MyRepublic fined for misleading NBN speed claims

Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor

Last updated 23 July 2018

MyRepublic fined for misleading NBN speed claims

MyRepublic has been fined $25,200 after getting called out on misleading NBN speed claims by the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Up until April 2018, MyRepublic marketed NBN plans using statements such as "up to NBN 100 speed tier" and "NBN 50 speed tier". While the website contained fine print disclaimers, the ACCC considered these were ineffective due to their lack of prominence and clarity.

"We were concerned that MyRepublic’s use of the NBN speed tiers misled consumers to believe they would get broadband speeds of, or close to, 100Mbps and 50Mbps during all or almost all of the time, when that wasn’t the case," said ACCC Commissioner Sarah Court.

MyRepublic has replaced the misleading copy with somewhat vague "speeds will vary" messaging. Unlike many other NBN providers, MyRepublic does not provide estimated evening speeds for its plans. The ACCC's best practice guide suggests that NBN providers should clearly identify the speeds a subscriber can expect during peak hour.

If you're after a NBN plan where you'll get a bit more certainty about peak hour speeds, consider an NBN 100 plan from one of the providers below. The following providers all disclose evening speeds of over 75Mbps - if you want to know specifics, we've got an evening speed table at the end of the article. It is however worth noting that offer factors can affect the NBN speed you can get, such as your technology type and the hardware in your home.

#1	iiNet	iiNet FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn Home Fast Liimitless FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 99/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $25/mth off for 6 mths - $69.99/mth for first 6 months, then $94.99/mth. Use code SAVE25FOR6 $69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99 Link not supplied	$69.99/mth + $10 Upfront for first 6 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $79.99	Link not supplied
#2	TPG	TPG FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn Home Fast Unlimited Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 99/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Save $240 over 12mths! $74.99/mth for first 12 months, then $94.99/mth. Min cost $84.99 if modem returned. T&Cs apply $74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99 Link not supplied	$74.99/mth for first 12 mths, then $94.99/mth Min. cost $74.99	Link not supplied
#3	Aussie Broadband	Aussie Broadband Business nbn Fixed Wireless Plus nbn® Wireless 100/10 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Includes $20 off for the first 6 months. Promo code SAVEBIZ20. $95/mth after promo ends 15.11.26 $75/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $75 Go to Site	$75/mth for first 6 months, then $95/mth Min. cost $75	Go to Site
#4	Optus	Optus FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Optus Fast nbn® FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/18 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: $84/mth for a year, then $99/mth or as notified. New services. Incl intro offer + extra $5/mth off. Min cost $390. Ends 6/10. $84/mth for first 12 months, then $99/mth or as notified Min. cost $84 Link not supplied	$84/mth for first 12 months, then $99/mth or as notified Min. cost $84	Link not supplied
#5	Telstra	Telstra FTTN, FTTB, FTTC Premium Internet Only Plan FTTN, FTTB, FTTC nbn® 100/17 Mbps Unlimited Data Deal: Get 50% off any home nbn plan for 2 months. Add code PROMO at checkout. Ends 05.10.26. T&Cs apply. $99/mth Min. cost $49.50 Link not supplied	$99/mth Min. cost $49.50	Link not supplied

NBN Provider Evening Speeds

This table shows average speeds during peak use times of 7pm to 11pm, as advertised by the NBN service providers in our database. Some speeds are based on the latest real-world tests carriers have run on their networks. Other carriers have chosen to provide a more general guideline (look for round numbers to identify these). Some providers don't offer all speed tiers.

In addition to the evening speeds advertised by carriers below, you may want to check out the results of the ACCC's broadband speed testing program. The ACCC uses volunteer households to test NBN evening speeds across six major internet providers and periodically publishes the results.

Provider	Premium (100 Mbps) Avg. Speed	Standard Plus (50 Mbps) Avg. Speed	Standard (25 Mbps) Avg. Speed	Basic (12 Mbps) Avg. Speed
Optus NBN	80.0 Mbps	44.0 Mbps	-	-
Telstra NBN	88.0 Mbps	44.0 Mbps	20.0 Mbps	-
Superloop NBN	90.0 Mbps	44.4 Mbps	22.2 Mbps	-
Exetel NBN	77.0 Mbps	40.0 Mbps	20.0 Mbps	-
Aussie Broadband NBN	86.0 Mbps	43.0 Mbps	22.0 Mbps	11.0 Mbps
Belong NBN	80.0 Mbps	40.0 Mbps	-	-
Dodo NBN	80.0 Mbps	40.0 Mbps	20.0 Mbps	-
iiNet NBN	80.6 Mbps	43.5 Mbps	20.4 Mbps	10.3 Mbps
iPrimus NBN	80.0 Mbps	40.0 Mbps	-	-
Kogan Internet NBN	82.0 Mbps	42.0 Mbps	21.0 Mbps	-
MATE NBN	83.0 Mbps	42.0 Mbps	19.0 Mbps	10.0 Mbps
Southern Phone NBN	76.0 Mbps	38.0 Mbps	19.0 Mbps	10.0 Mbps
SpinTel NBN	80.0 Mbps	40.0 Mbps	21.0 Mbps	-
Tangerine Telecom NBN	83.0 Mbps	42.0 Mbps	21.0 Mbps	-
TPG NBN	85.6Mbps	45.6 Mbps	-	10.9 Mbps
Vodafone NBN	82.0 Mbps	42.0 Mbps	21.0 Mbps	-

Last updated: May 5, 2020.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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