Back in the days when modems sounded like a goat stuck in a barbed wire fence, the amount of data we paid for was the key decision we had to make when signing up for the internet. I spent ages trying to calculate how much data I needed based on how much junk I downloaded through Limewire and Kazaa.

Both Telstra and Vodafone unveiled unlimited data plans for mobile customers this week and some are, again, questioning the use of the term 'unlimited'. Rightly so! We've seen it all before with ADSL broadband, they say!

This time it's a little different. The telcos have wisened up.

Telstra has confirmed that every NBN customer on a 25Mbps plan will soon have their download speeds doubled at no additional cost. The move follows NBN Co's decision to halve the wholesale cost of 50Mbps plans - so the speed upgrade isn't actually costing Telstra anything. Still, a free speed upgrade is a free speed upgrade! Here's what you need to know.

One of the key arguments underpinning the existence of the NBN is the idea that the internet is now an essential utility. Like water and electricity, most of us use the internet everyday, and like these other services, we expect the internet to be always on.

Australia's telcos are at war with one another, and whoever wins, we do too. The price of data has dropped steadily throughout the year, and BYO SIM Only plans have been hit the hardest: you're now getting much more data for your hard-earned dollars.

Do you remember when Optus used to include unmetered social media data in plans? Back in the good old days when most of Facebook was text-based and videos were unheard of.

Got a phone but need a plan? You're in good company. According to Telsyte, two-thirds of Aussies who switched phone plans last year moved to no contract plans, and you can be sure when they run these numbers again, the proportion of SIM Only plan purchases will increase again.

In short, it's time to find the best SIM Only plan. Here are the best options for five different types of user.

Choosing an NBN plan seems easy — and it should be — but the NBN is an unruly beast and, as loads of people are finding out, it can be hard to get what you pay for.

Issues with congestion and the limitations of FTTN technology can mean that while you may sign on for a 100Mbps NBN plan, there are a number of factors that determine how frequently you’ll get 100Mbps, if at all. This isn’t to say you should avoid the NBN, just that it is worth dipping in a toe before you dive in headfirst. No contract NBN plans are the solution.