Top 5 Broadband Plans for Families in Australia


list of broadband deals for families

Just how much data does a family use? It’s a tricky question since no two families are exactly alike. Some use it just for email and checking the news. Others use it to work from home and maybe stream a bit of TV. 

Sometimes, you download massive files — for work-related tasks, personal hobbies, studying, and fun. If you’ve got kids, there’s a good chance they like video games – which can be a huge data sucker. Choosing a plan means accounting for all the data your family might need to use, which means the bigger the plan, the better.

Keep reading as we explore how you and your family members can choose an NBN broadband plan that covers all your needs – and stops your kids from throwing a tantrum when the data runs dry!

What’s In This Guide?

What are the best internet plans for families?

In this digital era, internet plans are as wide and varied as the cars on the road. To figure out which plan is most suitable for you and your family, you have to ask a few simple questions. How fast, how reliable, how much data? How much are you willing to spend? 

When you’ve assessed these questions, you’ll be better prepared to choose a broadband plan based on your family’s needs rather than simply using guesswork.

Best internet streaming plan

Best internet streaming plan

Save for the first 6 mths
Save: $5/mth for first 6 months. Offer ends 09/04/2024
iPrimus Premium with save up to $5/mth

Benefits

Save: $5/mth for first 6 months. Offer ends 09/04/2024
Ends 09/04/2024
Free Wi-Fi 6 modem if you stay connected for 12 months
T&Cs apply
No Lock-in Contract
Unlimited Data
NBN 95™ Fixed Line
95Mbps download & 17Mbps upload typical evening speeds
No set up fees
More Details
$90
/mth
Total Minimum Cost is $210 ($90/mth plan fee + $120 modem cost = $210)

iPrimus: The best internet family plan

We found that the most ideal internet streaming plan for families was the iPrimus offer with a free speed upgrade. If you’ve got too many people online and it’s slowing you down, you can simply boost your speed and resume your normal activities.

The top 5 broadband deals for families

As outlined above, we’re looking at fast, stable connections that feature 500GB or more per month. We want decent latency. And we want it at a decent price – meaning bundles are okay! Right now, we’ll leave 4G and Wireless options alone – I want to focus on in-house installations from providers such as Southern Phone and Dodo.

  • Southern Phone
  • Dodo Broadband
  • iPrimus
  • Moose NBN
  • Telstra NBN

#1 Southern Phone Fast

For big families, Southern Phone has you covered with its super-fast connection and huge unlimited data offerings like the Fast NBN plan. It gives unlimited data on a 100/40-speed tier for high-speed internet use with no lock-in contract. It’s only a little extra to bundle your Fast broadband plan with a home phone with unlimited landline and mobile calls.

#2 Dodo Broadband NBN100 Plan

Dodo’s NBN plans are a great fit for a family that needs quality connection and reliable speed, even during peak hours, while keeping the internet bills humbly affordable. Dodo’s internet plans also include a home phone with pay-as-you-go calls. Dodo’s NBN100 plan offers 100 Mbps download and 17 Mbps upload.

Dodo NBN100 Plan

Plan
Inclusions
Price
NBN 100 Unlimited - Month to Month
  • $15/mth off for 6 mths. Ends 26/03/24
  • 50% off for the first mth. Deal sold separately
  • NBN 100 Unlimited - Month to Month
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Unlimited Data
  • NBN 100™ Fixed Line
  • Get $20 off Dodo modem
  • Up to $10/mth off when bundled with energy
  • $70/mth
$70/mth
for the first 6 mths, then $85/mth thereafter
Min Cost - $70 for the 6 mths (incl. $79 modem cost)

#3 iPrimus Premium Plan

Broadband for the entire family means it has to be unlimited and fast. iPrimus’ NBN95 plan, with an average download speed of 95Mbps and no lock-in contract, is one of the excellent options available. For added value, a landline connection with pay-as-you-go calls is included, plus you can bundle entertainment with Fetch TV from only a little extra per month with a monthly or yearly billing period.

iPrimus’ broadband plans offer the best inclusions that every family needs. If the family is more into 8K streaming, iPrimus offers a Home Superfast plan running on NBN200 speeds. However, the bonus data speed plans are only available to FTTP and HFC customers in select areas.

iPrimus Premium Plan

Plan
Inclusions
Price
Premium
  • Save: $10/mth for first 6 mths. Offer ends 09/04/24
  • Free Wi-Fi 6 modem if you stay connected for 12 mths. T&Cs apply
  • Premium
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Unlimited Data
  • NBN 100™ Fixed Line
  • Typical evening speed of 100Mbps downstream and 17mbps upstream
  • No set up fees
  • $80/mth
$80/mth
for the first 6 mths, then $90/mth thereafter
Min Cost - Total Minimum Cost is $210 ($90/mth plan fee + $120 modem cost = $210)

#4 Moose Family NBN

Moose is best known for their affordable SIM-only family mobile phone plans, so it only makes sense for the family mobile plan provider to get into broadband as well. The Family NBN plan (NBN100) is the fastest same plan on offer with Moose, offering typical evening speeds of 95 Mbps for data sharing and downloads.
When signing up for Moose NBN, customers can also use the Satisfaction Guarantee feature – all you need to do is return your modem within a 21-day period to get a full refund.

