Interactive explainer
Transfer or switch? The 30-second decision
Answer three questions about your Superloop plan and your new address, and the tool gives you a clear verdict plus a lead-time reminder. It works from the one fact most guides skip: a move is the cheapest moment to re-compare, so transferring should be a choice, not a reflex.
Should you transfer your Superloop plan, or switch?
Indicative guidance only. Always check the NBN technology at your new address and compare plans before you decide.
Your verdict
Assumptions: a move is treated as a near-zero-cost switching moment when no contract term or hardware is owed; a different NBN technology at the new address means the old plan or speed tier may not fit. Indicative 2026 guidance. Sources: NBN Co technology types, Superloop relocation guidance, ACMA.
| NBN technology | What it is | What it delivers | Transfer or switch? |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTTP (fibre to the premises) | Full fibre to the home | Every speed tier up to ultrafast, future-proof | Plan transfers cleanly; a faster tier may now be worth it. |
| HFC (cable) | Pay-TV style coax to the home | Up to fast tiers, reliable for most homes | Usually a clean transfer; check the modem supports HFC. |
| FTTC (fibre to the curb) | Fibre to a pit on your street | Most speed tiers, generally solid | Transfer fine; an NBN connection device may be needed. |
| FTTN (fibre to the node) | Copper for the last stretch | Speed capped by line length and copper quality | Top tiers may not be achievable; right-size the plan. |
| Fixed Wireless | Tower to an antenna on the home | Improving, but variable in peak and weather | Re-check the plan fits; an FTTN/FTTP plan may not suit. |
The short answer
What moving with Superloop really comes down to
Superloop will happily move your internet with you, and the relocation itself is genuinely easy: check the new address is NBN-ready, tell them your moving date, and they organise the rest. But easy is not the same as cheapest. A house move is the single best moment in the whole NBN cycle to re-compare and switch, because you have to take an action either way, the new address may sit on a different NBN technology that changes what your plan can actually deliver, and the switching cost of a move is close to zero. A default transfer is the path of least resistance, and it quietly protects the provider margin, not your bill. This page explains how a Superloop transfer really works, why the move is a free switching trigger, and how to decide whether to carry your plan across or shop the market, all without ending up offline for a week.
Here is the core takeaway in one line: transferring your Superloop plan is the easy default, but the move itself is a free switching trigger, so you should re-compare your plan at the new address before you carry it across by inertia. The relocation being painless is exactly what makes the default tempting, and exactly why so few people stop to check whether the plan still fits. A move forces an action either way, the new address may run on a different NBN technology, and on a no-lock-in plan the cost of leaving is close to nothing.
Reframe the assumption: a transfer is not "doing nothing", it is an active choice you make at the cheapest possible moment to choose differently. So treat the move as the natural review point: check the new address technology, compare your current plan against the market, then transfer or switch on the merits, not on which one feels like less effort.
The blind spot
Why "easy transfer" guides quietly cost you money
Most "Superloop moving house" articles do one of three unhelpful things, and each one nudges you toward the provider default rather than the best outcome for you.
First, they frame the transfer as the whole task. Check the address is NBN-ready, call Superloop, done. That is accurate, but it treats keeping the same plan as the natural endpoint, when the move is actually the cheapest moment in years to ask whether the plan is still right. Easy is being sold as best, and they are not the same thing.
Second, they ignore the technology change under the new roof. The NBN is not one network, it is five connection technologies, and the new address may use a different one. Move from full fibre to FTTN, where the last stretch is copper, and the fast speed tier you pay for may not be achievable on the line. A guide that says "your plan moves with you" skips the question of whether your plan still makes sense once it lands.
Third, they treat switching as a hassle to avoid. They imply leaving is painful, so transferring is the safe choice. In reality, a move is when switching is least painful: you are already changing address and connection, and on a month-to-month plan there is usually nothing to pay to leave. Painting the switch as risky protects retention, not your wallet.
How an NBN move actually works, piece by piece
Expert analysis: why the move is the leverage point
Why a default transfer protects the provider, not you
Retention is the cheapest growth a telco has, so every relocation flow is built to make transferring frictionless and switching feel like effort. That is not a conspiracy, it is sound business: a customer who moves their plan across keeps paying the same margin with zero acquisition cost. The catch is that the easiest path for the provider is rarely the sharpest deal for you, especially if your plan has quietly drifted above the current market rate while you were not looking. A move is one of the few moments the customer holds the leverage, because you have to engage either way, so the provider has to earn the transfer rather than assume it.
