While a fast NBN connection doesn’t come cheap, if you’re a savvy shopper, you don’t have to pay full price when it comes to picking up an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan.
If you’re someone who craves a speedy internet connection above all else, we’re going to take a look at the best NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans out there, breaking them down by speed and price. As a bonus, most of the plans we cover here include introductory discounts that last for the first six to 12 months of your connection. They’re also contract-free, so if you aren’t happy with the service, you can give it the flick with no strings attached.
Here are the cheapest and fastest NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans.
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The cheapest and fastest NBN 1000 plans
If you’re looking for the cheapest NBN 1000 plan that’s currently available, Superloop is charging $99 per month for your first six months and $109 per month thereafter. Not only is this the cheapest NBN 1000 available, but Superloop is also reporting typical evening speeds of 600/42 Mbps, making it one of the fastest connections in this speed tier (although not the fastest).
Swoop is also running an introductory offer where you can pick up its NBN 1000 plan for $99 per month. This price lasts for the first six months of your connection, before making a sizeable increase to $139 per month. The provider is currently reporting typical evening speeds of 582/47 Mbps, which isn’t too shabby.
Exetel is also worth considering, with its plan billed at $99.99 per month for your first six months, and $109.99 per month thereafter. The only catch with this “NBN 500” plan is Exetel reports typical evening speeds of 400/42 Mbps, so it’s a bit slower than Superloop for roughly the same price.
If you’re looking for the fastest NBN 1000 plans around, apart from Superloop, then your key choices are either Aussie Broadband, Optus or Southern Phone.
Aussie Broadband has recently adjusted the prices of its NBN plans, which included lowering the cost of its NBN 1000 plan. On top of that cheaper price, Aussie is also running an introductory deal where new customers can save $240 across their first year with this plan. Aussie Broadband’s NBN 1000 plan is currently $109 per month for the first 12 months you’re connected, and then $129 per month after that. Aussie is reporting typical evening speeds of 600/42 Mbps.
If you go with Optus, its NBN 1000 plan will set you back $129 per month for your first six months and will then increase to $149 per month after your discount period runs out. Optus reports typical evening speeds of 600/40 Mbps. This plan includes Optus’ Ultra WiFi Modem Gen 2, which offers 4G backup. However, if you leave this plan within the first 36 months you’ll need to pay a modem fee, which is equal to $8.50 per remaining month (to a total of $306).
Southern Phone has the fastest NBN 1000 plan going, with typical evening speeds of 650/43 Mbps. Surprisingly, despite these high speeds, Southern Phone’s plan is quite affordable (relative to other NBN 1000 plans, that is). The provider is running an introductory offer where you’ll pay $115 per month for the first 12 months of your connection, and then $135 per month thereafter.
The cheapest and fastest NBN 250 plans
Spintel currently has the cheapest NBN 250 plan available at $75 per month. This price will last for the first six months of your connection, before increasing to $85.95 per month, which is still cheaper than the vast majority of discounted NBN 250 plans. The trade-off here is that Spintel is reporting typical evening speeds of 211Mbps. That’s not necessarily slow, but it is slower than some of the other plans we’ll cover here.
Exetel is another cheap choice if you’re after high-speed NBN. You’ll pay $83.99 per month for its NBN 250 plans, and $98.99 per month thereafter. It has a typical evening speed of 225/21 Mbps. Exetel’s plan also includes five daily speed boosts each month, which will allow you to bump up your connection to its NBN 500 plan (400/42 Mbps).
Up next is Swoop, which is running an introductory offer for new customers where you’ll be billed $84 per month for the first six months you’re with the provider. After this period ends, you’ll be paying $119 per month for Swoop’s NBN 250 plan. The provider is currently reporting typical evening speeds of 250/25 Mbps, making it the cheapest congestion-free plan.
Tangerine, which has a typical evening speed of 205/21 Mbps, is also currently offering a discounted plan. For the first six months that you’re with the provider, you’ll only pay $89.90 per month and then $109.90 per month after the deal period ends.
Superloop, which is reporting slightly faster typical evening speeds of 240/21 Mbps, is just a hair more expensive than Exetel. You’ll pay $85 per month for the first six months and then $99 per month after this introductory discount period ends.
If you want an NBN 250 that isn’t too expensive while still being fast, Southern Phone is currently reporting congestion-free evening speeds of 250/21 Mbps. The provider is currently running a promotion where you’ll pay $95 per month for the first 12 months, and then $115 per month thereafter. Even at full price, Southern Phone has one of the cheaper plans in this speed tier, making it some good bang for your buck.
Telstra is reporting typical evening speeds of 250/22 Mbps. You’ll pay $110 per month for the first six months and then $135 per month thereafter. If you leave within your first two years, you’ll need to return your modem to Telstra or face a non-return fee.
Make sure you have the right connection first
If you’re upgrading from a slower internet tier to an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan, it’s important to make sure that you have a connection that can support either of these speeds.
While NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans are still limited to FTTP and HFC addresses, essentially everyone with those technology types should be able to get a super high-speed plan if they want it. NBN 250 plans are available to all FTTP and HFC addresses, and NBN 1000 plans are available at all FTTP addresses and over 95 per cent of HFC addresses.
If you aren’t sure which type of NBN connection you have, you can check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide to checking here.
More NBN plans
You can find the rest of Gizmodo Australia’s NBN breakdowns here:
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website. This article has been updated since it was first published.
Image: 20th Television