Australian Broadband Plans

Unlimited Data

Over the last year or so in particular, competition has gotten really fierce between Australian internet providers, to the point where the idea of you having to stick to a limited amount of data each month are almost completely gone (except on low-cost plans, which are designed for people who aren’t going to use much data in the first place). With streaming services like Netflix, Stan and Amazon Prime now part of our regular TV viewing – and even Foxtel getting in on the action with on-demand streaming for its customers – the last thing you want to be doing is worrying about your data usage every time you watch or download something. If you’ve got a 4K television that’s even more data per show or movie, too – and it all adds up fast! Plans with unlimited data give you complete peace of mind – so if you’re a student with data concerns, a family with children who are active on the internet or a big fan of mobile gaming online, and do more than just browse the web and check emails, it should be priority number one.

No Contract

The great thing about the NBN in particular is that it makes it really easy for you, as the customer, to change providers with minimal hassle – it’s very different to the ADSL days where someone had to physically go down to the exchange and swap cables around. Of course, internet providers know this – and some of them don’t want you to have the chance to just walk out the door if you’re not happy with their service. They’ll ask you to agree to a contract – usually for 2 or 24 months – which effectively locks you in with that provider, even if you’re not happy. Thankfully, these days most providers offer plans without a contract at all – especially good news for renters and Pensioners using the internet, those looking for the ultimate flexibility! There are times when a contract plan can be a good move, though – better pricing, or included extras like a free NBN modem – but if you do choose to go with one, make sure you do your homework on what other customers think of that provider.

High Speed Broadband

The different technologies used in the NBN mean that the top speed your connection can have will vary – but if you’ve gone for the lower-cost options, chances are you’re not running at top speed by default. Some providers offer “speed packs” or “speed boosts” which bump up your connection speed for a price each month; most these days just give you a choice of speeds when you sign up. We’d recommend you go with a plan at least at the 25/5 speed tier, and if you’re planning on streaming or you have an internet-savvy family or a small business that needs to keep things moving quickly, go for 50/20 or higher. If you’re lucky enough to be on a FTTP connection, you’ll be able to connect at up to 1000 Mbps in the future, and 250 Mbps is possible today through providers like Aussie Broadband.

Internet & Home Phone

A family with young kids needs lots of data with a nice fast download and upload speed. Offering a fast 50/20Mbps NBN broadband connection – plenty fast enough for the most demanding family – with unlimited data and a home phone with unlimited local and national calls, Sumo delivers great value with everything connected for only $63.89 per month – and yep, that includes phone line rental and as many calls as you can make!

Internet & Home Phone & Mobile Phone

Perfect for seniors is an “all in one” package that takes all the hassle out of getting different connections set up so you can have broadband, home phone and mobile. One of Australia’s most respected providers, Southern Phone has one of the best bundles on the market with their Triple Bundle, which ties together NBN broadband, a home phone and a mobile plan. Prices range from $64.90 to $122 per month, depending on how much broadband and mobile data you want. The sweet spot is definitely the middle tier – $82/month gets you 200GB broadband data, 7GB mobile data, unlimited calls on both home phone and mobile, and a wi-fi modem thrown in at no extra cost.

Internet & TV

If you’re single, living life large and never seem to be home when the stuff you want to see is on TV, iPrimus’s excellent Entertainment Bundle is well worth investigating. It comes with the acclaimed Fetch TV Mighty set-top box, a wonderful device that acts as your home television hub. It receives and records live TV, streams all the things from Netflix to YouTube, and delivers the Fetch TV premium channels to you via iPrimus’s blazingly fast network – dozens of channels of great entertainment, along with the latest movies and TV shows to rent or buy. With unlimited data at 50/20 Mbps, it’s great value at $110/month.

Internet & TV & Home Phone

If you’re a huge sports fan while your partner can’t get enough of Game of Thrones, you’ll probably be keen to have access to Foxtel – and the Telstra $99/month Unlimited + Streaming bundle is a real winner in that department. You get unlimited broadband – NBN or ADSL – on the fast and responsive Telstra network, running at a fast 50/20 Mbps. And you also get the acclaimed little Telstra TV streaming box – which can handle everything from Netflix and Stan to live TV from your antenna – and a two-year subscription to Foxtel Now from Telstra, the streaming version of Foxtel with all the channels you love. New customers also get the just-released Telstra Smart Modem Gen 2, which has automatic 4G backup so your internet never goes down – and lets you connect via 4G as soon as the modem is delivered, while you wait for connection of your full broadband service.