NBN 50 Is Getting More Expensive: Here’s What You Can Do About It

The internet feels like one of those things that should be a little more resistant to inflation than it is. Unfortunately, if you’ve seen the cost of your NBN 50 connection go up over the past year, you’re likely not the only one. However, the main reason why has less to do with the rising cost of living than you’d expect. 

Back in 2023, a new pricing agreement between NBNCo and retailers was signed. This new deal brought the price of some internet plans down. When it comes to the most popular option among Aussies, however, it pushed the price upwards instead. 

Optus, Telstra and others wasted no time in amending the pricing of their NBN 50 plans in the aftermath. For a sense of what the cheapest NBN 50 plans look like nowadays, check out the widget below.

While there are still ample bargains to be found, the days of getting an NBN 50 plan for less than $50 per month may be behind us. As for what you can do to offset the rising cost of an NBN 50 internet connection, you’ve got a few options. 

The first and most obvious step is to stick to promotional pricing and reassess your choice of provider every six months. Not to sound too much like a broken record, but changing NBN providers is the easiest way to save money on the cost of staying connected regardless of what internet speed you’re looking at. 

For our money, the best option on this front right now is the Exetel Extra-Value plan. 

This plan is currently the second-cheapest cheapest NBN 50 plan in our database at $60.99 per month for the first six months. After that, the cost of keeping this particular plan jumps up to the regular price of $78.99.

While the discounted price is the drawcard here, the reason we rate it over the narrowly cheaper option available through Tangerine is that it comes with five Speed Boost days per month. 

This inclusion allows you to temporarily bump your connection speed up from what you usually get from Exetel’s NBN 50 plan to what you could be getting from its NBN 100 internet plan. Unused speed boost days roll over up to thirty days. You can also toss in an unlimited Home Phone (VoIP) connection for an extra $10 monthly if needed.

Another option to consider is 5G home internet. Right now, there are some great deals out there that make it possible to test drive the wireless broadband without spending a cent, and nothing is stopping you from keeping your current NBN connection in the meantime. 

Not sure where to start? Take a look at this plan from iiNet.

The iiNet 5G Broadband Plus plan comes with a modem and includes typical evening download speeds of 50Mbps and upload speeds of around 12Mbps. Best of all, iiNet will cover the cost of your first month with this plan. If you don’t like the reality of 5G home internet or don’t get as good a connection as you’d hoped, you can just cancel, return the modem and continue on your way. 

If that’s not quite what you’re looking for, check out the widget below for a round of the cheapest 5G home internet plans available in Australia this month.

Fergus Halliday is a journalist at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.

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