If you’re looking for a new NBN plan there are four main speed tiers most of us can pick from, ranging from slow to pretty damn fast. There’s certainly an appeal to the fastest plans, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best for everyone. With that in mind, we’re going to take a look at the four major speed tiers, who they’re for, and the kinds of plans you can get.
NBN 50 plans with unlimited data
NBN 50 plans tend to be the best choice for most. They’re much faster than ADSL but a good chunk cheaper than an NBN 100 plan. They’ll more than handle the internet needs of most. You can expect download speeds up to 50Mbps on an NBN 50 plan, and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps.
If you’re after a cheap NBN 50 plan, Exetel is up first thanks to a promotional discount. You’ll pay just $50 per month for your first six months and $79 per month thereafter. While that’s a steep jump, the plan is contract-free so you’re free to leave as soon as your discount dries up.
Tangerine is up next at $54.90 per month for your first six months, and $69.90 per month thereafter. Tangerine’s plans are contract-free, and also come with a 14-day trial period. If you’re not happy, you can get a refund on plan fees. Tangerine won’t refund your modem if you bought one from it, but you’ll keep the device, and it will work with other providers.
SpinTel is also worth considering, where you’ll pay $59 per month for your first six months, and then $64.95 per month thereafter. Even at full price, SpinTel’s plan is cheaper than most NBN 50 plans that don’t offer a promotional discount.
NBN 100 plans with unlimited data
NBN 100 is the fastest speed tier most of us will be able to get, with download speeds of up to 100Mbps. If NBN 50 isn’t fast enough for you – for example, you regularly download large files like new release games – NBN 100 is a great choice, especially if you can’t get NBN 250 or NBN 1000.
Most NBN 100 plans have upload speeds of 20Mbps, but some providers still offer NBN 100 plans with 40Mbps of upload. Superloop and Aussie Broadband have 100 / 40 plans, but these tend to cost an extra $10 per month. Opting for a NBN 100 / 40 plan definitely makes sense if you regularly upload large files to the internet, such as video files or hefty cloud backups.
If you’re looking for one of the cheapest NBN 100 plans on the market, consider SpinTel. You’ll pay $74 per month for your first six months, and then $84.95 per month thereafter. Even at full price, that’s cheaper than most NBN 100 plans.
Tangerine has its own NBN 100 promo, charging $74.90 for the first six months, and $89.90 per month thereafter. In addition to being contract-free, Tangerine also has a 14-day risk free period. If you want to bail within your first fortnight, you’ll get a full refund of your plan fees.
Superloop has an NBN 100 promo of its own and is just 5 cents per month more expensive than Tangerine. You’ll pay $74.95 per month for your first six months, and then $89.95 per month thereafter.
If you’d prefer a plan without timed discounts, MATE is singling an unlimited data NBN 100 plan for $79 per month with typical evening speeds of 83Mbps. And if you’re looking to save further, you can bundle in a MATE SIM-only plan. Plans start at $20 per month with 10GB, but there’s also a $25 plan with 20GB. MATE’s mobile plans are powered by the Telstra network.
NBN 25 plans with unlimited data
While NBN 25 plans only offer download speeds of up to 25Mbps, they’re still more than enough for most online activities – including streaming Netflix in 4K. NBN speeds are a shared resource between your household, however, so it would be pretty easy to stretch it thin if you’re trying to share your connection between more than two people. NBN 25 will also make large downloads – like new release games – noticeably slower.
The biggest compromise NBN 25 plans make is upload speeds, which are capped at 5Mbps. This makes NBN 25 a poor choice if you’re regularly uploading anything to the internet.
Slower speeds make NBN 25 plans cheaper, however. Most NBN 25 plans now have unlimited data, so you don’t have to compromise on all you can eat downloads just because you’re opting for a slower speed.
Tangerine is one of our cheapest options for NBN 25, priced at $44.90 per month for your first six months and $59.90 per month thereafter. SpinTel is a little more expensive at $49 per month for your first six months and $59.95 per month thereafter. Or with Superloop, you’re looking at $54.95 per month for an unlimited data plan for your first six months, and $59.95 per month thereafter. These plans are all contract and set up fee-free.
NBN 12 plans with at least 100GB
NBN 12 plans offer barebones connectivity and aren’t much of an upgrade compared to ADSL. Download speeds max out at 12Mbps and you’ll only get 1Mbps of upload. If all you need is basic internet access, an NBN 12 plan could be a suitable option, but if you’re even a moderate user, you’ll want to avoid these.
Right now, your best option comes from SpinTel, where you’ll get an unlimited data NBN 12 plan for $39 per month for your first six months and then $49.95 per month thereafter. For comparison, $49 per month or so only buys you 100GB plans from providers like Internode and TPG.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.