Today we're going to looking at some of the cheapest NBN plans available. We're going to do our best to match customer archetypes to speed tiers and identify the key factors that should sway your decisions when picking a cheap plan from each tier.

Let's be brutally honest here. NBN 12 connections have maximum download speeds of 12Mbps, and are potentially slower during peak hours. These plans are really for folks who barely need to be on the internet at all. We're talking the sort of user who isn't into streaming, downloading large files, or video conferencing of any kind. You just want some light social media interaction, email, browsing, and the odd YouTube video binge. No more, no less.
If that aptly describes your online habits, there are a bunch of plans we can recommend to keep costs down, like those featured above. These are the cheapest NBN plans with at least 100GB in our database of X providers.
If you don’t already have an NBN compatible modem, most providers will tack one on for a small fee. Alternatively, some providers will give you a free modem if you commit to a longer-term contract.
It’s also worth considering that cheaper plans have fixed data allowances instead of unlimited data. Basically, you have a certain amount of gigabytes you can download per month, and going beyond this will either lower your speed to that of 1990s internet, or you'll incur a higher fee as more data is consumed (be sure to check that, because these can be exorbitant).
For those you who want to throttle up to something a bit faster, there's the speed tier called NBN 25. As the name suggests you're being offering a max download speed of 25Mbps, although these will potentially be slower during peak hours.
It’s worth mentioning that many providers have opted to discontinue their plans on this tier in favour of NBN 50 ones. Our speculative guess is that there's not much middle-ground in the market between customers who want a better-than-no-internet setup and people who want to experience better-than-ADSL speeds.
Be that as it may, if you're still keen to get an NBN 25 plan for your home, you need to know what this tier is capable of. Basically, it's quick enough to let two individuals browse the internet and stream some Netflix at the same time. Anything more stressful than that and you're going to get congestion and personal static (read: fights and/or passive-aggressive post-it notes).
As you’ll see above, at this tier you'll see a lot more unlimited data plans that will allow you to download to your heart's content without fear of getting speed shaped. These are the cheapest NBN 25 plans with at least 100GB in our database of X providers.

The figures tell us that the NBN 50 plans are where the vast majority of you will end up investing your hard-earned money - mostly because it's the sweet spot for speed and spend. Every ISP and their dog knows you'll be settling here too, and so the market is absolutely saturated with NBN 50 deals (although once again, it’s worth noting that speeds will be slower between 7pm and 11pm).
So what should you be looking for in an NBN 50 plan? Firstly, you'll be wanting to milk as many Mbps for your money as possible, so keep a keen eye on those “typical average evening speeds” in our tables. Accept no slower than 40Mbps, try to find a provider who’s approaching 45Mbps if possible. Every bit helps, especially if you have an avid online gamer in your midst.
The next decision you need to make is to pick between an unlimited or a fixed data allowance. If you don’t need unlimited data, you can find 200GB and 500GB NBN 50 plans. Once again, what you'll need here varies wildly from user to user. If you've got a Cheaper By The Dozen situation at home, or you're running a medium business, then unlimited really is the way to go. Having a bunch of people streaming, downloading large files, and gaming will really chew up your data supplies in no time.
Last but certainly not least, we have the big-spending power-user options: NBN 100. As with all tiers, during peak times you can expect a roughly 20% drop off on the theoretical 100Mbps max speed that's touted in the moniker. But if you have a keen eye and a love of comparison (as we do) you can sniff out an ISP that will output in the 85-90Mbps band for evening speed, as opposed to the 80Mbps or so that you would normally expect.
Honestly, at this stage in the game you've already revealed that you're an Internet junkie and so you should probably be looking exclusively for an unlimited data deal. That said, it's more than reasonable, discipline-wise, to ration oneself to 200GB or 500GB a month, especially if you’re looking to save money on what’s otherwise the priciest NBN speed tier.
As always, be on the lookout for special prices. Many providers offer introductory pricing for your first six months of service. Better yet, many of these plans are contract-free, so you can always leave after your discount has run out, and swap to another provider.
Let's briefly recap some of the points we've made above. The biggest decider in finding an NBN plan that's right for you is knowing what you'll be needing the connection for. How many people will be using the service simultaneously? How data intensive are the needs of the individuals involved? And particularly in the case of online gamers or business professionals who work to deadlines, how fast do you need your upload/download speeds to be?
In general, you should base your purchasing decisions off “average evening speeds” when selecting an ISP as these tend to be more realistic indicators of what you'll be getting (as opposed to “theoretical max speed” estimates). Lastly, if it’s your first time getting an NBN plan, be mindful of any installation and setup fees, too.
Not ready to choose an NBN plan? If you need more information, check out some of the questions we're asked most frequently below.
We all spend a portion of our time online, but we don't all use the same apps and services. Figuring out whether you need an unlimited data NBN plan means thinking about the sorts of things you do online at home, and calculating how much data this requires each month.
To make things simple, we've tested different online services at WhistleOut and estimated which types of plans are best suited for you, depending on the online activities you use.
The question everyone wants an answer for. Currently, NBN Co plans to connect all homes by 2021. Between now and then, the rollout will add several million homes each year, so if you don’t have the NBN now, you should find you are within 12 months of being connected.
To know for sure, run an address check in the WhistleOut search engine. Our search brings in information from a number of sources, including NBN itself, so we can identify when your connection will arrive. Then, sign up for notifications about the NBN at your address, and we’ll email you when we learn something new.
Click here to see our up-to-date NBN Rollout Map.
NBN speed tiers:
There are four speed tiers that NBN customers choose from when connecting to the network, either for the first time, or when they switch to a new service provider. These are as follows:
However, the actual speeds you get at home will still be dependent on:
It's also important to note that your NBN speed is a shared resource. If you subscribe to an NBN 50 plan, your 50Mbps is shared between every person and device in your household.
For example, if you're streaming a movie on Netflix, the internet will be slower for everyone else using your connection at the same time. Faster NBN speeds mean there's more capacity to share: you can stream all the video you want and no one else will notice any slow-down.
We'd suggest starting with an NBN 50 plan as these offer the best bang-for-buck. If that's not fast enough for your household, you can then upgrade to an NBN 100 plan.
You can read more about picking the right NBN speed here.
Unlimited Data $78.90/mth first 6 months. 83Mbps Typical Evening Speed
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