Moose Family Plan

Plan
Inclusions
Price
Family NBN
  • Satisfaction Guarantee: Return modem within 21 days for a full refund
  • Family NBN
  • No Lock-in Contract
  • Unlimited Data
  • NBN 100™ Fixed Line
  • Typical evening speed of 95Mbps
  • Optional modem for $99 w/ free delivery
  • $94.80/mth
$94.80/mth
Min Cost - $94.80 over 1 month

#5 Telstra Premium

Telstra has solo NBN plans for all your family’s devices. The standalone plans still provide all the other essentials a family needs – uncapped data, home phone connection with unlimited calls, including calls to 13 numbers. If you come from a large household, Telstra’s NBN100 Premium Plan is now offered at an affordable monthly plan with several streaming TV freebies.

How much internet does the average family use?

I polled my married friends with children, whose internet usage patterns differed significantly from mine. Here’s what I learned about how parents and children use the internet versus that of a whole family unit.

How do parents use the Internet?

Parents use broadband for many things. Work emails and teleconferences. Organising holidays. Researching kitchen appliances. Listening to podcasts. Gaming. Legitimate, legal file-sharing. Staying up to date on social media. Blogging. Reading other people’s blogs. The list is endless.

How do children use the Internet?

Children use the internet in just as many ways. Socialising, gaming, researching school projects. Uploading vlogs and organising weekend activities.

How does a family use the Internet?

However, generally speaking, there is one significant factor that both adults and children have in common. Families use broadband for streaming TV, which means that both kids and parents are downloading shows, movies, music, and video games.

How to pick the best internet plan for families

Coming back to some of the questions we posed at the beginning of the article, there are five things that every family should consider when picking the right internet plan for their family’s needs. Speed, latency, reliability, data, and cost.

  • Speed
  • Latency
  • Reliability
  • Data Limits
  • Cost

Speed

This is how fast the data moves to or from your modem. This is a big deal when you have a house full of people streaming and downloading stuff from the internet. A slow connection means slower downloads and buffering.

Latency

Latency is the measure of how fast your ISP responds to a request. In a family situation, poor latency can be the source of temper tantrums from your family members. No one wants to wait ages for the Disney Plus menu to load – they want to watch Frozen. Again. And again.

Reliability

With a house full of people streaming TV, chatting with friends or downloading work documents, the last thing you need is a dropped connection. As the person in charge of deciding which internet package to go with, you’re the one they look to – or blame – when things go wrong. So it pays to seek out a stable connection from the start.

Data Limits

And a decent amount too! From my survey, the minimum amount a family of four used was 120 GB a month. At the top end, it was more than ten times this amount! However, most families got by on an average of about 500 – and rarely went over. Going over your data limit usually gets your data connection “shaped”. This restricts speeds to 256kbps or less. And trust me – this is not fast enough for the whole family. Indeed, with unlimited plans becoming more common, it’s a hard sell to sign up for a plan with a limit.

Cost

As recently as the early 2000s, families paid $50 monthly for 1 GB of dial-up internet. Why? Because they didn’t know better. Naturally, you want to provide your family with the best broadband deal you can – without breaking the bank. So the price of your broadband package should be kept to a reasonable level for what you’re watching.

What safety considerations should you make when choosing a broadband plan for your family?

We all know that the internet can be a pretty scary place at times. Keeping your children safe from harm includes investing time into network safety and security. Here are some considerations and best practices to keep in mind when setting up your broadband.

Data security  

Before installing any network broadband in your home, it’s important to ask your provider about data security. Here are some things you should enquire about:

  • Firewalls: A firewall is a security measure that monitors all traffic entering and exiting your network. It will block any untrustworthy sources from entering your network and gaining access to your data. Firewalls also help to prevent hackers from gaining access to your smart home devices, which could result in a serious breach of your privacy, and present a danger to your physical security, too (especially if you have cloud-based door locks).
  • Encryption: Encryption ensures that even if a third party intercepts your data, it will be completely useless. Encrypted data is only readable to those with the key or cipher. Since a third party will not have this key, even if they steal your data, they won’t be able to read it.

By asking your network provider about these data security measures, you can ensure you’re supplied with enough data protection to keep you, your family, and your assets safe from third parties.

