SpinTel has joined the ranks of NBN providers that have upped their monthly NBN costs in recent days and weeks. As an NBN provider, SpinTel is largely known for its affordable plans. This is thankfully still the case, though not always to the same degree.
The telco has also added two new plans to its lineup: NBN 50 and NBN 1000. SpinTel discontinued its NBN 50 plan a few years ago, so it’s good to see this popular option back on the table. As for NBN 1000, this tiny telco has entered the market with a splash, offering one of the cheapest Ultrafast NBN plans around – though perhaps not with the fastest speeds.
While many NBN providers have already hiked up their prices, some are yet to announce or make changes. As such, we might see market comparisons continue to shift within the next few weeks.
Here’s a quick look at SpinTel’s new NBN plans and pricing:
So, by just how much did SpinTel increase the cost of its NBN plans? Here’s a quick overview:
| Plan | New price | Old price | Increase |
| NBN 25 | $59.95 | $54.95 | $5 |
| NBN 50 | $76.95 | – | – |
| NBN 100/20 | $81.95 | $79.95 | $2 |
| NBN 250/25 | $89.95 | $85.95 | $4 |
| NBN 1000/50 | $105.95 | – | – |
Note: these are the ongoing monthly costs of SpinTel’s NBN plans after an initial six-month deal period. SpinTel’s current plans are all discounted by $10.95 per month for the first six months, after which the ongoing price is what’s listed above. The company had a similar deal prior to the price increases.
The $5 increase to its NBN 25 plan is similar to what we’ve seen from other providers. A $2 jump for the NBN 100/20 plan isn’t unique, but some other chose to keep this speed tier unchanged. A $4 increase to NBN 250 is more interesting, given some providers actually dropped the price of this speed tier (that said, SpinTel still has one of the cheapest NBN 250 plans, but more on this later).
Are SpinTel NBN plans still cheap?
Let’s take a look at SpinTel’s new NBN pricing vs other NBN providers in WhistleOut’s database. We’ll compare NBN plans and rank the results by cheapest total cost over the first 12 months, to help offset introductory deals.
NBN 25
SpinTel comes out on top for NBN 250 plans. Mate’s plan is initially cheaper, but the ongoing cost difference of $5 per month puts SpinTel just ahead over the first year – a lead that will only increase with time.
NBN 50
SpinTel’s shiny new NBN 50 plan is fourth-cheapest over the first 12 months – not shabby, but nothing to write home about. Not only is Mate’s introductory offer much cheaper, its ongoing cost is better, too.
Kogan Internet’s plan is only around $17 more expensive than Mate’s over the first year, but will be cheaper in the long run thanks to its lower ongoing cost of $68.90 per month vs Mate’s $75. If you’re happy to swap providers every six months, Mat is a good option here. But if you don’t want the hassle, Kogan Internet is a better bet from a purely cost-based perspective.
NBN 100
Where SpinTel used to regularly out-bargain the competition in the NBN 100 speed tier, it no longer takes the top spot – but only by a bit. Tangerine is now the cheapest over the first 12 months, though is only a grand total of $1.20 less than Mate and about $20 cheaper than SpinTel and Kogan Internet across that time.
Kogan and SpinTel are both cheaper in the long run than Tangerine and Mate, however. Kogan’s ongoing cost is $78.90 per month and SpinTel’s is $81.95. Compare this to the $84.90 ongoing for Tangerine and $85 for Mate. Really, any of these is worth considering if you’re after a cheap NBN 100 plan.
NBN 250
NBN 250 is where SpinTel’s pricing shines. It’s the cheapest option over the first 12 months, coming in about $30 under TPG and more than $80 less than next-cheapest Exetel. After its initial six-month discount, its ongoing cost of $89.95 per month is only bested by Dodo’s $85 per month.
Comparing SpinTel to Dodo, SpinTel is a total of $89 cheaper over the first 12 months. So you’ll need to stick with Dodo for a further 18 months after that for it to become a better option. Given NBN wholesale prices are slated to rise again in a year’s time, there’s no guarantee you’ll ever be rewarded for your patience.
NBN 1000
SpinTel’s new NBN 1000 plans is one of the cheapest around, but isn’t the fastest. It’s the second cheapest in WhislteOut’s database over the first 12 months, coming in around $60 more than TPG’s plan (thanks to TPG offering one month free). For ongoing costs, SpinTel is only about $1 more expensive.
But NBN 1000 plans are also about speed. TPG’s typical evening speeds are a good 150Mbps faster than SpinTel’s. Third-cheapest Superloop’s are faster yet again. This isn’t to say the 650Mbps of SpinTel’s plan is terrible – it’s actually fairly common in the market. But if you’re going for bang-for-buck, TPG and Superloop seem like the better bet here.
Alex Angove-Plumb is a journalist at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website
Image: Fox