To some Aussies, TPG may not be as familiar as companies like Telstra and Optus, but in recent years, they’ve established themselves alongside those big names at the head of the pack for Aussie telecommunications providers. With flexible deals, NBN, ADSL and fibre connections, top-quality bundles – and quite possibly the fastest internet under the Australian sun, TPG deserves its place in the spotlight.
TPG is now one of the most important names in Aussie telecommunications. So why is TPG a force to be reckoned with? They built their reputation on the basis of their excellent quality broadband and they keep investing more to improve their offerings. They’ve gained favour with over two million Australian customers – an amount which grows year after year. They offer excellent package deals with cheap landline add-ons for national, mobile and international calls.
Then there’s the speed. Plenty of telcos promise to bring the speed – trust us, we’ve seen it all! – but actions of course speak much louder than words in the telecommunications industry. TPG’s speed is second to none – and don’t just take our word for it. They were named as one of Australia’s two best broadband providers for download speed during peak hours by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2018. ACCC awards are given independently and are hard to come by, so if you’re an internet user that has a need for speed, you may have found the provider for you.
What makes TPG Broadband unique?
Plenty of things really, but if we were forced to name one then it would have to be the speed. TPG Broadband boasts the fastest internet in Australia – a claim that has been independently verified – and their continued investment means they’re only going to increase the velocity in the coming years. TPG owns their own lines in metropolitan and rural areas throughout Australia, while they’ve also sunk submarine cables between Australia and Guam, with onwards connections to Asia and the United States. They’re a big player with excellent infrastructure – but they still act as competitively and dynamically as a new provider.
TPG Broadband: NBN, ADSL and fibre (FTTB) plans
TPG has loads of options to suit pretty much any user. Their plans come on a month-to-month or an 18-month basis, while all of their fibre and NBN plans are unlimited. And although they’re the speediest provider around, they offer a number of entry-level options for lighter users. Their phone plans – for just a bit extra per month – include unlimited national calls and in some cases will include international calls to a select list of locations.
NBN plans
TPG’s NBN plans have been recognised by the ACCC in February of 2019 as being the fastest in Australia. Given how extensive the ACCC’s speed monitoring studies are, endorsements don’t get much clearer than that. Every plan comes with unlimited downloads. Choosing a plan will depend on a few different variables, with TPG giving customers a fair amount of freedom to pick and choose what they use – and what they don’t. The no-contract option comes with a set-up fee, while the contracted option – which waives the fee – requires an 18-month commitment.
From there you’ll need to select your speed. TPG has three options for NBN: NBN12 (10MBPS typical evening), NBN50 (42.7MBPS typical evening) and NBN100 (71.4MBPS typical evening). While the NBN12 option is suitable for light to moderate internet usage, the next two are where TPG gets let off the leash to show what it can do. Even better – particularly for larger families or big households – their speed during peak times is excellent. This means your internet is fast when you need it to be (and also fast in other times).
TPG’s NBN plans will give you the option to bundle in your home phone as well. For a little extra each month, TPG offers the OZ Talk plan. That’s all your landline calls – local, national and mobile – free and unlimited.
TPG Plans
- Up to 80Mbps Premium Evening
- Unlimited Data
- NBN 100™ Fixed Line
- Up to 80Mbps Premium Evening
- Unlimited Data
- NBN 100™ Fixed Line
- Up to 40Mbps Standard Plus Evening
- Unlimited Data
- NBN 50™ Fixed Line
- Up to 9Mbps Basic Evening
- Unlimited Data
- NBN 12™ Fixed Line
ADSL plans
To start with, TPG’s ADSL standalone deal gives you 500GB per month on a 12-month deal. TPG’s ADSL plus home phone bundle gets you a home phone landline and an ADSL connection for a fraction of the cost of many of TPG’s competitors. The plans start with a 20GB data limit, with the 100GB and Unlimited Data plans more appropriate for users who like to do more than just check emails and the news. Your calls are billed at a pay-as-you-go rate, or you can include local and international calling options.
Generally speaking, ADSL users suffer slower download speeds when compared with their NBN counterparts. This means that plenty of streaming services are off limits. TPG is aware of this and provides its ADSL users with access to IPTV. IPTV is an internet television protocol which can be viewed directly on your PC. There are loads of channels including some of the world’s best and most influential like Al Jazeera, Bloomberg, Deutsche Welle, Russia Today and Playboy, as well as other sporting and entertainment content. Downloads associated with IPTV will not contribute to your total.
Fibre plans
Fibre to the building is fast, really fast. And while it’s not available everywhere, more and more homes are now fibre connected. TPG has set up their own fibre network in recent years, meaning they own the lines and can pass the savings on to you. First things first, check if you’re fibre-able. If so, TPG’s deals bring the speed and the quality right to you. Every one of their FTTB plans comes with a modem. Oh, and they all include unlimited data.
They have two speeds: Standard (up to 12MBPS) and Superfast (90MBPS typical evening speed). Like their NBN plans, you’ve got either an 18-month contract option or a month-by-month option, with the latter requiring a set-up fee.
The default plan has calls on a pay-as-you-go basis. Pay a little extra per month for unlimited local, national and mobile calls from your landline along with 100 international minutes. Got friends in far-away places? Chip in a bit more per month to get all of the above plus unlimited international calls to 15 countries.
Services and customer satisfaction
TPG’s customer service team has taken in that of stablemate iiNet since 2015, giving them one of the larger networks going around. Their sales department is available on 13 14 23 Monday to Friday from 9am to 10pm and from 9am to 6pm (all AEDT) on weekends and public holidays. If you’d prefer to call a landline, the number is 02 9007 3023.
For Facebookers and Twitterers, TPG’s customer support are accessible through the traditional social media channels. They’ve also listed a fax number (02 9850 0813) if talking ain’t your thing, while there’s a contact form on their website. TPG’s call centre is based in the Philippines with some limited support based in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
Awards and recognition
TPG’s list of awards is extensive. Perhaps best of all, they were listed as one of Australia’s two best broadband providers for download speed by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in 2018.
They’ve also won at least one prominent award pretty much every year since 2007. In recent years they’ve picked up the Best Value High Usage Mobile Plan Award from Money Magazine in 2019. For those who want to know more, their resume boasts an extensive list of honours. But the best news for customers is that their awards come for all different aspects of their services – from satisfied customers to broadband bundles – so they truly do have something for everyone.
TPG Broadband: Much more than just speed (but pretty fast too!)
Rising up to challenge the big providers is no mean feat – and it certainly won’t be achievable by accident. TPG commands a huge share of the Aussie market, but perhaps more refreshingly for new or existing customers, they don’t act like they do. They’re still trying to capture your attention and demonstrate why they’ve fast become one of Australia’s best providers – all while not resorting to cheap tricks and gimmicks. TPG offers more than just speed – although they’re pretty dang fast too!
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