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Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
The average Aussie household pays $84p/m for NBN, which is way too much IMHO
Cost of living pressures in the past few years have made everything more expensive, including groceries, petrol and, of course, everyday utilities like home broadband. And it's never been more true for the latter, with new research revealing that Aussies are overspending on their NBN plans. ACCAN's Cost of Connectivity report calls for more affordable broadband, as findings show that almost a third of households spend over 5% of their income on a standard internet bundle, and almost half spend between 2-5% of their income on internet connectivity. ABS data shows the average Aussie salary is around AU$1,975.80 per week, which means some Aussies are forking out at least AU$98.79 (or more) on their monthly internet bill. Out of the surveyed participants, the average household internet cost was AU$84p/m, which again, is rather exorbitant. To put this into perspective, AU$84p/m costs the same as the average NBN 50 plan, which is great for smaller households of up to 4 users, but not so much for the average family with multiple internet-connected devices. Further, ACCAN's report found that some 14% of home internet consumers would accept slower download speeds to reduce their bills. This said, NBN Co has indicated that, by 2030, the average Australian household will have at least 40 internet-connected devices – so slower speeds than those currently offered through the NBN may not be viable in the future. Finding the best NBN deals is my bread and butter, so I know better than most that it pays to shop around for a bangin' bargain on your internet bill — and I refuse to accept that you couldn't get better value on your NBN connection. There are plenty of great cheap NBN plans out there that don't compromise on speeds and service, and offer an insanely attractive price tag. I've gathered three of my top-rated plans below, all costing under the AU$84p/m average, and overdeliver when it comes to speeds, service and savings. I am no magician, but when it comes to analysing NBN prices, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. So to add some extra sparkle to the plans I've selected below, all offerings average less than AU$84p/m for the first year, even when the introductory discounts end. That's a huge win in my books. So without further ado, let the savings begin! Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. SpinTel | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$80p/m Advertising 240Mbps download speeds during the typical evening hours, this SpinTel deal has slashed its introductory outlay completely, now AU$80p/m ongoing. The plan now provides pretty incredible value compared to other providers, as one of the cheapest NBN 250 plans, and it costs less than the average NBN 50 plan, for nearly 5x the speeds! Do note, though, that this SpinTel plan is only available for addresses with FTTP and HFC connections. Total minimum cost: AU$80 | Total yearly cost: AU$960 Mate | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$60p/m using code FUTURE30 (for 6 months, then AU$90p/m) Mate's NBN 100 plan is one of the most inexpensive offerings around, providing 97Mbps speeds during the typical evening hours. This plan is great for up to 4 users working from home, 4K streaming or gaming, and comes complete with unlimited data. Using our exclusive code FUTURE30, you'll save AU$180 during the first six months with Mate. You'll even get a free subscription to sports streamer, Bein Sports, typically retailing at AU$14.99p/m. Plus, if you want to bundle a phone line, you can add a home voice plan and score an extra AU$10 off discount! Total minimum cost: AU$60 | Total cost for first year: AU$900 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,080 TPG | NBN 100 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$64.99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$94.99p/m) If you're after a big three plan within the AU$84p/m budget, the options are far and few between. Right now, TPG has some pretty appealing offers on its NBN plans. Its 100Mbps plan is the cheapest compared to other major NBN operators like Optus and Telstra, costing just AU$64.99p/m for the first six months. There is a slight catch, though; if you do require a modem, you'll need to pay AU$114.95 upfront for a TPG-supplied one. But for AU$180 total savings, this TPG plan is hard to pass up. Total minimum cost: AU$64.99 | Total cost for first year: AU$959.88 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,139.88
Tom's Guide
21-05-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Telstra's announced another round of price hikes for its internet and mobile plans — and just days after network coverage accusations
Just days after being accused by Vodafone of providing misleading cellular network coverage claims to customers, Telstra has announced a new round of price adjustments across its postpaid mobile, mobile broadband and NBN plans. Price hikes seem to be increasing in frequency at Australia's largest telco, with Telstra's last mobile plan price hike rolling out just 7 months ago, in October 2024. The newest changes, set to take effect on July 1, will see increases of up to AU$7p/m on some plans, however, Telstra is also lowering the price of its two fastest NBN plans. Unfortunately, all of Telstra's mobile broadband plans will become more expensive, though the Medium plan will get a larger data allowance. The prices of only three plans will remain unchanged, with the Premium and Starter mobile plans, as well as the entry-level (12Mbps) NBN plan escaping unscathed. For a complete rundown of Telstra's upcoming price adjustments and how they compare to current pricing, simply check out the tables below. Postpaid plans: Current price Price as of July 1 Mobile bundle (25GB) AU$52 AU$57 Basic plan (50GB) AU$65 AU$70 Essential plan (180GB) AU$75 AU$80 Mobile broadband plans: Current price Price as of July 1 Data bundle (10GB) AU$10 AU$15 Small plan (30GB) AU$25 AU$30 Medium plan (100GB, up from 75GB) AU$58 AU$65 NBN plans: Current price Price as of July 1 Basic (25Mbps) AU$89 AU$93 Essential (50Mbps) AU$105 AU$109 Premium (100Mbps) AU$110 AU$113 Ultimate (250Mbps) AU$130 AU$129 Ultrafast (1,000Mbps) AU$150 AU$139 Given the ongoing cost-of-living crisis in Australia, you could be forgiven for wanting to look elsewhere for a cheap mobile plan or cheap NBN plan. As expected, Telstra's decision to increase pricing has been met with pushback from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), which released a statement saying "the price increases will place an impost on millions of Australians already under financial pressure." ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett also encouraged Australians to "assess their data needs and compare major telco offerings with smaller providers" and pointing out that these "may offer better value while still using the capacity of a major network.' So if you're feeling the pinch from Telstra's mobile plan price hikes but still want access to Australia's largest network, you may want to consider some Telstra network mobile plans from alternative providers. For convenience, we currently think these two plans from more-affordable Telstra network providers are particularly good value: Belong 160GB SIM Only Plan | 160GB data | No lock-in contract | AU$55p/m Wholly owned by Telstra, Belong is an excellent option for those looking to access Australia's largest network for less. For just AU$55p/m, this plan gets you a massive 160GB of monthly data, which works out to just AU$0.34 per GB. On top of that, you also get 5G network access (capped at 250Mbps). Total minimum cost is AU$55 (1-month) | Total cost for first year: AU$660 Tangerine | 150GB data | Unlimited calls and texts | No lock-in contract | AU$58p/m This SIM-only plan from Tangerine offers 150GB of data each month, with a double data bonus on the first three months for new customers. It uses parts of the Telstra 5G, 4G and 3G network and speeds are capped at 250Mbps on 4G and 5G, but for just AU$58p/m, this is a cracking deal. Total minimum cost: AU$58 | Yearly cost: AU$696 Of course, if an alternative mobile broadband or NBN source is what you're after, you should know that the best-value internet plans are generally much more affordable than Telstra's pricing. You can find our reader's favourites in those categories below.
