Forecast: Fibre, FWA to sustain Australia broadband services revenue
October 27, 2026



Australia’s fixed internet services revenue is expected to witness a moderate compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 1 per cent during 2026-2031, primarily supported by steady growth in fibre broadband and fixed wireless access (FWA) lines, according to GlobalData, the intelligence and productivity platform.

GlobalData’s Australia Fixed Services Forecast (Q2-2026) reveals that cable internet services are expected to decline over the forecast period as legacy infrastructure is progressively decommissioned and migrated to fiber as a part of NBN‘s network modernization initiatives.


Neha Mishra, Telecom Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Fiber will continue to be the leading technology to deliver fixed broadband services across Australia, driven by rising demand for high-speed internet services and ongoing efforts of the local government and service providers to improve fibre network infrastructure in the country.”

For instance, NBN Co and the Australian Government have jointly invested about AUD3.8 billion ($2.4 billion) to provide new upgrade paths for remaining homes and businesses across Australia on Fiber to the Node (FTTN) network, which is expected to benefit about 622,000 homes and businesses, with more than 95% of the premises becoming eligible for NBN full fibre upgrade by 2030.

About 577,000 premises are currently under the detailed design stage, with about 254,000 of these designed premises are currently under construction, out of which, about 91,000 are eligible for full fiber upgrade. Over 11 million households and businesses are expected to be eligible to access multi-gigabit speeds by December 2030.

FWA subscriber lines are also expected to increase at a 4% CAGR during 2026-2031, supported by continued 5G network expansion, increasing availability of high-speed wireless connectivity, and demand from households and small businesses seeking faster broadband without the need for a fixed-line connection.

Telstra led the fixed broadband services market in 2025 and is expected to maintain its leadership through 2031, supported by its strong presence in the fiber segment, with its strong focus on FTTH/B rollout and infrastructure development.

For instance, Telstra will be boosting its national fiber network, adding up to 20,000km of new route sheaths by 2027. The project is set to improve the reach and size of its existing extensive optical fiber network. In 2025, Telstra completed the deployment of 5,000km national Intercity Fiber Network (rebranded as Aura network), connecting Sydney to Canberra (initiated in 2022). As an extension to this, in October 2025, the telco has commenced the deployment of 14,000km coastal route from Sydney to Melbourne, which is expected to be operational by 2027.

Mishra concludes: “Australia’s fixed broadband landscape is pivoting from legacy transition to infrastructure monetization. As multi-gigabit accessibility scales nationwide by 2030, service providers must transcend basic connectivity. Future revenue acceleration hinges on high-margin enterprise services, automated network slicing via 5G FWA, and premium smart-home bundles that transform enhanced fiber capacity into sustained digital ecosystem growth.”