So your home is part of the 7.8 million with access to the NBN - exciting! At Whistleout we help millions of Aussies find a new plan every year, so to make your transition to the NBN a smooth one we’ve got two options to help you on your way:
- Quick tips and
need-to-know info: great if you’re stuck for time and just need
a refresher before finding a plan.
- In depth guide: in case you want a bit more substance around the topic of the NBN before finding your plan.
Quick tips and need-to-know-info
- Once you reach your disconnection date, you will be without an internet connection (and landline phone if you have one). You need to make a decision before then if you want to stay online.
- Switching isn’t that complicated, you just need to choose a plan, enter some of your details and your supplier will handle the switch for you.
- If you’re apprehensive about taking on the NBN go for a 'no contract' option so you can easily switch providers or services if you’re not happy.
- You get what you pay for. So don’t get lured in by ‘cheap unlimited deals’. We think speed is the most important factor to consider when deciding on a plan because this will affect your experience online the most. No one likes buffering and there's no point in having an unlimited plan if you’re struggling to stay connected.
In this guide:
- How fast is the NBN?
- How much does the NBN cost?
- Our NBN plan recommendations
- How do I connect to the NBN?
- Do I have to connect to the NBN?
- Are there alternatives to the NBN?
- Can I keep my home phone on the NBN?
How fast is the NBN?
Bear with us here as this can get a little complicated, the NBN offers four different speed tiers.
NBN speeds
| Tier | Max Download speed* |
Max upload speed > |
Typical evening speed ~ |
| Basic (NBN 12) | 12Mbps | 1Mbps | 7Mbps |
| Standard (NBN 25) | 25Mbps | 5Mbps | 15Mbps |
| Standard Plus (NBN 50) | 50Mbps | 20Mbps | 30Mbps |
| Premium (NBN 100) | 100Mbps | 40Mbps | 60Mbps |
Maximum Download speed* Most of the things you do online are affected
by download speeds, including web browsing, online games and streaming video
on services like Netflix.
Maximum upload speed> Upload speeds don’t affect your online experience as much as download speeds do, but you will notice the difference if you use cloud storage services like Dropbox of Microsoft OneDrive, if you use a video chat service like Skype or if you’re regularly uploading large files to the internet.
Typical Evening Speed~ Evening speeds indicate how fast your connection will be at the times you use it most. They are a measure of the typical speeds a provider delivers to its users nightly from 7pm - 11pm. Fortunately these days, many providers are achieving evening speeds that are much faster than those listed in the table above.
The speeds in the table above are the maximum speeds you can get on these plans and a baseline expectation of typical evening speeds from the ACCC. However, the actual speeds you get at home will still be dependent on the NBN plan and provider you subscribe with, as well as factors like the way your home is connected to the NBN and your home equipment.
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.
How much does the NBN cost?
Now that your house is connected to the NBN all you have to pay for is an NBN plan to cover your monthly usage.
The cost of a plan will vary based on the speed you want and the provider you go with. The price of NBN plans is always changing, but you can expect to pay somewhere between $60 and $100 per month for your connection.To choose your new plan we suggest the below formula:
Your desired speed
+
How much data you want
+
Any added extras
Anything that you think might value like a new modem,
landline or subscriptions to premium services
Then you just need to decide which provider has the best value package for your current situation.
Our NBN plan recommendations
Best Value: NBN Standard Plus (NBN 50)
Maximum Speed: 50Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 30-45Mbps
What to expect: NBN 50 plans are a good option for families. You'll have enough speed to ensure everyone can use the internet at the same time, without any fights breaking out over how long YouTube is taking to buffer.
|
#1
|
amaysim
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN50
$45/mth
Min. cost $45
|
|
#2
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$57.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn 50/20 Premium
$59.80/mth
Min. cost $59.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
$64.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
#6
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
$68/mth
Min. cost $68
|
|
#7
|
Swoop
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn® Home Everyday
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
Superloop
All Fixed Line nbn®
Extra-value nbn50/20
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#9
|
Kogan Internet
All Fixed Line nbn®
Silver Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
|
#10
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
|
Best for internet lovers: NBN Premium (NBN 100)
Maximum Speed: 100Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 60-90Mbps
What to expect: NBN 100 plans are the best bet for
large households and anyone who regularly downloads or uploads large files.
