Latest news with #NBN
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Fret not, Opticomm users – the private fibre-internet company has confirmed it's matching NBN Co's upcoming speed boosts
High-speed NBN connections are getting a major boost come September, with NBN 500, 750 and 2000 plans coming into play, but they're not the only ones reaching turbocharged heights this spring. As per Opticomm's latest wholesale report, the private fibre provider has revealed pricing for three new speed tiers, in line with the NBN. These new tiers — 500/50Mbps, 750/50Mbps, and 1000/100Mbps — will be available from September 1, 2025. Opticomm runs one of the largest private fibre networks in Australia, supplying connections in metro cities to select apartment complexes and newly built homes. Opticomm speed tiers are the same as the NBN, with the best Opticomm providers offering plans from 25Mbps to 1,000Mbps. The infrastructure provider hasn't detailed its speed increases publicly, or whether existing plans will experience 3-5x speed boosts, much like NBN 100 and NBN 250. However, the pricing outlined is extremely similar to that of the NBN's incoming tiers. According to NBN Co's SAU Tariff list, 100/20Mbps plans cost AU$58.53p/m, 250/25Mbps plans cost AU$63.93p/m and 500-1000Mbps plans cost AU$73.93p/m. All tiers come with a disclaimer of speed increases on September 14, 2025, with 100Mbps boosting to 500/50Mbps, 250Mbps to 750Mbps and 500-1000Mbps to a minimum of 1000/100Mbps. As for Opticomm's wholesale prices, 100/20Mbps currently costs AU$70.23p/m, 500/50Mbps will cost AU$71.03p/m, 750/50 will cost AU$83.38p/m and 1000/100 will cost AU$87.85p/m. The updated ultrafast tier costs the same as the existing 1000/50 tier, but will provide customers with double the upload speeds. Unlike the NBN equivalents, Opticomm hasn't confirmed whether the existing 100/20 and 250/25 plans will incur an automatic speed boost to the new tiers, or if current customers will need to sign up for a new plan to access faster speeds. However, the table does suggest that the higher speed plans will be cheaper, at least at a wholesale level, than the existing tiers. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. So, if the wholesale pricing is anything to go by, if you're on an Opticomm 100/20 plan, you could pay roughly the same to boost your connection to 500/50Mbps in September. Right now, 100/20 plans currently average AU$95.32p/m, and if ISPs stick to wholesale pricing, you could be paying up to AU$24.29p/m in excess for a 100Mbps plan when 500Mbps becomes available. Now, this is all dependent on your chosen ISP, but if we look at early adopters of the NBN 500 plans, for example, the average pricing is around AU$85p/m. Comparatively, NBN 100 plans average just over AU$93p/m — that's a huge difference of nearly AU$9p/m. There's no direct comparison for Opticomm 500 pricing, as pre-launch plans haven't debuted just yet; however, considering the high average, we can reasonably expect the difference to be just as immense. As someone with an Opticomm connection at home, it is worth noting that some properties may have infrastructure limitations, which dictate the speeds you can access at home. For my address, I can only order plans of 100Mbps maximum, but that may not be the case for every Opticomm connection and may change come September. We suggest contacting your preferred provider before ordering a new high-speed plan to make sure your property can reach the megabits. If you're interested in getting ahead of the high-speed rat race in September, there are some great fast Opticomm plans worth checking out below:
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
SpinTel just joined the 'early NBN 500' club with this super-tempting AU$74p/m 500Mbps plan
Just when I thought the NBN scene was slowly warming up, with new turbocharged speed tiers hitting shelves in September, one spicy new offering has well and truly cranked up the heat. NBN Co's planned speed boost on September 14, 2025 will multiply everyday NBN 100 plans by 5, resulting in them offering 500Mbps as standard evening speeds for around the same price. Yet, in a shock move, SpinTel has recently introduced its mega 500Mbps plan, a full seven weeks before NBN Co is set to take the stage. I've showcased SpinTel's ultracheap deals before, including its newer NBN 750 plan, but this one takes the cake. Costing just AU$74p/m for the first six months, you'll save AU$65.70 before the price increases to AU$84.95p/m. What's more, when compared to other NBN plans, this price is in line with the average costs of NBN 25 (AU$72.29p/m), but delivers nearly 20x the speeds. And, interestingly, this plan is AU$2p/m cheaper than the telco's own NBN 100 offering, supplying — you guessed it — 5x slower speeds. How mindboggling is that?! SpinTel is a Tom's Guide preferred partner (What does this mean?) SpinTel | NBN 500 | AU$74p/m (for 6 months, then AU$84.95p/m) Advertising a monstrous 500Mbps across all hours, SpinTel's latest plan will set you back AU$74p/m for the first 6 months, before increasing to AU$84.95p/m ongoing. This is a huge step for the telco, beating out other providers and NBN Co's own launch of NBN 500 plans. And, it's even cheaper than SpinTel's own NBN 100 plan, chopping AU$2 off per month. With 500Mbps downloads and 42Mbps uploads, SpinTel's Home Turbo plan is ideal for lag-free gaming, streaming and remote work, supporting 4K video calls, downloading game patches and 4K viewing simultaneously. And like other high-speed plans, you'll need an FTTP or HFC connection to order this service. Total minimum cost: AU$74 | Total first year cost: AU$953.