Whether you’re fed up with your current internet plan, or have had a bad experience with your provider, you might be looking to make a switch to a different telco. But the big question is — which internet provider is the best in Australia?
It’s not exactly a straightforward question: but if you’re looking for some help finding an internet plan to suit your needs, read our tips on finding the best internet provider for you.
On this page:
The top 10 internet providers in Australia
While there are close to 200 brands offering just NBN plans, pinpointing which is the best internet provider in Australia is a hard, if not impossible, task. Besides, what is important to one customer — such as customer service — might not be as high a priority for another, who might value a cheaper plan.
With that being said, at Canstar Blue, our Customer Satisfaction ratings can help you gauge what other Aussies think of their internet provider, across a range of criteria including overall satisfaction, customer service, value for money and more.
Here are the top 10 NBN providers as voted by Aussies in our 2022 Most Satisfied Customers rating for NBN Providers:
- Origin
- Aussie Broadband
- SpinTel
- MATE
- Tangerine Telecom
- Belong
- Westnet
- iiNet
- TPG
- Exetel
While the above providers were the top 10, our results included even more providers. You can check out the results for yourself to compare a wider range of providers.
If you want to compare plans from some of the above mentioned providers, the below table shows a range of unlimited NBN 50 BYO modem plans as published on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Want to know about other types of internet? You can check out our Most Satisfied Customer ratings for Mobile Broadband
Best internet providers for bundling
Bundling services can be a great way to keep multiple bills in one place, and in some instances, you could even save some money on your bills when bundling services under the one provider. Bundling your internet can include bundling an internet and phone plan, bundling internet and entertainment/subscription services, or even bundling your internet and energy plans with the one provider.
For internet bundling, it’s perhaps most common to find providers that include the option to add on a phone service to your plan. Some providers may offer you a discount for this, or even throw in a free phone plan/SIM card loaded with credit, to entice you to also switch your phone service over.
Entertainment bundling has also been a popular service for some internet providers. This has changed in recent years with less ‘set top box’ entertainment bundling services available, and with the increase of adding streaming services onto your plan. There can sometimes be a discount for these bundles, although it’s often offered simply as a service focused on convenience.
Energy bundling is still not widely available, but has seen an increase in recent years, with some telcos adding on energy services or energy providers adding on telco services.
Finding the best provider for bundled internet and other services will ultimately depend on what you’re looking to bundle, and any perceived value in bundling these services. If you’re comparing energy plans, you’ll want to consider a provider’s usage and supply rates in addition to any discounts offered purely for bundling energy and internet.
Here are some internet providers that also offer the option to bundle additional services (and what these services are):
- AGL — internet, mobile phone, electricity and gas
- Aussie Broadband — internet, mobile phone, entertainment
- Dodo — internet, mobile phone, electricity and gas
- Foxtel — internet, entertainment
- iiNet — internet, entertainment
- Origin — internet, mobile phone, electricity and gas
- Optus — internet, mobile phone, subscriptions
- Telstra — internet, mobile phone, subscriptions, gaming
- Vodafone — internet, mobile phone, subscriptions, gaming
If you’re unsure whether you can bundle certain services, such as when a telco offers both internet and phone plans, it’s worth checking with the provider as to whether these services can be added to the one account/bill. You should also check whether there are any discounts for doing this, as not all providers will necessarily advertise bundling discounts.
Best internet providers for entertainment
As mentioned above, some internet providers will also offer the option to add entertainment services, such as streaming, onto your internet plan. Some providers will even offer deals with discounts or free subscription services when you sign up to a plan.
Typically the more expensive providers, such as Telstra and Optus, will offer entertainment perks and add-ons, which, for some, could justify the higher price points. Here is what is on offer from some internet providers:
Telstra
- Add on subscription services to the one plan (Apple TV+, Disney+, BINGE, Kayo, Spotify and more)
- Add on gaming services (Xbox All Access with console, Xbox All Access game pass)
- Access to Telstra Plus rewards program
Optus
- Access to Optus Sub Hub with discounts for the more services you bundle (includes Optus Sport, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, BINGE, Kindle Unlimited, Calm, YouTube and more)
Vodafone
- Add a PlayStation 5 console on to your service
- Pay with Vodafone allows you to add subscription services on to your bill (includes Netflix)
Foxtel
- Bundle your home internet service with a Foxtel pay TV package of your choosing
Aussie Broadband
- Add a Fetch set top box service on to your plan with your choice of Fetch service and additional add-ons
iiNet
- Add a Fetch set top box service to your broadband plan
The above mentioned entertainment services are by no means the only options available. If entertainment add-ons are important to you, it could help to compare a range of plans with this feature to find an offer that suits your needs.
