The Cheapest Ways To Get Fast NBN

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A good NBN connection doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re happy to skip the big names, you can save costs significantly without taking a huge speed hit. But it pays to do your research first – which is where this guide can help.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/07/accc-report-the-best-and-fastest-nbn-plans/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/03/NBN-4G-410×231.jpg” title=”The Best NBN Providers, According To The ACCC [Updated]” excerpt=”Not all internet providers are equal – especially when it comes to the NBN.”]

When it comes to NBN 50 plans, you’ll be up for $90 per month if you’re looking at Telstra, but if you’re happy to shop around, you can get the same kind of plan for between $60 and $70 per month by taking a punt on a smaller provider.

NBN 50 plans – with speeds up to 50Mbps – are a safe bet if you don’t know what speed to go for; they tend to be the sweet spot when it comes to speed and value. An NBN 50 plan is a significant step up from an ADSL connection, and the monthly bill will be a lot more reasonable than an NBN 100 plan — with speeds up to 100Mbps — which typically start at around $80 per month when you exclude promotional offers. Not sure whether NBN 50 or NBN 100 is right for you, we have the comparison for you.

With an NBN 50 plan, you can get download speeds of up to 50Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps. In peak hours, providers tend to promise typical download speeds between 30Mbps and 45Mbps.

Here are some of the cheapest NBN 50 plans around with unlimited data:

NBN 50 plans with unlimited data

Thanks to a promotional offer, Tangerine has one of the cheapest no-contract NBN plans around right now. You’ll pay $59.90 per month for your first six months, and then $69.90 per month thereafter. Tangerine reports typical evening speeds of 42Mbps, and offers a 14-day “risk free trial” on all plans. And since this plan is contract free, you can always leave whenever.

Exetel also has a no-contract NBN 50 plan, billed at $64.99 per month. While it’s a bit more expensive than Tangerine, the pricing isn’t subject to promotional discounts, so it won’t increase down the line. You will, however, need to pay a $79 setup fee. Exetel reports typical evening speeds of 43Mbps.

SpinTel has another cheap NBN 50 plan with no promotional discounts and no contract. You’ll simply pay $64.95 per month. The plan’s typical evening speeds are a little lower however — measuring in at 40Mbps — and you will need to pay $74 upfront.

At $79 per month for a no-contract plan, Aussie Broadband sits at the pricier end of this spectrum but is still worth mentioning for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, the telco says its customers rarely encounter congestion — even during peak times — and to prove it, published bandwidth graphs that show how much capacity it has purchased on the network versus how much capacity its customers are using. Aussie Broadband is the only major telco to provide this much transparency around its NBN performance to date.

Secondly, if you use the promocode WHISTLEOUT1 when signing up for a new Aussie Broadband plan before July 31, you’ll get your first month free. You’re welcome.

Aussie Broadband reports typical evening speeds of 43Mbps on its NBN 50 plans.

[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2019/07/expert-warns-australians-will-move-to-5g-if-nbn-brings-netflix-tax/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/07/NBN-coffin-410×231.jpg” title=”Why NBN’s ‘Netflix Tax’ Could Be The Final Nail In Its Coffin” excerpt=”Earlier this month, it was revealed NBN Co had started initial talks with ISPs about how they could chuck an extra fee on video streaming, according to Commsday and iTNews. But with the 5G rollout picking up speed, it’s likely Australians would just move to this and other alternatives for their streaming needs.”]

Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.

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