’re ready to move on from copper or just want to see if there’s better value out there with an NBN plan, comparing plans can show you what options are available at your house. At iSelect, we’ve made it easy for you to compare plans online in a matter of minutes. Just head online to get your internet up and running.