
Aussie Broadband recently launched a budget brand - Buddy Telco - to sell more affordable NBN plans. Buddy Telco is effectively a no-frills take on Aussie Broadband. Buddy' NBN plans are backed by the same technology as Aussie's and have the same typical evening speeds, but the offering is simpler.
Customer service is the main difference. Buddy only offers chat-based support. There's a human team that runs the live chat during business hours, but AI is used to help outside of those times.
With that in mind, is a Buddy NBN plan worth it? In this guide, we'll look at how Buddy's NBN plans compare to Aussie Broadband's mainline plans as well as the cheapest plans on each speed tier.
Before we start, here's a look at the full Buddy NBN plan range:
Buddy Telco NBN 25 plans compared
Buddy's NBN 25 plan sells for $65 per month and has typical evening speeds of 24Mbps. That's $14 per month cheaper than Aussie Broadband's NBN 25 plan.
Here's how Buddy compares to the cheapest NBN 25 plans in the WhistleOut database:
Buddy is on the more expensive side for NBN 25 plans, as it doesn't offer introductory pricing. NBN providers such as MATE have plans starting as low as $45 per month, but that's thanks to a $20 per month discount on the first six months. After the first six months are up, MATE's pricing goes back up to $65 per month - the same as Buddy is charging.
While many providers charge around $65 per month - if not more - after promotional pricing is over, there are some cheaper options. SpinTel is notable, where you'll pay $49 per month for the first six months and $59.95 per month thereafter.
Buddy NBN 50 plans compared
Buddy's NBN plan sells for $75 per month and has typical evening speeds of 49Mbps. That's $4 per month cheaper than Aussie Broadband's NBN 50 plan.
Here's how Buddy compares to the cheapest NBN 50 plans in the WhistleOut database:
Once again, Buddy's lack of an introductory discount can make it seem like the plan isn't a good buy. MATE has the cheapest plan here at $55 per month for the first six months, but it goes up to $75 per month thereafter. That's the same as Buddy.
Most other providers charge more than Buddy when the introductory offer runs out on their NBN 50 plans. For example, Dodo bills $83.90 per month after discounts run out, and Exetel charges $79.99 per month.
Buddy NBN 100 plans compared
Buddy's NBN 100 plan sells for $75 per month for the first six months and $85 per month thereafter. Buddy reports typical evening speeds of 98Mbps on its NBN 100 plan. Aussie Broadband's NBN 100 plan sells for $95 per month, making Buddy $10 per month cheaper at full price. Aussie Broadband also offers a more expensive NBN 100/40 plan with faster upload speeds.
Here's how Buddy compares to the cheapest NBN 100 plans in the WhistleOut database:
Buddy's NBN 100 offering is priced roughly where you'd expect for a cheap NBN 100 plan, but its introductory discount isn't as deep as some providers. Dodo initially charges $64.80 per month for its NBN 100 plan during the first six months, but $88.90 per month thereafter.
Other providers like Exetel charge $68.99 per month for the first six months, and $84.99 per month thereafter. Conversely, you've got providers like Superloop and Swoop where you're looking at $89 per month or $94 per month at full price for their NBN 100 plans.
Buddy NBN 1000 plans compared
Buddy's NBN 1000 plan sells for $89 per month for the first six months and $99 per month thereafter. Buddy reports typical evening speeds of 600Mbps on its NBN 1000 plan. Aussie Broadband's NBN 1000 plan sells for $129 per month, making Buddy $30 per month cheaper at full price.
Here's how Buddy compares to the cheapest NBN 1000 plans in the WhistleOut database:
At $89 per month for the first three months, Buddy's NBN 1000 plan is as cheap as the speed tier gets right now. At the full price of $99 per month, Buddy is cheaper than other NBN 1000 plan in our database.
For comparison, SpinTel charges $95 per month for the first six months, and $105.95 per month thereafter.
Buddy's typical evening speeds are a bit lower than some of the competition, however. It reports 600Mbps which is still very fast, but providers like Superloop offer 811Mbps for $10 month per month. It charges $99 per month for the first six months, and $109 per month thereafter.
Buddy Telco vs. Aussie Broadband: What's missing?
As a budget brand, Buddy's offering is a lot simpler than what Aussie Broadband itself offers. As mentioned earlier, the support strategy is a core difference: you're getting web chat rather than the ability to call on the phone.
There are a few offer differences, however:
- Buddy NBN plans are only available to those with fixed-line NBN connections. You can't get one if you've got Fixed Wireless or Satellite NBN.
- Buddy doesn't sell NBN 12, NBN 100/40 or NBN 250 plans.
- Buddy doesn't offer Static IPs.
- Buddy doesn't offer CGNAT opt-out.
- Buddy won't sell you a new modem if you need one.
- Buddy doesn't offer landline calling packages.
Is Buddy Telco worth it?
If you're looking for a no-frills internet option, Buddy's NBN plans tend to be a decent buy. Promotional pricing can make other providers cheaper, but when you take that away, Buddy tends to be in line with what you'd expect for each speed tier.
The main exception to this is NBN 1000, where at time of writing, Buddy has the cheapest plan in our database. This makes it a great buy if you don't mind typical evening speeds that are a little slower than some other providers.
Alex Choros
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