Games will download at breakneck speed and everyone from the kids to grandma
can binge different shows on Netflix, all at the same time.
|
#1
|
amaysim
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN100
$50/mth
Min. cost $50
|
|
#2
|
Belong
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
NBN Premium – Unlimited
$59/mth
Min. cost $59
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Editor's Pick
nbn100 Unlimited Plan
$62.99/mth
Min. cost $62.99
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn 100/20 Elite
$63.80/mth
Min. cost $63.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Tangerine Telecom
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Speedy NBN 100/20
$67.90/mth
Min. cost $67.90
|
|
#6
|
Flip
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Unlimited Turbo Boost nbn100
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#7
|
Kogan Internet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Gold Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
|
#8
|
iiNet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn Home Fast Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Swoop
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
nbn® Home Fast
$72/mth
Min. cost $72
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Superloop
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Family nbn100/20
$74/mth
Min. cost $74
|
Best for moderate budgets: NBN Standard (NBN 25)
Maximum Speed: 25Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 15-20Mbps
What to expect: NBN 25 plans are better suited to one or two person households. There's not much you can do online that needs a faster speed than NBN 25, but you may notice slower speeds if multiple people are using your connection at once.
|
#1
|
SpinTel
All Fixed Line nbn®
Home Starter 25/10
$41/mth
Min. cost $41
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value NBN 25/10
$42.90/mth
Min. cost $42.90
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn25 Unlimited Plan
$43.99/mth
Min. cost $43.99
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn 25/10 Value
$44.80/mth
Min. cost $44.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
Unlimited Premium nbn25
$48/mth
Min. cost $48
|
|
#6
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Starter – Unlimited
$49/mth
Min. cost $49
|
|
#7
|
Kogan Internet
All Fixed Line nbn®
Bronze Unlimited
$49.90/mth
Min. cost $49.90
|
|
#8
|
Swoop
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn® Home Casual
$54/mth
Min. cost $54
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
MATE
All Fixed Line nbn®
Crikey nbn 25/10
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Pivotel
Sky Muster Plus Premium 25
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
|
Best for tight budgets: NBN Basic (NBN 12)
Maximum Speed: 12Mbps
Typical Evening Speed: 7-10Mbps
What to expect: NBN 12 plans are best for basic internet usage, such as web browsing, email, and social media. You can still stream HD video through Netflix and YouTube, but you won't be able to do much else with your connection at the same time.
|
Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Basic nbn - Unlimited
$77/mth
Min. cost $77
Link not supplied
|
Installation and set-up costs
Depending on the kind of NBN plan you take up, you may need to pay your provider an installation or hardware fee; no-contract plans are more likely to incur these costs than a 12- or 24-month agreement.
In addition, if you are connecting a newly developed house to the NBN, and there has never been any telecommunications services connected to the property before, the NBN will charge your service provider a once-off $300 contribution fee, which may then be passed on to to you as part of your set-up costs.
TV and phone bundles
If you still rely on a landline to make domestic and international calls, you can bundle your home phone service in with your NBN plan. Depending on your provider, this may be included in your plan price anyway, or cost you a little extra each month.
Some providers also offer entertainment extras as part of their NBN packages, such as Fetch TV (offered by Optus, iiNet, iPrimus and Dodo) or Foxtel Now (offered by Telstra). Entertainment packages will cost more per month than NBN plans without, but are they are optional. For more info on TV bundles and pricing, click here.
How do I connect to the NBN?
Now that you have a disconnection date it’s time to pick a plan that suits your needs. Place your NBN order, and your new provider will take care of switching your current internet service over to your new plan.