The NBN is five technologies, and the new address may switch yours
The single biggest reason not to transfer on autopilot is technology. NBN Co connects premises by FTTP (full fibre), HFC (cable), FTTC (fibre to the curb), FTTN (fibre to the node, with copper for the last stretch) and Fixed Wireless. The technology at the new address, not your plan, sets the ceiling on real-world speed. Carry a fast-tier plan from FTTP onto an FTTN line and you may be paying for speeds the copper cannot deliver. Move the other way onto full fibre and a faster tier suddenly becomes worth buying. Right-sizing the plan to the line is money found or saved, and only a move puts that question in front of you.
The cost of leaving is lowest at a move
Switching costs are what keep people on plans they have outgrown: the effort, the install wait, the fear of downtime. A move dissolves most of them. You are already changing address, already arranging a connection, already facing a possible activation gap, so the marginal cost of switching provider on top is small. On a no-lock-in plan there is usually no exit fee at all. If you do owe a contract term or hardware, weigh that against the saving, but for the large share of customers on month-to-month plans the move is as close to a free switch as the market offers.
Lead time is the risk you actually control
The one genuine danger in a move, whether you transfer or switch, is timing. A relocation or a new connection can take a few business days, longer if a technician visit or a technology change is involved. Leave it to the last week and you can land in the new home with no internet for days. Booking 2 to 4 weeks ahead lets the activation line up with your move-in date, and a cheap mobile hotspot covers any short gap. Lead time, not the transfer-versus-switch decision, is what determines whether you are online on day one.
What this looks like in real moves
How the transfer reflex plays out for Australians
The mechanics above are not theory. They are exactly how households end up overpaying or stuck offline after a move:
The plan that no longer fit the line
A renter transfers a premium fast-tier plan from a full-fibre flat to a house on FTTN, because the relocation was a two-minute phone call. The copper line cannot reach the speeds they pay for, so for months they are buying performance the address cannot deliver, never realising a cheaper tier would feel identical.
The price that crept past the market
A family carries the same plan across three moves without ever re-comparing, because transferring is easy each time. The plan has drifted well above current market rates, and three separate free switching moments passed by unused. The easy default cost them every time.
The week offline
A mover books the relocation two days before moving day, assuming it is instant. A technician visit is needed at the new FTTC address, the slot is a week out, and the household works off mobile data, tethering laptops, until the connection comes alive.
The modem that needed replacing anyway
A customer transfers to avoid the bother of switching, then finds their HFC modem will not work on the new FTTN connection and has to buy hardware regardless. The switching cost they were dodging was already unavoidable, so the comparison they skipped was effectively free.
The insider insight
The move is the discount, if you use it
Here is the part most relocation guides never put plainly. The hardest barrier to getting a better internet deal is not price, it is inertia: the friction of switching while everything is working fine. A house move demolishes that barrier for you. You are already disrupting the connection, already taking an action, already facing the small admin of a new address. The cost of comparing and switching, which feels enormous on a quiet Tuesday, shrinks to almost nothing in the middle of a move. Providers know this too, which is exactly why the relocation flow is engineered to be so smooth: a frictionless transfer is how they keep you from noticing the moment is ripe to leave.
The non-obvious truth: the move itself is the discount mechanism. The households that come out ahead are not the ones who found a magic deal, they are the ones who treated the move as a forced review, checked the new address technology, compared the market, and made the transfer earn its place. The easy transfer is the bait. The re-compare is the win.
The practical consequence: do not transfer by reflex. Use the move as the prompt to check the technology at the new address, compare your plan against what is on offer, and only then decide. Whatever you choose, book it 2 to 4 weeks out so you are online on day one.
Grounded in the analysis
What you should actually do when moving with Superloop
Specific moves that follow from how a relocation really works, not generic advice.
Check the new address technology first
Find out which NBN technology the new home uses before anything else, because the line, not your plan, sets the real speed. If it differs from now (especially a move onto FTTN), your current tier may no longer fit, so size the plan to the line.
