The short version
“Business fibre” covers three products with very different prices. At the time of writing (October 2026), published prices look like this:
| Product | Typical published monthly price | Upfront costs |
|---|---|---|
| Business NBN on fibre to the premises | Roughly $100 to $220 for 250/100 up to 2000/500 | Usually low or none at a connected premises |
| NBN Enterprise Ethernet | From about $400 (100 to 250 Mbps) to $700 to $1,500 (1 Gbps), ex GST, 36 months | Often $0 on 36 months; build charge possible outside a Business Fibre Zone |
| Carrier dedicated fibre | Quoted per address | Build charge depends on how close the carrier’s network is |
The monthly plan is rarely what makes a fibre decision expensive. Construction, in-building cabling, contract term and exit fees do. The rest of this guide goes through each cost line, with sources, and how to avoid paying more than you need to for a build.
What does each type of business fibre cost?
Business NBN on fibre
These plans run over NBN’s shared fibre to the premises. Upload is lower than download, and support is better than a home plan but best effort. As an example of published pricing at the time of writing, Aussie Broadband listed:
- A 500/50 business plan at $99 a month, the same as its residential 500/50 plan
- Business plans with faster NBN restoration, most with a 4G backup included, at $114 (250/100), $136 (500/200), $160 (1000/400) and $220 (2000/500) a month
Business-grade NBN vs home NBN covers what those extra dollars buy.
NBN Enterprise Ethernet
Dedicated fibre to NBN’s access node, symmetrical speeds and 24/7 restoration targets. Published retail prices at the time of writing, excluding GST, on 36-month terms:
- Vocus: $399 for 100 or 250 Mbps, $469 for 500 Mbps, $699 for 1 Gbps
- Swoop: $399 for 250 Mbps, $499 for 500 Mbps, $699 for 1 Gbps, with faster restoration options at $99 or $149 a month extra
- Next Telecom: $899 to $1,499 for 1 Gbps depending on class of service and zone, with regional zones priced on application
NBN Enterprise Ethernet explained covers what the product includes.
Carrier dedicated fibre
Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom, Vocus, Superloop, Aussie Broadband and others run their own fibre in parts of the major cities. These services are generally quoted per address, because the price depends on how far the carrier’s network is from your building and what it costs to get in. We have not found published price lists to quote here. Expect a monthly price in the same broad territory as Enterprise Ethernet for similar bandwidth, with the build charge as the main variable.
What NBN Co charges providers for Enterprise Ethernet
NBN Co publishes its wholesale prices, which helps explain retail quotes. These are charges to the provider, not to you. From the price list effective 1 September 2026 and the current discounts annexure:
| Wholesale component | Charge |
|---|---|
| 1 Gbps symmetrical, Low class of service | $500 a month list; $350 under a discount running to 30 November 2026 |
| 1 Gbps symmetrical, High class of service | $760 a month list; $490 under the same discount |
| 100 Mbps symmetrical, Low class of service | $215 a month list; $170 under the same discount |
| Port (1 Gbps) | $100 a month in CBD zones, $200 in Zones 1 to 3 |
| Faster restoration (8, 6 or 4 hours, 24/7) | $55, $65 or $75 a month; 12 hours included |
| Standard installation | $5,000; waived in full on a 36-month term, 75% waived on 24 months |
| Non-standard installation | Labour and materials, currently capped at the standard charge under a waiver |
Two things follow. First, retail prices add the provider’s own network, backhaul, support desk and margin on top of these charges, so a quote far below the wholesale cost deserves a close read of the terms. Second, several of these discounts are dated to end on 30 November 2026, so quotes issued after that date may change. Ask how long a quote is valid, and lock in the rate if it is good.
