When nbn Will Accept a Performance Incident
(Slow Speeds or Dropouts)
What is a Performance Incident?
A Performance Incident (PI) is when your nbn service is connected, but not performing properly — for example:
- You’re experiencing slow speeds that are well below what’s expected for your plan, or
- You’re experiencing frequent unexpected dropouts where the connection temporarily cuts out and comes back.
As your internet provider, we work with nbn to test and troubleshoot these types of issues. However, nbn will only accept and investigate a performance issue if it meets certain thresholds defined in their Wholesale Broadband Agreement (WBA) Operations Manual.
These thresholds ensure that nbn’s network resources are focused on genuine performance faults rather than temporary slowdowns or issues caused by factors outside the nbn network (like Wi-Fi, internal wiring, or your modem).
When nbn Will Accept a Performance Incident
nbn defines specific criteria (or “PI thresholds”) that must be met before it will investigate a performance issue.
Here’s what that means in plain English:
Frequent Unexpected Dropouts
If your nbn connection:
- Drops out between 4 and 7 times within a single day,
and those dropouts happened on the current day or within the previous two days,
then this meets nbn’s threshold for a Performance Incident.
An “unexpected dropout” means your service temporarily loses connection for no apparent reason — not due to:
- A power outage, internal wiring issue, or modem problem inside your home (called “Customer Events”), or
- Planned maintenance or outages (unless it’s an emergency outage that occurred because of an existing service fault you already reported).
If your service has this level of instability, we can raise a Performance Incident with nbn for investigation.
Slow Speeds on Your nbn Plan
nbn also considers a Performance Incident if your connection speed is significantly lower than expected for your plan — even though the service is technically online.
For most nbn plans (25/5 Mbps and above)
If your connection consistently performs:
- Above your plan’s minimum expected speed (e.g. 25 Mbps download / 5 Mbps upload), but still well below what your line should be capable of,
then nbn may accept it as a Performance Incident.
For example, if you’re on a 50/20 plan but regularly getting around 25 Mbps or less despite ideal testing conditions (wired, single device, off-peak), it could meet the PI threshold.
For lower-speed plans (e.g. 12/1 Mbps or higher)
nbn may accept a Performance Incident if the average speeds are:
- Below the typical performance range expected for your service type, or
- Less than 80% of the best performance your line has previously achieved (after the network has stabilised in your area).
Fibre Services – Speed at a Point in Time
For fibre-based services, nbn performs a special point-in-time throughput test.
A Performance Incident can be raised if both of the following are true:
- The test shows your speed is consistently below:
- 80% of your plan speed for plans up to 100 Mbps, or
- 70% of your plan speed for plans above 100 Mbps; and
- nbn doesn’t detect any other cause (such as temporary congestion or an existing network fault).
| Plan Name | nbn May Investigate If Speeds Are Consistently Below... |
|---|---|
| 25 / 10 Plan | 20 Mbps down / 8 Mbps up |
| 50 / 20 Plan | 40 Mbps down / 16 Mbps up |
| 100 / 40 Plan | 80 Mbps down / 32 Mbps up |
| 250 / 100 Plan | 175 Mbps down / 70 Mbps up |
| 500 / 200 Plan | 350 Mbps down / 140 Mbps up |
| 1000 / 400 Plan | 700 Mbps down / 280 Mbps up |
| Home Fast (500 / 50) | 350 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up |
| Home Superfast (750 / 50) | 525 Mbps down / 35 Mbps up |
| Home Ultrafast (1000 / 100) | 700 Mbps down / 70 Mbps up |
| Home Hyperfast (2000 / 200) | 1400 Mbps down / 140 Mbps up |
When nbn Won’t Accept a Performance Incident
nbn won’t accept a PI if:
- Your service is on nbn Fixed Wireless, Satellite, or FTTB technology.
- You have a service type that already includes Enhanced Fault Rectification (special response level).
- The issue is due to things outside the nbn network, such as Wi-Fi interference, router configuration, power issues, or internal home cabling.
What Happens Next
If your service meets these thresholds:
- Our team will raise a Performance Incident Trouble Ticket with nbn.
- nbn will test the line, identify any network-related issue, and carry out repairs if needed.
- We’ll keep you informed as we work with nbn to resolve it.
If the issue doesn’t meet the thresholds, we’ll still help troubleshoot and improve your connection — but nbn won’t accept it as a network performance incident.
In Summary
| Issue Type | When nbn Will Investigate |
|---|---|
| Frequent dropouts | 4–7 unexpected disconnections in one day |
| Slow speeds on higher-speed plans | Speeds consistently well below expected, e.g. < 50/20 Mbps on a 50/20 plan |
| Slow speeds on entry-level plans | Speeds less than 80% of the best previously recorded performance |
| Fibre plan speeds | Below 80% of plan speed (≤ 100 Mbps) or 70% (> 100 Mbps) |
| Outside factors | Wi-Fi issues, internal wiring, or modems — not accepted by nbnWi-Fi issues, internal wiring, or modems — not accepted by nbn |
Need Help?
If you’re unsure whether your issue qualifies, just contact our support team.
We’ll run diagnostics and, if the results meet nbn’s performance criteria, we’ll raise a case directly with them on your behalf.