Re-compare before you transfer
Treat the move as a forced review. Compare your current Superloop plan against what is available at the new address, including other NBN providers. On a no-lock-in plan the cost of switching is close to zero, so make the transfer earn its place.
Book 2 to 4 weeks ahead, keep a backup
Whether you transfer or switch, lock in the date well in advance so activation lands on or near move-in day. Check your modem suits the new connection type, and keep a mobile hotspot handy to cover any short gap.
Planning the wider move? Use our moving checklist, sort your internet connection, and compare plans across the market with our internet providers guide.
Current figures, last updated 2026-06-16
Indicative figures for moving a Superloop NBN service in 2026. Sources: NBN Co technology types, Superloop relocation guidance and the ACMA. Costs and timelines vary by plan, address and NBN technology, so treat every figure as a ballpark and confirm with your provider for your move.
The bottom line
Why a move is a switching trigger, not just a transfer
Superloop makes relocating genuinely easy, and for plenty of households a clean transfer is the right call. But easy is not automatically cheapest, and the move is the rarest of things: a moment when the cost of switching collapses to almost nothing. The new address may sit on a different NBN technology that changes what your plan can deliver, you have to take an action either way, and on a no-lock-in plan there is nothing to pay to leave. So use the move as a forced review: check the technology at the new address, compare your plan against the market, then transfer or switch on the merits, and book it 2 to 4 weeks ahead so you are online from day one. The households that win in 2026 are the ones who treat the move as the discount it is.
Common questions
A Selectra expert answers your Superloop moving questions
It depends on three things: whether you are still happy with the price and speed, whether the new address uses the same NBN technology, and whether you still owe anything on a contract or a modem. If you are happy on all three, transferring is the simplest path. But a move is the cheapest moment to switch, because you have to take an action either way and there is no inertia to overcome. If your plan has crept up in price, if the new address is on a different NBN technology (say you move from full fibre to FTTN, where top speeds may not be reachable), or if a sharper deal is available, the move is the natural moment to shop the market. Compare your current plan against what is available at the new address before you default to a transfer.
First, check the new address is NBN-ready and find out which NBN technology it uses, because that decides what your plan can deliver. Then contact Superloop well before your moving date, give them the new address and the date, and they organise the relocation. Check whether your existing modem is compatible with the connection type at the new home, as some technologies (FTTN, FTTC) need specific hardware or settings. Book the move 2 to 4 weeks ahead so the activation lands on or near your move-in day, and have a mobile hotspot as a backup in case there is a short gap.
Superloop generally aims to activate a relocation within a few business days, but the real-world timeline depends on the NBN technology at the new address, whether a technician visit is needed, and how busy the network is. A like-for-like transfer (same technology, no technician) can be quick; a new connection or a technology change can take longer. The safe approach is to book 2 to 4 weeks ahead. Leaving it to the last minute is the main reason people end up offline for days after a move, working off mobile data while they wait.
In many cases Superloop lets you relocate the service without a relocation charge, but it depends on your plan and the new address. The costs that can appear are a new-development or new-connection charge if the premises has not been connected before, a hardware cost if your modem is not compatible with the new technology, and exit fees only if you are on a fixed-term contract and choose to switch providers rather than transfer. If you are on a month-to-month no-lock-in plan, there is usually nothing to pay to leave, which is exactly why a move is such a low-cost moment to re-compare.
Not necessarily, and this is the part most transfers ignore. Your speed depends on the NBN technology at the new premises. If you move from FTTP or HFC to FTTN, where the last stretch is copper, your achievable speed can be lower regardless of the speed tier you pay for, so you could be paying for a fast plan the line cannot deliver. If you move the other way, to full fibre, a faster tier may now be worth buying. Check the technology at the new address first, then right-size the plan to what the line can actually achieve.
Often yes, but it depends on the NBN technology at the new home. A modem set up for one connection type may need different settings or extra hardware for another, so a move from, say, HFC to FTTN can mean reconfiguring or replacing the modem. Check with Superloop whether your current setup is compatible with the new address before moving day. If you do need new hardware anyway, that is one more reason to compare plans, because the small switching cost you were avoiding may already be unavoidable.
