Australia’s need for broadband speed continues, with a new market report revealing that over two thirds of NBN customers are now on fast connections of 50Mbps or faster.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has released its latest NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report, which tracks how NBN Co supplies network access to retail service providers. Covering the quarter through to June 30, 2021, the latest report shows that recent demand for fast internet hasn’t decreased, with 400,000 residential customers upgrading to a speedier plan.
The ACCC report analyses the services supplied by NBN Co to providers such as Telstra, Optus and TPG, so it doesn’t break down how plans are offered from telcos on to retail customers and businesses. But it does provide a useful insight into how many NBN connections are active, which telcos are leading the market, and the most-used speed tiers and technology types across the country.
Over 6 million fast plans in operation
This quarter’s report indicates that well over 8.7 million NBN connections are now in operation, with over 6 million of those with maximum speeds of 50Mbps or more — what the ACCC would consider to be ‘higher’ speed tiers. NBN 50 is still the most popular tier on offer, accounting for over 4.5 million connections alone.
More than 1.5 million Australian homes and businesses are on plans of 100Mbps or faster — around 17% of total connections — with 563,814 on NBN 250, and 86,436 on gigabit-speed NBN 1000. Overall, around 73.9% of connections are now considered ‘high speed’, compared to just 16.2% in December 2017.
NBN Co has been working to encourage customers to take up faster speed tiers, most notably by offering wholesale discounts to retailers which have then been passed on to consumers. For much of 2021, many providers offered introductory pricing across NBN 250, NBN 1000 and even NBN 100 plans, with discounts usually available to new customers for their first six months.
“Most broadband customers are now using higher speed tiers and that is a result of more retail providers and NBN promoting higher speed plans,” said ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey.
“NBN Co’s incentives for retail providers, such as its ‘Focus on Fast’ promotion, have been welcome as many Australians work and study from home.”
If you’re weighing up a move to a faster NBN plan, or you’re just unhappy with your current provider, there’s plenty of NBN 50 and NBN 100 options available. We’ve compiled a selection from leading telcos in the tables below.
The following table shows a selection of published cheap NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following table shows a selection of published cheap NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
New lockdowns mean new network demands
According to NBN Co, 2.5 million customers upgraded their plan between March of 2020 and June 2021. While network demands may have lulled in the first half of 2021, new stay-at-home orders across multiple major cities now mean that once again, millions of Aussies will be working and schooling online at once.
NBN Co has confirmed that data demands surge during lockdowns and is anticipating the increase in usage to continue, particularly during peak evening hours. To help combat the strain on the network, the company will be providing $5.2 million of COVID-19 credit relief to eligible NBN retailers.
“To ensure Australians continue to enjoy a good customer experience, we’ve redoubled our efforts to support customers and the industry,” said NBN Co spokesperson Jane McNamara.
“This relief payment for internet retailers helps cover the cost of additional data brought on by the incremental increase in usage during the peak evening entertainment hours and to help to ensure they do not fall short of their customers’ data demands during these state-specific lockdowns.”
With super-fast and ultra-fast NBN plans now available from a wide range of providers, there’s multiple competitive deals on offer for new customers. If NBN 100 just isn’t cutting it, you may want to consider NBN 250 or NBN 1000; however, keep in mind that these plans aren’t available to all Australians. You’ll need to be on a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or selected Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) technology type to qualify; currently, around 1.6 million connections in operation are FTTP, and 1.9 million are HFC.
NBN 1000 Plans Compared
The following table shows selected published NBN 1000 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, then alphabetically. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $109.90 for first month |
Unlimited | $109.90 | Go To Site |
 |
min. cost $144.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $144.99 | Go to Site |
 |
min. cost $265 over first month |
Unlimited | $145 | Go To Site |
 |
min. cost $149 over first month |
Unlimited | $149 | Go to Site |
 |
min. cost $149 over first month |
Unlimited | $149 | Go To Site |
 |
min. cost $149.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $149.99 | Go to Site |
 |
Home Ultrafast Speed
min. cost $149.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $149.99 | |
 |
min. cost $154 over first month |
Unlimited | $154 | Go to Site |
 |
min. cost $4,419 over 24 months |
Unlimited | $180 | Go To Site |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
NBN 250 Plans Compared
The following table shows selected published unlimited NBN 250 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest, then alphabetically. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
elite mates Home Superfast BYO
min. cost $99 over one month |
Unlimited | $99 | |
|
min. cost $235 over first month |
Unlimited | $115 | Go To Site |
 |
min. cost $115 over one month plan period |
Unlimited | $115 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $119.90 for first month |
Unlimited | $119.90 | Go To Site |
 |
min. cost $119.95 over one month |
Unlimited | $119.95 | Go To Site |
|
min. cost $124.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $124.99 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $129 over first month |
Unlimited | $129 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $129 over first month |
Unlimited | $129 | Go To Site |
|
NBN250 Unlimited
min. cost $129.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $129.99 | |
|
NBN250 Liimitless
min. cost $129.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $129.99 | |
|
min. cost $134 over first month |
Unlimited | $134 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $3,459 over 24 months |
Unlimited | $140 | Go To Site |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
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