A recent post on the r/nbn subreddit has ignited discussions within the Australian tech community, with a user claiming involvement in a clandestine 50Gbps NBN Enterprise Ethernet (EE) trial. This revelation comes as NBN Co continues its nationwide upgrades, sparking curiosity about the veracity of this “50 Gig” claim.
The user, operating under the pseudonym Future_Muffin_8248, shared a screenshot displaying an astounding download speed of 46,059 Mbps, purportedly achieved using an unreleased Nokia ONT and a UniFi setup. However, a deeper analysis suggests this claim may be more fiction than fact.
The Reddit Post: A Closer Look
The account in question has existed for over a year but only recently became active with this singular post. The user has since engaged with skeptics, responding to six inquiries about the claim’s legitimacy. A short video uploaded to Imgur shows a Speedtest running on Windows 11, with Aussie Broadband as the ISP.
The Reality Check: Technical Red Flags
- The Asymmetry Problem
- The Server Bottleneck
- Hardware Limitations
The most glaring issue is the speed discrepancy. The screenshot shows:
Download: ~46,000 Mbps
Upload: ~4,800 Mbps
Why it’s fake: NBN Enterprise Ethernet is designed to be symmetrical. Official NBN plans for late 2025 confirm that high-tier enterprise services, such as the 10Gbps tier, ensure equal upload and download speeds. A genuine fiber trial of this scale would not feature a 10:1 speed ratio, a common artifact of manipulating browser tools.
The test was reportedly conducted against an Aussie Broadband (Sydney) server. While Aussie Broadband excels in high-speed fiber, their commercial enterprise products currently peak at 10Gbps. Standard Speedtest.net servers typically utilize 10Gbps or 40Gbps backbones, making it physically impossible for a 10Gbps-linked server to deliver 46Gbps to a single client.
The user claims to use UniFi equipment. Although Ubiquiti’s 2025 roadmap is ambitious, their current flagship devices support 10Gbps to 25Gbps throughput. No existing UniFi hardware can route 50Gbps of internet traffic, which would necessitate specialized enterprise-grade NICs and substantial PCIe bandwidth.
Where the NBN Actually Stands
To contextualize this hoax, here’s the current state of the NBN network as of December 2025:
- Residential Multi-Gig: NBN Co launched its 2Gbps “Hyperfast” tier in September 2025.
- Enterprise Limits: The highest commercial wholesale tier for Enterprise Ethernet is 10Gbps (10,000/10,000 Mbps).
- Next-Gen Hardware: NBN is deploying new Network Termination Devices (NTDs) that support up to 8Gbps.
The Verdict: Fake
Although NBN Co has conducted lab trials of 50G-PON and 100G-PON technology, these are infrastructure-level tests not yet accessible to individual users on Reddit. The combination of asymmetric speeds, server constraints, and unsupported hardware renders this 50Gbps claim a classic case of a “Speedtest Spoof.”
As the digital landscape evolves, it’s crucial to remain vigilant and discerning. If an “Enterprise” claim doesn’t feature matching upload and download speeds, it likely involves someone experimenting with browser developer tools.
Stay informed and skeptical, as the line between groundbreaking technology and elaborate hoaxes continues to blur in the digital age.
