Aussie Broadband’s lockdown support includes free unlimited daytime data for NBN customers

Customer-focused NBN provider Aussie Broadband has launched a series of initiatives aimed to support households doing it tough during the latest round of lockdowns across NSW, VIC and the ACT.

If you’re currently on an Aussie Broadband plan with limited monthly data – that’s either 100GB or 500GB per month – you may be eligible for unmetered data use between 6am and 6pm each day for the duration of stay-at-home and lockdown orders. This is great news for families or individuals currently working or studying from home, who may be spending much more time online and burning through data quickly.

The offer is available for customers on Aussie Broadband’s data-capped NBN and ADSL plans, which for NBN users currently begin at $60 per month for 100GB of data, and $65 for 500GB. While the price difference between 100GB and unlimited data is only $9 per month across all NBN speed tiers, unlimited daytime data at no extra cost can help ease the pressure in homes where every dollar counts.

Customers should keep in mind that while this unmetered day data doesn’t count against your plan’s monthly data inclusions, it’s only available between 6am and 6pm. Any data used outside these hours will be taken from your plan’s 100GB or 500GB monthly data allowance, so to make the most of this gesture you may want to limit data-intensive activities to your unmetered period.

This could mean downloading movies and TV during these hours to watch later (rather than using your data by streaming during primetime), or scheduling updates and other downloads for before 6pm. Of course, for most customers – and especially for families with school-age children – this free unlimited data period will be prioritised for learning and working from home.

The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Aussie Broadband NBN plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from lowest to highest. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.

Aussie Broadband’s COVID-19 help

Offering unmetered data during daytime hours is one of several steps taken by Aussie Broadband to support customers during ongoing lockdowns. The telco is monitoring its network capacity and making adjustments where necessary, to ensure customers experience the fastest and most consistent performance possible during busy periods.

Aussie Broadband is also extending financial hardship assistance to both residential and business customers impacted by lockdowns.

“If a customer is struggling, or they just need a few extra days to pay their bill, they can set up a payment plan via the MyAussie app or by contacting our support team,” said Managing Director Phillip Britt.

“Payment plan options include temporarily postponing your payment to partial, ongoing payments over an agreed upon time period. There’s also financial hardship services for customers who are experiencing financial difficulties. These are tailored to meet individual needs. There is no maximum period of time, instead they are assessed on a case by case basis.”

In addition to setting up a payment plan via the MyAussie app, affected customers also have the option to downgrade to a lower-cost plan with no plan change fee, and to implement spend controls for better managing their budget. The award-winning MyAussie app offers many self-help options and tools for managing payments and plans, and can also be used to test and troubleshoot your internet connection.

While most Aussies are now on unlimited data broadband plans, and recent ACCC reports show that more than two-thirds of us are now on faster speed tiers, not everyone can easily afford making the jump to a speedier service. However, NBN Co has confirmed it will be offering NBN providers incentives to keep costs down during the ongoing pandemic, including extending $5.2 million of credit relief to eligible retailers.

If you’re spending more time at home, but unhappy with how your broadband plan is handling the extra strain, it may be time to shop around for a better deal or faster speed. Compare NBN plans with our free internet comparison tool, or check out the plans in the tables below.

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