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,019.40 Jumping the queue before the official NBN 500 rollout isn't as hard as it seems. If you've already got a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection, then you're one step closer to signing up for SpinTel's attractive plan. All you need to do is order the plan from the telco's website, and they'll sort out the rest. Existing customers can also migrate to the new plan by contacting SpinTel. If you have fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) or fibre-to-the-curb (FTTC) at home, your property could be eligible for NBN Co's free fibre upgrade. You can check your address at NBN Co's website, and order your fibre upgrade when you sign up for the plan via SpinTel. When it comes to speeds, it's hard to compare as SpinTel is one of the first of its kind. However, it's worth noting that the 500Mbps figure is theoretical and real-world speeds will likely depend on your connection type, location and time of day. But, like other budget-focused providers, SpinTel piggybacks off Optus, using the bigger telco's network to supply NBN and mobile services. According to recent ACCC data, Optus reached 103.7% of advertised plan speeds during all hours of the day and 103.0% during the busy hours. If these top results extend themselves to SpinTel, you and your internet speeds will be cruisin'. As for the hardware component of any NBN plan, SpinTel does offer modems alongside the plan for an upfront fee. SpinTel's modem bundles range from AU$139.95 to AU$419.95, and can include up to 2 mesh extenders. You can also add a VoIP phone line for free, and a 25GB mobile plan, starting from AU$14p/m (for 6 months, then AU$25p/m ongoing). So if you're peachy keen to get a head start on a new NBN 500 plan, you can check out SpinTel's Home Turbo plan on its website.
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Glaring' NBN issue exposed as Aussie left without internet: ‘Frustrating'
When I switched internet providers six months ago to take advantage of a better offer, I expected the process to be relatively straightforward. After activating the new connection, I hooked up my modem — only to find it was still connected to my old service. While calling my new provider to ask a few questions, my neighbour knocked on my door to tell me their internet had been disconnected. My neighbour and I share nearly identical addresses — think 25A and 25B Main Street. Both homes were built at the same time, and it turns out the NBN had somehow wired the houses backwards on the network. RELATED Telstra customers threaten to boycott after third price hike since August Top 10 superannuation funds revealed as Aussies receive 'double-digit' returns Compensation sought for millions of Qantas customers hit in major cyber data breach This was confirmed when my neighbour called to restore their service, and mine was cut off. As we had clearly identified the issue, you might imagine this would be a simple problem to fix. You would be wrong. At this stage, with both my neighbour and I disconnected from the NBN, we contacted our ISPs. My ISP, Superloop, said they could register the issue with the NBN and swap the addresses, but it was best to keep both connections offline while the request was processed. My neighbour called their ISP, who said they could not lodge an issue with the NBN unless he already had an active connection. After consulting, we decided to wait for Superloop to resolve the issue for both of us. Days passed. Despite repeated assurances from Superloop that they would return my calls and fix the problem, communication was one-way only. After more than a week without internet and several calls, my neighbour proposed a solution: why don't we get connected to the opposite addresses — the ones not matching our house numbers but actually connected to our homes — and then ask our ISPs to correct the addresses later? I called Superloop again to ask if we could do this and was told, 'No problem'. So, I cancelled my pending order and created a new one for my neighbour's address. This all worked quite well. I was connected to the NBN within about three hours, and it worked perfectly. Weeks later, hoping for closure, I contacted Superloop again to have my address corrected officially. Frustratingly, I was told I would have to close my account and start fresh by calling the sales team