Parental controls

Even if you can prevent people from accessing your network without permission, you still need to protect your children from seeing things they shouldn’t on the internet. From adult content to scarier content and people online, there’s a lot you should shield your children from when they use the internet. This is why you need to ask your network provider about parental controls.

Parental controls ensure your children can still use the internet but prevent them from accessing anything unsuitable for minors. You can even use parental controls to monitor your children’s internet use, ensuring they’re not speaking to any strangers online. You can never be too safe when shielding your children from strangers online.

Teaching your children about safe internet use

The best place to start to ensure your children are safe online is to teach your children about safe internet use. Here are some of the areas to cover when having this discussion:

  1. Teach your child not to behave in a way online that they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing in person.
  2. Encourage your child to think carefully about what they post before they post it.
  3. Teach your child not to speak to anybody they don’t know on the internet.
  4. Encourage your child to be open with you if they experience any bullying or harassment online.
  5. Encourage your child to tell you if they see anything disturbing online so you can make sure they don’t come across it again.

It’s stunning how many dangers can affect your children online, even when they are tucked up safely in their bedrooms. To allow your children to use the internet is to take some level of risk, so it’s best to stay ahead of it and educate your children when you invest in a family broadband plan.

What are some red flags to look for in family broadband plans?

If you decide to go rogue and explore options other than the ones listed above, there are some red flags to remember. Here are the red flags to look out for when choosing a family broadband plan:

  • Unreliable customer service: Your broadband provider should be available to discuss your queries about the tier plans over the phone. If they are unavailable or you struggle to get off hold, this isn’t a good reflection of their customer service in general.
  • Hidden fees and costs: no hidden fees should be charged from your account when you embark on a relationship with a network provider. 
  • Inconsistent network speeds: you should be able to access the internet whenever you need it, without facing buffering and slow webpage loading. Inconsistent network speeds are a key sign that it’s time to switch network providers.
  • Limited data usage: there shouldn’t be a strict cap on your data usage. You and your family should be able to consume as much internet content as you like without worrying about running out of data.
  • Poor network coverage: from your breakfast table to your reading nook, you should be able to access the internet throughout your home without any cut-offs or dead zones. Ensure that your home is completely covered during the network setup process.
  • Poor equipment quality: your modems and routers should be in top condition when you receive them. If there is visible damage or they’re not performing properly, your network provider is untrustworthy or unreliable.
  • No mention of security: your network provider should communicate with you and discuss their security measures to keep you and your family safe. You can’t trust a network provider without any clarification on their security policies.
  • Privacy: your network provider should also communicate their privacy policies, clarifying that they won’t attempt to harvest your data. Your data is extremely valuable, and you should ensure you’re not vulnerable from a privacy perspective.
  • Unrealistic promotions:  if an offer seems too good to be true, that’s probably because it is. Don’t trust unrealistic promotions, as you could be faced with a sudden hike in the price once the promotional period ends. Most reputable network providers will not try to use such methods on their customers as this would sully their good reputation.
  • Negative customer reviews:  if other customers struggle with the network provider, you’ll likely encounter the same issues. Look at what existing customers say about the technical support, network speeds, and coverage. This will give you some direction, but remember that network providers receive much negative feedback compared with other industries.
  • Scalability: if you can’t upgrade and downgrade your plan as your needs change, this is a red flag. Your network should be able to adjust to your needs, not vice versa. 

Looking out for these signs will help you distinguish between the real deal network providers and those that want to take your data and your money without providing you with great connection and service. You and your family deserve a network connection you can rely on from a provider with a good and solid reputation, so don’t compromise on these red flags.

Summary: What is the best broadband plan for families?

And as usual, check out the service availability in your area, not to mention the critical information summary for any plan you’re considering. This will detail the total costs of any options or added extras you choose, including any area-specific setup fees, installation costs, customer service rates and terms of use.

Having reviewed NBN plans from several providers, we can safely say the most ideal plan for families is the Southern Phone fast plan, offering free unlimited landline and mobile calls so your expenses can all be housed under one roof! Their reliable internet speeds and competitive prices are a very attractive option for the modern family that loves to stream, use social media, call, and text!

Family internet plans FAQs

Still have some questions about family internet plans? We’ve got you covered!

How many GB of internet speed does a family of 4 need?

To sustain your family of 4 and ensure you don’t run out of data, opting for a plan with at least 190GB of monthly data is best. However, an unlimited plan will give you all the freedom you could desire!

How do I set up parental controls for my network?

Should you wish to control the content you and your family are exposed to on your home network, you can set up parental controls for your network. If you wish to see age-restricted content as a parent, you can simply enter a passcode to continue your search.

Can I restrict my children’s internet time?

You can have quality time with your family and get your children off their screens by simply switching off your modem. You don’t need any intervention from your internet provider to do this either, and you’ll save plenty of data in the process!