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Compare Internet Plans in Australia

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We’re all relying on home internet a little bit more these days. Whether it’s to work from home, stay connected to friends and family, or just fight boredom. With all of us staying home more, and therefore using more internet, it’s more important than ever to make sure we have a fast, reliable, and affordable connection. If you’re looking to learn more about broadband in Australia, and discover the best internet providers, continue reading below.

Compare types of home internet

The technology used to connect to the internet is changing, with the rollout of the NBN across Australia, the phasing-out of ADSL, and the installation of 5G. There are so many different ways, old and new, to make sure you stay connected, and if you’re not sure about their differences keep reading below.

NBN broadband

NBN is the latest high-speed internet technology that has rolled out across Australia. While there are different types of NBN connections depending on where you live, the basic idea is the NBN will connect homes to the internet with high-speed fibre optic cables allowing for download speeds of up to 100Mbps, or even more in some instances. With NBN you can choose to get a home phone line, but unlike old ADSL conntections you don't need one

Home wireless broadband in Australia

Unlike other home broadband technologies, home wireless broadband relies on the mobile phone network to connect your home to the internet. A wireless broadband modem connects to whichever mobile network you choose (Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone) and allows for multiple devices including computers, phones, or tablets to connect to it at the same time. While traditional home wireless broadband speeds can get up to 24Mbps, new 5G home broadband can reach well over 100Mbps, making it a faster alternative even to most NBN plans.

Cable broadband in Australia

Cable broadband is an alternative to NBN and ADSL, which uses an exclusive network of fibre and copper cables to deliver data to households. While faster than traditional ADSL, it’s less reliable than new NBN technology. Telstra and Optus are the two main cable broadband providers, and as NBN becomes more popular, cable is less readily available.

ADSL and ADSL2+ in Australia

Now obsolete, ADSL and ADSL2+ was the older technology used to deliver home internet via the copper telephone wires connected to a house. Since the rollout of NBN, most internet providers have pulled their ADSL plans from their websites and no longer offer them to new customers. If you still have ADSL it’s important to switch over to a different type of broadband soon to avoid losing service.

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Compare internet: Fastest NBN providers

When choosing an NBN plan, speed is one of the most important things to consider. NBN plans are divided into different download speeds, to better fit different household sizes and needs.

NBN Speed Tiers Explained
NBN Speed Tier
Download/Upload Speeds
Household Size What Are These Speeds Good For?
NBN 12
12Mbps/1Mbps
1-2 People
  • Low internet users
  • One connected device
  • Browsing the web or social media
NBN 25
25Mbps/5Mbps
1-3 People
  • Low-to-medium internet users
  • Connecting a couple of devices
  • Streaming in standard definition
NBN 50
50Mbps/20Mbps
2-4 People
  • Moderate internet users
  • Streaming, casual gaming
  • Uploading larger files
NBN 100
100Mbps/40Mbps
4+ People
  • Heavy internet users
  • Streaming and gaming in HD
  • Video conferencing
  • Uploading large files
NBN Superfast
250Mbps/25Mbps
Large Households
  • Heavy internet users and professional gamers
  • Working and studying from home
  • Downloading large files
NBN Ultrafast
1000Mbps/40Mbps
Large Households
  • Professional gamers and in-home small businesses
  • Reliable internet connection 24/7
  • The fastest NBN speed available

However, these speed standards only outline the maximum speeds possible. Most internet service providers display their NBN plans with the average evening speed, this is the estimated average download speed you will actually get during peak busy hours during the evening. Some of the best internet providers have a higher average evening speed than others.

Check your broadband speed Use the Internet Speed Test to find out how fast your internet is, and learn tips and tricks that might speed up your connection.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) releases their quarterly report Measuring Broadband Australia, which details advertised vs actual download speeds from the biggest internet service providers in Australia. Below you can find a table of the top internet providers in Australia, along with the download average percentage of plan speed for all hours, and peak busy hours. This means, for example, if you choose an Optus NBN50 plan, during peak busy hours your download speeds would only be 98.5% of 50Mbps while overall, you would experience download speeds at 99.4% of 50Mbps.

NBN plan percentage of max speed by provider
Provider Percentage of download speed during all hours Actual performance during busiest hours
Aussie Broadband 97% 96.1%
Dodo & iPrimus 86.1% 85%
Exetel 90.4% 89.9%
iiNet 97.1% 96.5%
MyRepublic 97% 95.7%
Optus 99.4% 98.7%
Superloop 96.4% 95.3%
Telstra 98.2% 97.1%
TPG 99.5% 98.9%
Vodafone 94.5% 93.7%

Source: ACCC Measuring Broadband Australia March 2021, Figure 18

Internet providers are now offering Superfast and Ultrafast NBN speeds to their lineup of broadband plans. These impossibly fast download speeds are only really available if you have an FTTP or HFC connection to your premises, but can deliver speeds of up to NBN250 or even NBN1000 to your home. Plans for Superfast and Ultrafast NBN start around $100 per month, and all come with unlimited data. These providers offering NBN250 and NBN1000 include:

Compare internet deals & cheapest NBN plans

If you’re less concerned about getting the fastest internet available, and instead want to find the cheapest NBN plans to suit your needs, you can find some of the cheapest providers and best internet deals with no lock-in contract below.