myself. Exasperated, I refused. A sympathetic representative promised a callback and personal oversight. Two months later, I had still not received that callback. At this point, I reached out to Superloop with some questions and began writing this article. That initiated a series of events which finally solved the issue, and encouraged the ISP to change their customer service process. Frustrating problem finally leads to a solution When I asked Superloop why they couldn't directly update incorrect addresses in the NBN registry without forcing customers to close and reopen accounts, they explained that the NBN Co, as the wholesaler, owns and manages the registry. This centralised system ensures all providers work from a single source of truth, but only NBN Co has the authority to make amendments. Address corrections require active services to be disconnected first, which complicates the process for customers caught in errors like mine. I also questioned why Superloop initially said it was fine to connect to the 'wrong' address and fix it later, only to change their stance when I went ahead. They acknowledged this was poor communication and said they've since introduced a governance forum with NBN's Connections Team to escalate and resolve such issues more swiftly. When asked why resolving a simple error involved calling multiple departments who refused to speak to each other, Superloop's Head of Process & Customer Experience, Grant Caldwell, replied: It shouldn't, is the simple answer. Since your experience, we've formed a 'Proactive Solutions Team'. Their objective is to identify customers in distress — that's a customer who calls multiple times with an issue. This team then takes on and owns that relationship until the issue is resolved, proactively calling and keeping the customer across the steps we're taking to avoid the frustration you experienced. This team was soon put to the test when I was referred to them. Resolution Expert Amila called me the same day and explained that he would guide me through the process of fixing the address. This involved sending photos of my NBN box (for the third time), closing my existing account and opening a new one (for the second time). But rather than having to call repeatedly, Amila promised to manage the entire process and call me back at each stage — and I'm happy to report he did. Within 10 days, my home was successfully switched over to the correct address, and the broadband service has remained solid and speedy since. For their swift action here, Superloop — and Amila in particular — are to be commended. But one 'glaring' issue remains As someone who regularly reports on customer service issues in the media, it's refreshing to see such proactive and effective support rather than the usual apologetic dismissal. Superloop emphasised their ongoing commitment to continuous improvement through regular internal forums and new tools designed to prevent these frustrations, reinforcing their focus on a 'customer first' culture and better service delivery moving forward. However, one glaring issue remains: if a customer has a problem with their NBN connection wiring, they cannot deal with NBN Co directly. Instead, they must sign up with an ISP using the wrong address, only to later close that account and open a new one to fix the problem. The solution is simple — allow customers direct communication with NBN Co for complex technical and administrative matters. Until then, many more frustrating calls lie ahead for consumers with issues and less obliging ISPs.
7NEWS
18-07-2025
- Business
- 7NEWS
Faster, cheaper NBN plans launch early
This month, three Internet Service Providers (ISPs) launched brand new NBN plans that promise both speed and affordability. Tangerine, SpinTel and Exetel each introduced anNBN 500 plan exclusively for customers on either a FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) or a HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial) connection type. But how do these plans compare to one other and others with similar speeds? And what can you expect to get if you sign up for one? Tangerine's new NBN 500 plan Customer favourite ISP, Tangerine, has a new NBN plan capable of reaching faster speeds than NBN 250 plans. At the time of writing, Tangerine's new 'Speedy Max' plan is the most affordable option around this speed tier. It boasts download speeds of 500Mbps and upload speeds of 50Mbps. The Speed Max plan is priced at $68.90 for the first six months, then the price increases to $88.90 per month. This offer ends December 31, 2025. Tangerine is also offering a high-speed trial for this plan. This means customers who sign up before September 14 2025 can expect faster speeds of 1000/50 until October 14 2025. After the trial ends, this plan will be reduced back to the advertised 500/50+ speeds. Tangerine customers are also treated to a number of bonuses, such as seven-day technical customer support and a $50 bonus when they refer a friend. SpinTel's new NBN 500 plan SpinTel's new 'Home Turbo' plan is