What else goes into the cost? A cost-line table
Whatever the product, these are the lines to put side by side. We have deliberately not filled in figures for lines that vary by building.
| Cost line | What drives it | Business NBN | Enterprise Ethernet | Carrier fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan | Bandwidth, class of service, zone | Lowest | Moderate to high | Moderate to high |
| Faster restoration option | Hours and 24/7 cover | Sometimes bundled | Monthly add-on or bundled | Usually in the contract |
| Build or construction | Distance to network, civil works, zone | Rare; possible on an FTTP upgrade | None at most premises in a zone; quoted elsewhere | Main variable |
| Connection or installation fee | Contract term | Usually low | Often $0 on 36 months | Varies |
| In-building cabling | Riser access, distance to your floor, after-hours work | Sometimes | Common in multi-storey buildings | Common |
| Comms room and power | Rack space, UPS, cooling | Small | Moderate | Moderate |
| Router or firewall | Throughput, VPN, failover | Yes | Yes, sized for symmetrical speeds | Yes |
| Static IP | Plan inclusions | Often included or small fee | Usually included | Usually included |
| Backup service | Diverse path, usually 5G | Recommended | Recommended | Recommended |
| Term and exit fees | Contract length, build | Short terms common | Commonly 36 months; large exit fee if built | Commonly multi-year |
In-building cabling catches people out. The carrier brings the fibre to a point in the building, often the basement or ground-floor main distribution frame. Getting it to your comms room may need riser access, new conduit, building manager approval and after-hours work. In some buildings the carrier does this as part of the install; in others it is your cost. Ask the question in writing, and have an ACMA registered cabler price the internal run if it is yours.
How do you avoid overpaying for the construction?
If you are ready to pay to bring fibre into the building, these steps usually save more money than negotiating the monthly price.
- Check Business Fibre Zone status first. In a zone, most premises have no up-front build cost for Enterprise Ethernet. If you are paying a build charge in a zone, ask why. NBN Business Fibre Zones covers how to check.
- Get at least two networks to quote. NBN Enterprise Ethernet and a carrier with its own fibre may have very different build costs at the same address, because one network may already be in the street.
- Ask what is already in the building. If another tenant has a fibre lead-in from the same network, the build may be a riser run rather than street works. Building managers usually know who has fibre.
- Ask for the build charge itemised. Street works, lead-in, in-building run and termination. It shows what can be negotiated, and what your own cabler could do more cheaply.
- Trade term for build. A longer term often reduces or waives the build charge. Only accept that if the lease and the business will last that long.
- Talk to the landlord. Fibre is an asset to the building. Some landlords will contribute, or will at least approve works quickly, when asked early.
- Read the exit and relocation terms. NBN Co’s wholesale terms charge the provider 85% of the remaining monthly charges if a service it built is cancelled during the first term. Expect a retail exit fee to reflect that, and ask what happens if you move within the same building or to a new address.
- Don’t build for a short lease. On a lease under two years, a build charge rarely pays back. Business NBN on fibre or 5G is usually better value.
We cannot tell you what other businesses pay for a build, because it ranges from nothing inside a zone to a substantial sum where civil works and permits are needed. What we can do is get competing quotes for your address.
Dedicated fibre vs the NBN already in the building over a five-year lease
A worked example using published prices at the time of writing:
| Over 60 months | Business NBN 1000/400 with faster restoration | Enterprise Ethernet 1 Gbps, Low class |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly price | $160 (Aussie Broadband, as listed) | $699 ex GST (Vocus and Swoop, as listed) |
| 60 months of plan | $9,600 | $41,940 ex GST |
| Installation | Usually none at a connected premises | $0 on 36 months; renewal needed for years 4 and 5 |
| Build | None | None in a zone; quoted elsewhere |
The difference is roughly $32,000 over five years before any GST adjustment. Whether that is good value depends on the questions in our 5G vs fibre lease comparison: how much the business uploads, what an hour offline costs, and whether a written 24/7 restoration target matters to clients or insurers. If the answer to all three is “not much”, the NBN already in the building, with a 5G backup, is the better buy.
Get your quotes compared
Kookaburra Comms is not a carrier, and we’re carrier-independent, so the recommendation follows the address rather than a preferred network. We qualify your address for business NBN, Enterprise Ethernet, carrier fibre and 5G, get the build charges in writing, lay out every cost line over your lease, and then manage the order, the internal cabling and the router afterwards. Send us the address and lease term through business internet.