Seniors Broadband Plans: How to Save with or without a Pensioner's Discount

Being eligible for a seniors card gets you loads of benefits in all sorts of areas. Unfortunately however, senior discounts are rare in telecommunications. That doesn’t mean however that you can’t save big time on your broadband offerings.

Broadband Plan Seniors Card Offers

Southern Phone is one of the major providers to offer a seniors discount, giving pensioners $5 off per month (with either a seniors or pensioners card). While Telstra does offer some limited discounts for pension card holders, these are mainly related to phone calls and connection fees rather than broadband plans. That doesn’t mean however that you can’t save money with a great deal.

So, can we do better than that without the Seniors Card? You bet we can!

Telstra Brings Simplicity for Seniors

Telstra has a long history of providing quality services — both in terms of delivery and support. They’re backed up by the biggest network in the country. Chances are they’re the ones already providing your phone line. So it makes sense to bundle your internet and your phone line rental with a quality provider.

On that front, Telstra offers a simple deal — $75/month for 500GB of data, with your home phone line and unlimited local, national, and mobile calls included. This package also includes the Telstra Smart Modem with 4G backup and no $99 connection fee if you sign up online. It also includes entertainment perks with BINGE free for three months. If you’re NBN eligible, the plan runs on NBN tier 25. If you’re still on the ADSL network, this bundle is NBN-network-ready, so when the time comes to make the transition, Telstra will make it as seamless as possible. For seniors who love good entertainment, Telstra was the #1 NBN provider in Australia for streaming Netflix from Jan 2019 to Feb 2020.

While they don’t offer discounts on broadband, Telstra does offer discounts for seniors on eligible home phone services. If you have a Centrelink Pension Card or a Veterans’ Affairs Pension Card, Telstra can offer discounts on connection charges (in some cases), home phone calls, and fee waivers for credit card processing fees and paper bill fees. Of course, with the home phone and all Australian calls included at no extra cost with Telstra’s current broadband plans, no discount is needed – you can’t do better than free!

Last audited 18 November 2020

Seniors Plans with Southern Phone

If you’re focusing on keeping costs down, another great option is the range of NBN plans offered by Southern Phone. This local company has offerings starting at just $65 per month for unlimited data at 25/5 Mbps – a great data allowance at that price point. For $10 more per month, you can boost your speed to 50/20Mbps. For a limited time, they’re also offering their Unlimited Max Plan (NBN100) at only $79/month, saving you $16/month for a whole year. Southern Phone is a completely Australian-based company that employs Australians in their customer-facing departments. 

If you’re in a remote regional area that’s not serviced by the NBN, you can access Southern Phone’s “Sky Muster Plus” satellite plans with burst speed that can go above 25Mbps, with data allowances starting at 50GB for $55/month, or 100GB for $70/month. You get unmetered data for web browsing, email and system updates, too. You’ll need to supply your own WiFi modem (or buy one for a one-off $99 cost) but the satellite dish and installation is all done at no cost to you.

Last audited 18 November 2020

MyRepublic For All Your Essentials

MyRepublic’s NBN lineup is one that’s simple but efficient. It’s great for seniors and pensioners that prefer a straightforward approach when it comes to having their internet needs covered. And as such, MyRepublic offers competitive pricing for its NBN customers, especially for seniors who are looking for quality internet without the usually attached high costs. Their unlimited data plan at NBN50 speed is $69/month on a monthly or 12-month contract and includes a home phone connection with pay as you go calls. Seniors who don’t mind committing for 12 months can receive a brand new WiFi modem for only $1.

Last audited 18 November 2020

Seniors Save With activ8me

Seniors prefer internet plans that can guarantee both quality and affordability that’s why activ8me’s NBN offerings easily stand out. For as low as $59.95 per month, you can get connected to the internet with 100GB data on the NBN50 speed tier, or get unlimited data for only $10 more. Unlimited calls to local, national, and mobile numbers are $20/month extra. For seniors living in remote areas, activ8me offers satellite NBN at reasonable rates starting from only $34.95/month running on the standard speed of 12/1Mbps. activ8me truly keeps it simple for seniors while also allowing them to save in the long run.

Last audited 18 November 2020

iPrimus Provides Value

Seniors who don’t need an unlimited data can get connected with iPrimus’ 250GB nbn25 plan for $65/month. This already includes a home phone connection with pay as you go calls, guaranteeing value from the get-go. To save on upfront costs ($99), you can sign up for 12 months. If it’s flexibility you’re after, the no lock-in contract plan is also available. Nonetheless, going for an uncapped data on the same speed tier is only $5 extra. Choosing an unlimited plan is particularly a must if you want to add entertainment courtesy of Fetch TV. Seniors living in a larger household can also upgrade their speed plan at any time. The Unlimited nbn50 plan is at $75/month while the Unlimited nbn100 plan is just an additional $15 each month.

Last audited 18 November 2020

Summary: Always Compare for the Best Prices

As the examples here show, while there’s not a lot of interest from Internet providers in doing special Seniors Card discounts, the prices of their regular plans can get so low that you’re ultimately going to be saving more money anyway. The key to pensioners saving more money is to shop around – if you’ve got any questions about a particular provider’s service, give them a call – you’ll get a good sense of what they’re like when you chat to them, too. And if you’re relatively new to the Internet, go for a plan with no contract – that way, if you find out you need more data each month, or a faster connection, you can jump onto that without having to pay a penalty.