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Cheapest NBN plans with unlimited data

Maybe you don’t need the fastest plan, but still want a good broadband speed for your household. Here are some of the cheapest NBN plans with unlimited data, meaning that even if you don’t game or stream Ultra 4K video frequently, you can enjoy unlimited broadband without needing to worry about data caps or reduced download speeds.

Cheapest NBN plans
NBN provider NBN plan features
Flip Value 12
10Mbps typical evening speeds
$34 / month first 6 months
$44.90 / month after
Unlimited data
BYO modem
+$149 optional modem
No contract
Flip Premium 25 BYO
21Mbps typical evening speeds
$44 / month first 6 months
$54.90 / month after
Unlimited data
BYO modem
No contract
Kogan Bronze
23Mbps typical evening speeds
$57.90 / month first 6 months
$63.90 / month after
Unlimited data
BYO modem
BYO modem
No contract

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.

Cheapest NBN plans with limited data

If you’re not a big internet user, you might not want to pay the extra cash for unlimited data. Maybe you just use the internet to browse social media and check your emails, in which case here are the cheapest NBN plans with limited data, so you never need to pay for more than you need.

Cheapest NBN plans with data caps
TPG NBN12
10GB / month
TPG NBN12
100GB / month
Internode NBN12
100GB / month
$29.99 / month
Month-to-month
$49.99 / month
Month-to-month
$49.99 / month
Month-to-month

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Compare internet: Home wireless broadband plans

If you’re looking for an alternative to the NBN, home wireless broadband is a good choice. Rather than a fixed wireless network (like the NBN or ADSL), home wireless broadband uses the mobile broadband network to connect the devices in your home to the internet. While 4G home wireless broadband speeds aren’t quite as fast as NBN, new 5G home wireless broadband plans perform as well as, if not better than, the NBN.

4G home wireless broadband: Plans with 200GB of data and less

If you’re not a huge internet user, you probably only need a little bit of data every month. Most home wireless broadband plans are available with either 200GB of data or 500GB of data per month, and below you can find a comparison of plans with 200GB of data or less.

200GB or less home wireless broadband plans
Home broadband provider Home broadband plan details
Optus 4G Home Internet Lite
200GB of data
24-month contract
$59 / month
$0 modem
Vodafone
200GB of data
Month-to-month
$55 / month
+$180 modem ($0 if you stay for 36 months)
Southern Phone
Home Wireless 50
200GB of data
24-month contract
$50 / month
+$79 modem
Tangerine
200GB of data
Month-to-month
$59.90 / month
BYO modem
Yomojo
200GB of data
Month-to-month
$59.90 / month
+$179 modem upfront
SpinTel
200GB of data
Month-to-month
$49.95 / month
Rent or purchase modem

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.

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4G home wireless broadband: Plans with more than 200GB of data

If you need a bit more data, home wireless plans with 500GB of data usually have enough data for social media, browsing the web, and light streaming. Below, you’ll find home wireless broadband plans with 500GB of data per month.

Home wireless broadband plans with more than 200GB of data
Home broadband provider Home broadband plan details
Optus 4G Home Internet Lite
500GB of data
24-month contract
$69 / month
$0 modem
Vodafone
400GB of data
Month-to-month
$65 / month
+$180 modem ($0 if you stay for 36 months)
Southern Phone
Home Wireless 70
500GB of data
24-month contract
$70 / month
+$79 modem
Tangerine
500GB of data
Month-to-month
$69.90 / month
BYO modem
Yomojo
500GB of data
Month-to-month
$69.90 / month
+$179 modem upfront
SpinTel
500GB of data
Month-to-month
$69.95 / month
Rent or purchase modem
Exetel
500GB of data250GB of data
12-month contract
$69 / month
+$94.50 modem (+$20 shipping)

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.

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Compare 5G home wireless broadband

While it’s slowly getting rolled out across the country, 5G isn’t available everywhere just yet. But if you’re one of those who already live in a place with 5G access, you might be able to get 5G home wireless broadband. Currently, only Optus, and Spintel on the Optus 5G Network, offer 5G home wireless but their 5G plans are comparable to even some of the fastest NBN plans.

5G home wireless broadband plans
Optus
5G Internet Everyday
100Mbps capped speed
24-month contract
Spintel
Unlimited data
239Mbps average download speed
No lock-in contract
$75 / month
$0 start-up
$200 start-up with month-to-month contract
$70 / month first 6 months
$90 / month after
Modem included

Source: Providers individual websites. Actual offers may vary. Actual speeds may vary. Comparison does not include all providers, products, or plan features. Typical evening speed 7pm-11pm and subject to change. Valid June 2021.