Geelong’s internet story is different from most Australian cities. A 1990s cable-TV rollout ended up serving inner-city homes for decades, and bits of it are still alive today. That’s why two neighbours on the same street can sit on completely different infrastructure.
The quick version
Geelong’s internet story is different from most Australian cities. A cable TV network built in the 1990s evolved into an internet provider that still operates today alongside NBN. This gives some Geelong residents options that don’t exist elsewhere.
The Late 1990s/Early 2000s: Cable Comes to Geelong
While Neighbourhood Cable started in Mildura in 1996, the Geelong network came later. Neighbourhood Cable - a Ballarat-based telecommunications company (NOT Austar, as is sometimes incorrectly stated) - rolled out hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) cables through inner Geelong suburbs.
These cables were run down streets and into homes, originally for cable television and broadband internet.
Areas covered included:
- Geelong CBD and surrounds
- Newtown and Geelong West
- East Geelong and South Geelong
- Belmont and Highton
- Parts of Grovedale and Corio
The 2000s–2010s: ownership changes (the Geelong cable’s long survival)
The HFC line that runs into thousands of inner-Geelong homes today was laid by Neighbourhood Cable. It's outlived four owners and is still working.
Five corporate hand-offs in twenty years
Neighbourhood Cable rolls out HFC across inner Geelong suburbs.
TransACT acquires Neighbourhood Cable.
Neighbourhood Cable brand retired; merged into TransACT.
iiNet acquires TransACT.
TPG acquires iiNet (and the network with it).
Network moves to Vision Network — TPG's wholesale division.
Throughout this whole stretch, Geelong cable subscribers often had faster internet than friends on ADSL. While dial-up was still common in some Australian areas, inner-Geelong cable subscribers were downloading at speeds that wouldn’t become widespread until NBN arrived.
The NBN era (2010s onwards): the cable that wouldn’t die
The cable was never decommissioned. NBN was busy replacing the copper phone network — the HFC was someone else’s problem.
When NBN arrived in Geelong, something genuinely unusual happened: the existing cable network didn’t shut down. NBN was focused on replacing the old copper phone network, the cable was separate infrastructure, and iiNet just kept providing service. The cable kept going.
The practical result for inner-Geelong residents: at many addresses you can still choose between NBN (usually FTTN, sometimes FTTP) and iiNet Cable. That’s a rarity in Australia — most addresses have NBN as their only fixed-line option.
What this means for residents today
- Check your address with both NBN (nbnco.com.au/check-your-address) AND iiNet (iinet.net.au).
- You may have a choice that most Australians don’t.
- Compare honestly — neither network is always better. iiNet Cable often beats slow FTTN for download; NBN FTTP wins for upload and gigabit tiers.
- Consider your actual usage — heavy upload (work, content, cloud backup) tilts the answer. Mostly streaming and browsing tilts it the other way.
Geelong’s Current Internet Landscape
| Technology | Where | Provider(s) |
|---|---|---|
| NBN FTTP | New estates, some upgrades | Multiple |
| NBN FTTN | Most established suburbs | Multiple |
| NBN HFC | Some areas | Multiple |
| iiNet Cable | Inner Geelong legacy areas | iiNet only |
| 5G Home | Where coverage exists | Telstra, Optus |
| Starlink | Rural/regional | Starlink |
The outer suburbs
Areas developed after the cable rollout (Armstrong Creek, Charlemont, Warralily, Mount Duneed estates) went straight to fibre — many of them on private OptiComm networks rather than NBN itself. These newer areas typically have FTTP-equivalent speeds — the best the country has on offer.
Meanwhile, some older suburbs ended up with FTTN, which can be slower than the 1990s cable network running through neighbouring streets. The irony isn’t lost on long-time residents.
Regional Variations
Beyond Geelong:
- Surf Coast (Torquay, Anglesea): NBN, some Fixed Wireless
- Bellarine (Ocean Grove, Queenscliff): Mix of FTTN and FTTP
- Golden Plains: Mostly Fixed Wireless and Satellite
- Colac-Otway: Mix of technologies, some Starlink uptake
Why This Matters
Understanding Geelong’s internet history explains:
- Why some streets have choices others don’t
- Why your neighbour might have different speeds
- Why “just get NBN” isn’t always the obvious answer
- Why local knowledge matters when fixing internet problems
Related reading
- iiNet Cable Geelong — what’s left of the legacy cable network
- OptiComm Geelong — the private fibre running through Armstrong Creek and the new estates
- Private fibre networks — the broader picture
- Service areas across Geelong, Surf Coast and Bellarine — suburb-by-suburb context
Official resources
- NBN Address Checker — Check what NBN technology is available at your address
- iiNet Cable Plans — Check if cable internet is available at your Geelong address
- OptiComm Service Providers — List of providers for OptiComm estates
Common questions
Why do some Geelong homes have iiNet Cable instead of NBN?+
They sit on the legacy Neighbourhood Cable HFC network from the late 1990s, which was kept running through several ownership changes (TransACT → iiNet → TPG). It's separate infrastructure from NBN and was never decommissioned, so eligible inner-Geelong addresses can still take an iiNet Cable plan.
Is iiNet Cable better than NBN?+
Sometimes. On a healthy iiNet Cable line, peak speeds can match or beat the FTTN speeds of a neighbouring NBN home. But the cable network is ageing, support is iiNet-only, and it can't compete with FTTP on raw performance. Compare both at your address before deciding.
Why did newer estates skip straight to fibre?+
Two reasons. NBN's policy mandated FTTP for new developments after a certain date, and many large estate developers struck deals with private fibre providers like OptiComm. So Armstrong Creek, Charlemont, Warralily and similar got the best technology by default.
Can I tell what infrastructure I'm on without checking the address?+
Sometimes — a small VDSL modem and a copper phone-line connection means FTTN; a wall-mounted NBN box (NTD) with a fibre lead means FTTP; a similar wall box but fed from coaxial cable means HFC. The most reliable test is still the NBN Co address checker.