Consumer watchdogs CHOICE recently published the results of their Best NBN Providers report, and found iiNet at the top of the heap. Combining real-world speed tests and customer satisfaction scores, iiNet sits in first place above TPG, Telstra and Optus - in that order.

Complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) are on the up but the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) acknowledges the trend is beginning to change direction. But this is the third consecutive year that consumers have voiced discontent with the services provided by their telco.

Thanks to the mess that the NBN has become, many Aussies fed up with dismal speeds and congestion on the NBN have resigned themselves to waiting for 5G to replace fixed connections. Most experts agree that 5G won't fully replace fixed connections, however - but it might be able to provide the speed fix the NBN desperately needs.

As we're all aware - and probably sick of hearing -- NBN speeds are a contentious topic. Picking an NBN plan should be a simple equation where we weigh up the speed and data included in a plan versus the price you pay. But it hasn't turned out to be so neat and tidy.

Consumer advocacy group Choice keeps track of NBN performance and customer satisfaction across retailers, and this week has named iiNet the best NBN provider for the last six months. The rankings are based off speed monitoring and customer surveys, and are designed to help consumers pick a provider that won't leave them with a dodgy connection.

Public Wi-Fi used to be a lifesaver, something that let you escape the misery of poor reception to quickly contact friends or stay organised throughout the day.

But it's also a gigantic security risk. People still rely on public hotspots around the country though, because an exposed connection to the internet that works is preferable to poor reception or no reception at all. Something that might help change that, however, is 5G.

The wireless internet market is heating up as service providers, keen to take advantage of sub-par NBN services, and customers who are sick of waiting for the network to arrive in their neighbourhoods are looking at alternative solutions. One of those companies is Spirit Telecom and they claim to be bringing 5G technology to the party many months ahead of our major telcos.

NBN connections are becoming available in more and more places as the network rolls out, but it's not worth rushing into the switch even if you've been waiting for years. Switching over to the NBN can be complicated, so here's what you need to make sure you do before you take the leap.

It's fair to say that things have not been going well for the National Broadband Network. Ongoing cost, technology and customer service problems have damaged the NBN brand - arguably irreparably. To make matters worse, competitors have been busy building faster, cheaper alternatives in Australia's capital cities, which begs the question: is the NBN facing irrelevance?

Has your NBN connection been less congested in the last year or so? Unfortunately I've got some bad news for you: At the end of October NBN Co will conclude a temporary promotional deal on extra bandwidth for retailers, and that's expected to bring back some of that dreaded congestion.

The NBN is a painful political boil on the government's arse. After the promise of fast 100Mbps connections was squashed by the Abbott/Turnbull government, in favour of a program that said 25Mbps qualified as broadband, there have been all sorts of delays and issues with the service.

A recent survey, albeit with a small sample size, quantified some of that pain, with many NBN customers saying they'd prefer to go back to their old ADSL connections. You know things are bad when ADSL looks like a better option. So, what can you do about it if you're on the NBN but it sucks?

Last month the ACCC released its second report on real-world NBN speeds, and the results are good. Well, pretty good; and it's clear that some providers are doing a better job of maintaining average speeds than others.

Telcos offering NBN connections need to up their game from today, or risk heavy fines. With the NBN rollout being plagued with problems on all sides, ACMA is seeking to protect consumers from the seemingly all-too-common experience of being left high and dry without any internet while trying to switch over to the NBN - among other problems.

While NBNCo would like us to all wait patiently for their trucks to roll along our streets and connect us to the national network, the reality is that a combination of impatience and mixed reports of network performance have many people considering the alternatives. While the NBN garners lots of attention and a connection to your home is mandatory, you don't actually have to use that connection. There are alternative services that mean you can sidestep signing up with the NBN/RSP combination. Here are some of the alternatives.

Good news for anyone wholly fed up with waiting for the NBN, or having the NBN and still experiencing terrible connection speeds. Another company is stepping in to offer their own super-fast wireless network, one that's not wholly broken from being tossed around in an endless game of political football. There's a catch, though: you might have to move if you want to get connected.

It doesn't take more than a quick scan of NBN plans to reveal that you might as well get an unlimited data plan. Especially if you plan on getting a plan faster than 12Mbps - and you really should do that.

The company behind the National Broadband Network has updated its searchable rollout map to coincide with its revised three-year timetable. Want to know when the NBN is coming to your suburb? All you need to do is type your address into the website.

As the troubled NBN project continues to roll out, other companies are stepping up to fill the need for customers who want faster connections or don't want to wait for the NBN to arrive in their suburb. One of those companies is Uniti Wireless - and it's coming to most major cities in Australia.

A recent survey conducted by that ACMA has found that a third of customers had prolonged loss of service while transferring to the NBN and that less than half of customers on 50Mbps connections were satisfied with their speeds. However, cost remains the biggest motivating factor for customers when choosing a plan.