a happy middle ground between its 'Fast' NBN 100 plan and its 'Turbofast' NBN 700 plans, and it's even cheaper than the NBN 100 plan by $2 per month. New customers can get this plan for $74 per month for the first six months then $84.95 per month thereafter. Customers on the Home turbo plan will receive download speeds of 500Mbps and upload speeds of 42Mbps at typical evening speeds. It comes with unlimited data, has no setup fee and allows customers to bring their own modem. Bundling a SpinTel NBN with a mobile SIM, will score you a discounted rate of just $18 per month with 23GB data. This is a saving of $3 per month. Exetel's new NBN 500 plan Exetel has waved goodbye to its catalogue of NBN plans and launched a 'one size fits all plan', sensibly named 'One Plan'. Priced at $80 per month, it offers download speeds up to 500Mbps and upload speeds up to 40Mbps with unlimited data. At the time of writing, there is no promo offer to go with this particular NBN plan but that's not a dealbreaker since this is fairly reasonably priced already for what you get. There is a caveat, however. In addition to doing away with multiple NBN plans, Exetel has also traded its 'five free speed boosts per month' in favour of 1,000Mbps speed boost for a price of $1 per day. Customers can however opt into its latest 'Hibernate' feature, which allows customers to voluntarily slow their speeds to 12/1Mbps with the click of a button via the Exetel app. This is great for people who travel often and won't be home to use their full bandwidth. Customers save $1 per day when hibernating their internet. Like Tangerine, Exetel also has a refer-a-friend program, but it will only save customers $1 off their bill per month. The friend will also receive $1 off per month for as long as both remain connected to the One Plan. If neither of these plans or providers spark your interest, here are some NBN plans capable of achieving similar speeds across a variety of other ISPs:
Tom's Guide
17-07-2025
- Business
- Tom's Guide
Amaysim might be new to selling internet plans, but it's won me over with this neat NBN 100 deal
If being value-minded is your MO when it comes to your mobile plan, then you've probably heard of Amaysim. The telco is a budget-focused offshoot of Optus, and has long been known for offering inexpensive postpaid mobile plans. When it launched its NBN offerings late last year, however, Amaysim skimped on providing value, with its home internet options costing above average for most speed tiers. And if you asked me at the time of their debut, I wouldn't have recommended Amaysim's NBN plans, but the telco has since introduced fresh introductory rates that have me eating my own words. Slicing a modest AU$120 off, Amaysim's NBN 100 plan is discounted to just AU$70p/m for the first 6 months, before the price increases to AU$90p/m. Much like the best NBN 100 plans, Amaysim advertises maximum speeds of 100Mbps during the busy evening hours of 7pm to 11pm, and costs AU$23p/m less than the average for the tier — that's around AU$93p/m right now. The plan also comes with unlimited data and works on a no lock-in contract basis. You'll need to act fast to score this epic Amaysim deal — this AU$20p/m discount will expire on July 20, 2025. Amaysim | AU$70p/m (for 6 months, then AU$90p/m) Don't be fooled by this slightly more expensive introductory outlay — Amaysim's 100Mbps plan is a favourable midrange option, as it's still cheaper than the average of AU$93p/m for the tier. Do note, though, Amaysim only offers NBN services, so you'll need to supply your own modem for this plan. Total minimum cost: AU$70 | Total cost for first year: AU$960 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,080 When comparing pricing to competitors, Amaysim's offer costs the same as Mate's 100Mbps plan (AU$60p/m for 6 months, then AU$90p/m) in the long run, once the introductory price ends. However, you could pay as little as AU$80 per month if you bundle an Amaysim mobile plan with your NBN, reducing your ongoing bill by another AU$120. This would bring your ongoing yearly costs to just AU$960 — a.k.a. the cheapest ongoing rate for any NBN 100 plan. Amaysim's postpaid plans start from AU$10p/m for 15GB data. One thing of note is that Amaysim exclusively provides NBN services, so routers are strictly BYO, which isn't great if you're looking for an all-in-one NBN and modem package. But, if you've already got an NBN service (which you most likely do), then there's a very good chance that the modem you already have will work with this Amaysim plan. Alternatively, I do recommend this Amazon eero6+ router for AU$249.99 if you want to invest in something new. And, Amaysim does provide new customers with a satisfaction guarantee, where if you're unhappy with the service within the first 30 days, the telco will refund you for the month. So if you're keen on giving Amaysim NBN a go, there's no time like the present to switch and save. If you've got a real need for speed, you can check out Amaysim's other NBN plans here.
