A new wholesale pricing structure for NBN plans has finally been hammered out, with Australia’s consumer watchdog agreeing to changes proposed by NBN Co.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) confirmed that it has accepted NBN Co’s updated Special Access Undertaking (SAU), which sets the rules as to how internet providers can access and sell NBN services. Once the new SAU is locked in, it will apply to all NBN providers until its expiry in 2040.
This the third attempt by NBN Co to negotiate a wholesale pricing agreement, after the ACCC rejected previous proposals in 2022 and in May of this year. The ACCC has repeatedly stated that it would not approve any SAU variation that didn’t promote the long-term interest of customers.
NBN plans you might be interested in
The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$99 Cost/month |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$79.99 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $80) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$80.00 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
Unlimited Home Standard (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 (excluding discounts), 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 Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans
The table below shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of 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 referral partners.
What does this mean for NBN prices?
The biggest win for customers is ongoing protection from sky-high pricing. Under the new SAU rules, NBN Co must keep any annual increases to its average wholesale price in line with the consumer price index (CPI) until around 2030, when revenue is predicted to reach efficient costs. While some services may be slightly more expensive than CPI changes, these must be balanced out by lower prices on other products.
NBN Co has also agreed to launch a new, affordable entry-level internet service, which will be offered at about half the monthly price of existing basic NBN plans. This is a product that the ACCC has pushed for over the last two years, and will help give low-income households fairer access to broadband at home.
The new SAU will also see wholesale prices for NBN 25, NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 speeds decrease, which will ideally lead to price drops for retail customers on corresponding plans. This will be offset by a small increase in wholesale costs for the NBN 50 speed tier, which is currently the most popular speed for Australian households.
Initially, increasing NBN 50 costs was a proposed change that raised concerns with the ACCC. The watchdog feared narrowing the price gap between NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans would essentially push customers on to the faster tier, or price them out of NBN 50 options completely. However, it seems that the ACCC is now satisfied that customers will still have access to an appropriate speed for their needs.
NBN Co will also progressively reduce the connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) charges imposed on internet providers, which determines how much network capacity a telco can offer its customers. These costs will be phased out between now and 2026, to be replaced with flat rate Access Virtual Circuit (AVC) pricing.
ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said that the updated SAU would also drive competition among providers, and lead to better quality services for NBN users.
“Greater competition between retailers will lead to more choice and innovative products for consumers,” she said. “This should mean that issues such as faulty services and connection delays will be addressed more efficiently.”
Are NBN providers happy with the changes?
Unsurprisingly, telcos and industry bodies are relieved that a new wholesale agreement is now in place, especially one that will hopefully remove much of the worry around fluctuating pricing.
“We are thankful that the ACCC has agreed to the latest revisions of the SAU, bringing two years of discussions and negotiations to an end,” Aussie Broadband Managing Director Phillip Britt said. “The move to AVC-only pricing for NBN 100 and higher plans will make faster broadband more accessible to more Australians.”
“Our priorities throughout this process have been on improving quality and maintaining affordable plans for our customers,” a Telstra spokesperson told Canstar Blue. “We’re pleased the ACCC has recognised this in its decision today, though there is always more to do to improve customer experience on the NBN network.”
James Rickards, General Manager of External Affairs at TPG Telecom, told Canstar Blue that there was still concern about NBN Co’s prices rising in line with the CPI.
“We are pleased to finally have certainty on NBN’s pricing structure,” he said. “However, we should also recognise the SAU allows NBN to link the cost of its services to inflation, which will ultimately have a downstream impact on consumers.”
When will NBN prices actually change?
NBN Co has confirmed that SAU changes will be implemented by December 1, 2023. Although the wholesale agreement will apply to all NBN providers, it’s ultimately up to each telco to decide how the new rules will impact retail pricing.
Some providers are likely to jump the gun and overhaul their NBN prices in advance. Last month, Telstra announced plans to “rebalance” its pricing ahead of the SAU, with its most popular NBN options set to increase by $5 per month from November 1 onwards.
Aussie Broadband will also tweak its NBN costs in line with wholesale pricing on November 21, but will notify impacted customers on October 20.
The good news is that — no matter if your plan price goes up or down — most NBN plans are now offered month-to-month, with no lock-in contracts. This means you’re free to switch to a cheaper deal from a competing telco at any time, and you’re also able to change your NBN speed tier when needed.
To give you an idea of current prices and offers across some of the most popular NBN speed tiers, we’ve compiled a list of unlimited data plans in the tables below.
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.
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