Your new NBN provider will organise an installation date and time, plus guide you through anything else you need to know to get connected. Be prepared for the fact that there may be a small period of downtime between switching off your ADSL and switching on your NBN. If you're without internet during the switch-over for more than three days, your carrier is obliged to offer an interim service, for example, more mobile data or credit towards mobile data, while you wait. If you're signing up with Telstra or Vodafone, you should be provided with a modem that includes 4G mobile broadband back-up, so you can still access the internet during the blackout.
If you're renting, make sure you have landlord permission before installing, and for those living in units or apartments, you may also need to double check with your building's management or Strata before hooking up your service.
For more information about switching over your service to the NBN, click here.
Editor's pick: NBN plans
Looking for a quick pick for your NBN plan? Our dedicated team of experts reads over 1,400 plan documents every week, and every month they pick out the top value options. Check out:
Do I have to connect to the NBN?
You're currently in your 18 month disconnection period. After this period, existing landline, ADSL and cable broadband services will be switched off, so you'll need to make sure you've made the move to an NBN plan in time - last-minute changeovers may mean you'll be without internet while your new service is activated.
The good news is that making the switch means you'll (hopefully) have fast and reliable internet, no matter where in Australia you're located. If the NBN at your home turns out not to be reliable, however, you do the option to switch to a mobile broadband plan instead. We wouldn't recommend taking this step, however, unless you're really unhappy with your NBN connection. Mobile broadband plans can be more reliable than some NBN connections, but they're also more expensive.
If you're nervous about signing up for an NBN plan, you can also choose a no-contract option first, so you can try out your connection and provider, before making a long-term commitment.
Are there alternatives to the NBN?
Short answer? Yes. As briefly discussed above, if you're not happy with your NBN connection at home, you do have the option to switch to mobile broadband instead.
Mobile broadband is a term that refers to an internet connection delivered over a mobile network – the same networks utilised by your smartphone. Because it doesn't required a fixed line connection, mobile broadband essentially bypasses the NBN to get the internet into your home.
Because mobile broadband data is more expensive than NBN data, we wouldn't
recommend this option unless you are truly unhappy with the NBN at your house.
It's also important to note that the quality of your mobile broadband
connection is dependent on mobile signal. If you don't get good mobile
reception at your house, mobile broadband is probably not a good
option.
Mobile broadband plans can offer download speeds of up to 100Mbps, as fast as an NBN Premium (NBN 100) plan. However, those with large data allowances and home modems can often offer speeds capped to 12Mbps, which is equivalent to NBN Basic speed (NBN 12). Be sure to check speeds offered before signing up, so you know what you're in for.
Here are some home mobile broadband plans with included modem and at least 200GB of data. To read more about how to replace your NBN connection with mobile broadband, click here.
|
#1
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Optus
Optus Plus Everyday Basic 4G
$44/mth
Min. cost $44
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
4G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (25Mbit)
$49.95/mth
+ $20 Upfront
Min. cost $69.95
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
iiNet
Home Wireless Broadband
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
TPG
Home Wireless Broadband
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Yomojo
4G Internet 25
$55.90/mth
Min. cost $55.90
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Vodafone
4G Home Internet Unlimited
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Kogan Internet
4G Home Internet Plan
$149.70
Link not supplied
|
Can I keep my home phone on the NBN?
Your existing home phone and internet services will be disconnected 18 months after your home is connected to the NBN. If you want to maintain a phone or internet service at your house, you'll need to change to an NBN plan before the cut-off date.
Unlike your old landline which was delivered over a copper connection, your new home phone connection will be delivered via the NBN. This type of phone service is known as Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. Your experience of a VoIP landline should be similar to your existing landline experience in a lot of ways, except one: if or when the power and/or internet goes down in your home, your landline connection will go down too.
For this reason, we recommend you should at minimum keep a cheap, prepaid mobile phone in your home, in case of an emergency.
For more information see our guides on home phone cut-off and VoIP service.
Ready to find your perfect NBN plan? Enter your address below to see plans and deals available at your location, or click here to browse through all NBN options.
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