Best internet providers for customer service
For some, finding an internet provider with a reputation for good customer service might be the most important factor when comparing plans. After all, if something goes wrong, you want to feel confident that your provider will be there to help you.
If customer service is important to you, here are the top 10 internet providers as rated by Aussies on customer service from our Most Satisfied Customers awards:
- Aussie Broadband
- iiNet
- Internode
- Mate
- Origin
- SpinTel
- TPG
- Westnet
- AGL
- Belong
It’s important to keep in mind that customer service experiences will differ between everyone. One person may have had a great experience with a provider, while another customer may have had a bad experience — and there are a range of factors that can influence this. However, you may still find it helpful to consider how other Aussies feel about the customer service experience from their current provider.
Compare NBN plans
Curious about what plans are currently available on the NBN market? You can use our free NBN plan comparison tool to compare a wide range of NBN plans and providers across different speed tiers. If you want a quick comparison, the below tables show a selection of NBN plans from different providers — switch between the tabs to view different speed tiers.
Unlimited NBN 100 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited 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 above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 50 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 25 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 25 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 above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 12 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 12 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 above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
How do you choose the best internet provider?
While it might be tempting to want to know which internet provider is ‘the best’, it’s important to realise that there is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to internet. One person may value cheap internet plans and look for the lowest prices, while another person may place more value on additional services and bundling options.
What you need to consider is which provider will offer an internet plan that best suits your needs. Consider what type of plan you need (NBN, 5G home internet, etc), any speed and data requirements (NBN speed tier, unlimited data, etc), along with any extras (modem add-on, entertainment, etc), and whether you have a set budget to stick to.
Once you’ve thought of what you need from your internet plan, you can then compare plans from a range of providers offering what you’re looking for to see which telco best suits your needs. If you’re still torn between several providers, you may wish to consider what other Aussies think of their internet service, to see if one brand sticks out to you more than the others.
FAQs about internet plans
There are several different types of internet available to Aussies, however what is available to you could depend greatly on existing internet infrastructure available at your home and where you’re located.
The NBN has been rolled out Australia-wide and is the first choice for many. However, some areas may have access to home wireless broadband using a 4G or 5G network, while more regional and remote customers may need to rely on satellite internet and/or fixed wireless services.
One of the easiest ways to see what internet plans are available to you is to check your address on a provider’s website. You can also check your address on the NBN Co website to see what type of NBN connection you have (which may determine which plans are available at your home).
Once you have an idea of what types of internet plans are available to you, consider which one will best work for you and your household. High intensity activities such as video streaming and online gaming may work better with a fixed internet type such as a fixed NBN connection, while lighter users in regional areas may find a satellite internet plan works for them. Understanding how you use the internet is key to understanding what type of internet will work best for you.
Fast internet plans are more common these days, whether it’s fast-speed NBN plans or 5G home wireless broadband.
Of course most of us want fast internet, as fast usually means ‘better’, but usually faster speeds come with a higher cost. For that reason, some might find a fast internet plan could be out of their budget. Or, in the interest of saving some money on your household costs, you might be able to compromise on speeds.
In the case of fast NBN plans, some homes might not be able to access these plans due to their NBN connection type. Homes with an FTTP or some HFC connections can typically offer the faster speed plans, so if your home has another NBN connection type, it’s possible you may not be able to access NBN 100 speeds and above.
Likewise, a 5G home internet plan will typically be faster than its 4G counterpart; however 5G coverage, which powers a 5G home wireless plan, is still limited compared to 4G. If you’re interested in 5G home internet, it’s best to look at the coverage map on your prospective provider’s website. Some providers also cap the speeds available on 5G home internet plans, so you might not be able to access the super-fast speeds that 5G is technically capable of achieving.
A fast internet plan can be great, if it works with your budget and you can access it. But for some users, particularly smaller households and/or those with lighter internet usage, a slower speed may be more than enough to meet your needs.
Saving money on our expenses is great, however a cheap internet plan might not work for everyone.
Typically, for NBN, the cheaper plans will be on the slower speed tiers (NBN 12 and NBN 25). These speeds only suit certain households, such as smaller households and/or those with light internet usage needs (web browsing, emailing, etc). Likewise, 4G home internet will be a bit cheaper than the 5G plans, but users with more intensive internet usage needs may find the speeds limiting.
However, you can still shop around for a cheap internet plan — just consider what speeds you need for your plan (if considering home wireless or NBN plans) and compare a range of plans and providers offering what you need.
Unlimited data is pretty common these days with most internet providers, especially those offering NBN plans for fixed connections. However, if you’re considering a plan with a data cap, or you’re looking at an internet type where unlimited data isn’t as common, it’s important to consider how much data you’ll need on your plan. You can check out our guide on home internet data usage here.
Share this article