Business internet

If the internet stops, most businesses stop. Plan for two connections.

Name: Real Bytes
Address: Brisbane, QLD, 4000, AU
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Phones, email, bookings, payments and files all run over one link in most offices. Here is how to pick the main connection, what a business plan actually adds, how automatic failover works, and a planner that gives you a setup for your office.

nbn speed tiers from the ACCC and business restoration targets from nbn, checked 30 October 2026.

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nbn, 5G and Starlink
Business vs home plans
Failover planner

Reviewed by Blake Bath, General Manager, on 30 October 2026.

A vet clinic receptionist takes a call on a headset while a customer waits with a small dog. A router and a small 4G backup modem sit on a shelf behind the desk. — **Failover lives in the router**Two links and a dual-WAN router or firewall. The plan alone does not switch over.

When it goes wrong

Five ways an internet outage costs a business.

Each one is common. Most are cheap to prevent.

Phones go dead

Internet phones stop with the link. Customers ring out and assume you are closed.

Backup link
Call diversion
Tested failover

Business internet planner

Get a primary and backup plan for your office.

Four questions about your site. You get the connection to aim for, the backup, and what to ask your provider for.

Four questions. The answer is a primary connection, a backup and what to ask your provider for.

What nbn connection does your office have?

How many people work there?

Do your phones run over the internet?

More than one site?

Your setup

2connections, not one

Primary: Check your address on nbn's website for a fibre upgrade. In upgrade areas you move to fibre by ordering a faster plan through a participating provider; ask them about any cost. Copper cannot get speeds above 100 Mbps.
Backup: A 4G/5G router on a different carrier, or Starlink, as a second link. The firewall switches over automatically.
Phones: Make sure the phone system follows the failover, and that calls can divert to mobiles if the office drops.
Support: A business-grade plan with a written fault response time. A home plan has no service level for repairs.

Get it set up

The options

Connection types compared.

What you can get depends on your address. Start with nbn's address check.

Connection	Download speeds	Best use	Watch for
nbn FTTP (fibre)	Plans up to 1,000 Mbps and above	Main link wherever you can get it	Pick a tier with enough upload
nbn HFC (cable)	Plans up to 1,000 Mbps and above	Main link in metro cable areas	Upload lower than fibre on the top tiers
nbn FTTN or FTTC (copper)	Up to 100 Mbps at best	Light office use	Speed falls with distance; check for a fibre upgrade
nbn fixed wireless	Depends on the tower and plan	Regional sites without fixed line	Busy-hour slowdowns
4G or 5G business broadband	Varies with signal and load	Backup link, temporary sites, or main link where coverage is strong	Test at your address at busy times
Starlink	Varies with plan and location	Regional main link, or backup anywhere with sky view	Needs a clear view of the sky; check plan terms

Since the nbn speed changes, Home Fast, Superfast and Ultrafast plans on FTTP and HFC run at 500/50, 750/50 and 1000/100 Mbps. FTTN and FTTC were unchanged and still top out at 100 Mbps.

Business plans

What a business plan actually adds.

Speed is usually the same. Support is what you pay for.

A fault restoration targetnbn's business options set targets of 4 hours (Service Pro) or 12 hours (Service Essentials and Starter), 24/7. Ask your provider which one your plan includes.
Business support from the providerA team that handles business faults, rather than the general queue.
A static IP when you need oneOften included or a small add-on. Only needed if something must be reached at a fixed address.
Contract terms that suit a businessCheck the term, the exit fee, and whether the plan includes a backup modem.

A restoration target is not a guarantee. It is what nbn aims for. The provider's own terms decide any credit if it is missed.

How failover works

Automatic failover: two links and the right router.

Failover needs three things: a main connection, a second connection that does not share its weak point, and a router or firewall that watches the main link and switches over when it fails.

The second link should be a different technology. nbn plus 4G/5G or Starlink is the usual pair. Two nbn services into the same building often fail together because they share the same cable or node.

Test it. Unplug the main link during a quiet time and check that browsing, calls and payments carry on. Then plug it back in and check traffic moves back.

Dual-WAN router or firewallHas two internet ports and health checks. This does the switching.
Second link on a different path4G/5G on a different carrier to your main provider where possible, or Starlink.
Phones set to followThe phone system registers over the backup, with diversion to mobiles if all else fails.
SD-WAN for several sitesOne managed setup across sites that prioritises calls and cloud apps on the best link.

Our view

Spend on the backup before the bigger speed tier.

For most small offices, the faster tier matters less than the second link. A 500 Mbps fibre service with a 4G/5G backup on a dual-WAN firewall will serve a 20-person office better than a 1,000 Mbps service on its own.

If you are on copper, check the fibre upgrade first. It is the single biggest improvement most FTTN offices can make.

The order

Getting business internet right in five steps.

Step 1Check your address
What nbn technology you have, and whether fibre is coming.
Step 2Pick the main link
A business plan at a tier with enough upload.
Step 3Add a backup
4G/5G or Starlink on a different path.
Step 4Set up failover
Dual-WAN router or firewall, phones included.
Step 5Test it
Pull the plug once, then again every few months.

Related guides

The link is one part. The network is the rest.

Phones, Wi-Fi and the cabinet the connection plugs into.

Get help your way

Six ways to reach us. Pick whichever suits you.

Helpdesk hours are Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm AEST. On Advantage and above, emergencies get a response within 1 hour and outages within 2, with 24/7 best-effort escalation.

Questions

What people ask about business internet.

Is automatic failover done by the router or the internet plan?

By the router or firewall. You need two separate connections, usually nbn plus a 4G/5G or Starlink link, plugged into a router or firewall with two WAN ports. It watches the main link and moves traffic to the backup when it drops. Some providers sell a bundled backup modem, but the switching still happens in the equipment on site.

Will our phone calls survive if the nbn drops?

New calls will, if the phone system and firewall are set up for it. A call in progress usually drops when the link changes, then reconnects on the backup. Set call diversion to mobiles as a second safety net, so calls still get answered if the whole office is offline.

What is the difference between a business and a home nbn plan?

Mainly support. Business nbn services can include a fault restoration target: nbn's wholesale business options are 4 hours on Service Pro and 12 hours on Service Essentials and Starter, around the clock. Home plans have no business restoration target. Business plans also more often include a static IP and business-hours support from the provider.

Do we need a static IP?

Only if something has to be reached from outside at a fixed address, such as an older VPN, a camera system or a server. Most cloud-based businesses no longer need one. If you do, ask for it on the primary link.

Is 5G good enough as our main connection?

It can be, where coverage at your address is strong and you have tested it at busy times. Speeds vary with signal and how many people share the tower. For most offices on fibre, 5G works best as the backup link.

What is a business WAN or SD-WAN?

A way of joining several sites, and several internet links at each site, under one managed setup. It sends calls and cloud apps over the best link at that moment and fails over automatically. It is worth it once you have two or more sites that depend on each other.

Can we get fibre if we are on FTTN?

Maybe. nbn is upgrading copper areas to fibre. If your address is eligible, you order a faster plan through a participating provider and nbn runs fibre to the building. Check your address on nbn's website and ask your provider about costs.

Next step