The landline, home phone, fixed-line...whatever you want to call it, the once-necessary accessory to every home is now becoming obsolete. With the rollout of the National Broadband Network, and therefore the replacement of the old copper telephone wires with fibre-optic cable and other technologies, it is truly no longer necessary to pay for a home phone line if you don’t want one. For more information about broadband without a phone line, and to compare broadband plans to find the best internet deal for your household, continue reading below.
NBN Plans Without a Phone Line
Thanks to the National Broadband Network, there isn’t really any need to have a phone line anymore.
This means that every NBN plan currently on the market does not automatically include a landline. Rather, if you want a landline you will need to sign up for a VoIP phone service either separately or bundled with your NBN plan.
NBN 12, or NBN Basic, is the slowest speed tier of the NBN and also the cheapest. NBN 12 can achieve maximum download speeds of 12Mbps and is adequate for one or two people who prefer to browse social media, check emails, or surf the web.
Here you can find a comparison of NBN 12 plans that do not come with a phone line.
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 November 2021.
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NBN 25 Plans Without a Landline
NBN 25 is a bit of a step up from NBN 12 and a good balance between budget broadband and speed. With NBN 25, or NBN Standard, households of one to three people can browse the web and social media, as well as stream some videos in standard quality.
Here you can find a comparison of NBN 25 plans without a phone line.
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 November 2021.
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NBN 50, or NBN Standard Plus, allows larger households of two to four people to not only browse the web, check emails, and go on social media, but also game online and stream videos.
Below is a comparison of NBN 50 plans available without a phone line.
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 October 2021.
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NBN 100 Plans Without a Landline
For larger households who want to stream videos and game online in HD quality, NBN 100 or NBN Premium is a good NBN speed tier to sign up for. At NBN 100, download speeds are fast enough for households of four or more people with multiple devices to stream, game, video chat, and more.
$89.99 / month first 12 months $99.99 / month after +$99.95 optional modem (or BYO)
90Mbps typical evening speed
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 November 2021.
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NBN Superfast Plans Without a Landline
For super heavy online gamers and streamers, NBN 250or NBN Superfast allows for seamless online play for even the heaviest of internet users. Below you can find a comparison of NBN Superfast plans without a phone line.
$99.99 / month first 6 months $129.99 / month after Modem not included
200Mbps typical evening speed
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 November 2021. NBN Superfast only available at select connections.
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NBN Ultrafast Plans Without a Landline
As the fastest NBN speed tier currently available, NBN Ultrafast or NBN 1000 allows for seamless internet use no matter what you’re using the internet for. Small, online-based businesses, households with multiple online gamers, and big households who like to stream across multiple devices in HD quality will find NBN Ultrafast to be more than enough for what they need.
Below you will find a comparison of NBN Ultrafast plans without a phone line available in Australia.
$119.99 / month first 6 months $149.99 / month after Modem not included
200Mbps typical evening speed
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 November 2021. NBN Ultrafast only available at select connections.
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Home Wireless Broadband Plans Without a Phone Line
If you’re not sure about connecting to the NBN, there are other home broadband options available where you don’t necessarily need a phone line. One of these is home wireless broadband. With home wireless broadband, you connect your home to the mobile broadband network rather than the NBN or another fixed-wired connection.
4G Home Wireless Broadband Plans: 200GB or Less
4G home wireless broadband is available wherever you can connect your phone to the 4G mobile network and is still the primary type of home wireless broadband available to the majority of the country.
Below, you can find a comparison of 4G home wireless broadband plans available, without a phone line, 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
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: 500GB
If you prefer a little more data with your home wireless broadband plan, most providers offer plans with up to 500GB of data per month. Below you can find a comparison of 4G home wireless broadband plans with 500GB of data.
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
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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5G Home Wireless Broadband Plans
With the 5G rollout working its way across Australia, more and more 5G home wireless broadband plans are becoming available in more parts of the country. If you live somewhere where 5G is currently available, you can already sign up for a few 5G home wireless broadband plans, which don’t come with a phone line, and which you can find below.
Prior to the NBN rollout, most fixed-wire broadband connections utilised the old copper telephone wires to bring the internet into your home. This required an active fixed phone line, even if you never used it. As a result, people needed to pay to have a telephone line in order to have an active broadband connection.
However, the National Broadband Network changed this. By replacing most of the old broadband infrastructure (the copper wires) with high-speed fibre-optic cables, the need to have an active phone line was removed. And now, most no longer need an active landline in order to get home broadband.
If you still want a home phone, this isn’t a problem. Most phone lines these days are VoIP, which means it connects directly to your modem and sends data (your voice) over the internet rather than through the traditional copper wires. Many broadband providers offer pay-as-you-go VoIP as the standard - you only pay for your landline when you use it. If you’re someone who uses your landline frequently, however, you can usually score a VoIP and NBN bundle for an additional $5 - $20 per month depending on the type of VoIP service you need. This could be calls to just Australian landlines, calls to all Australian numbers including mobile, or even international calling.
Looking for a New Internet Plan for Your Home?
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Do I Need a Home Phone for My Broadband Connection?
With the rollout of the NBN and the rising popularity of home wireless broadband, a landline is no longer necessary to have a home broadband connection.
Can I Still Get a Home Phone With The NBN?
Yes, most fixed-wired and fixed-wireless broadband plans can include a home phone line known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). Many providers offer pay-as-you-go VoIP services, which charge you per call or minute, but there are also bundles and plans available with unlimited call options.
Can I Keep My Number If I Get a Home Phone With My NBN Plan?
If you decide a landline is something you cannot live without, it is possible to keep your old home phone number when you switch to VoIP. Speak with your NBN provider to see whether this option is available for you.