Compare NBN Providers

Internode tops the ratings for NBN providers

When the National Broadband Network (NBN) arrives in your area, your door will be opened to more than 130 different service providers. They include all the big names you’ve already heard of, as well as dozens of others you probably haven’t. Your challenge as an NBN customer is to find the provider and plan that best meets your new-found superfast internet needs. It’s no easy task.

Our mission as a review and comparison website is to help you along the way. We do this by surveying thousands of households across the country that are already connected to the NBN. The feedback we receive is reflected by the star ratings table you see above. If you’re wondering why we haven’t rated all 130 NBN providers, it’s because we have strict minimum sample requirements to be included. If a small NBN provider only has 10 customers, we don’t include them.

Our ratings do, however, include some of the biggest and best NBN providers out there, giving you lots to think about when the time comes to make the switch, or you’re just sick of your current provider and fancy a change. They have been compared on factors including internet speed, customer service, ease of activation and value for money.

• Internode was rated highest overall, scoring five stars across all research categories.
• Dodo, iiNet, iPrimus, MyRepublic and TPG all received four stars for overall satisfaction.
• MyRepublic was notably the only provider other than Internode to achieve five stars in a particular area – in this case, value for money.
• Belong, Optus and Telstra were rated three stars for overall satisfaction

Internode replaces iiNet as the top-rated NBN provider from last year. Both brands are now owned by TPG Telecom. This group has enjoyed unrivalled success in our internet ratings over the years, with TPG topping the satisfaction table back in 2016. Together, the group is the second biggest internet provider in Australia, behind Telstra and ahead of Optus.

If you’re only interested in the cheapest NBN plans on offer, this will be a fairly short review. But if you are more interested in finding the best value, then keep reading as we compare NBN providers big and small to help you find the right deal.

Internode NBN Plans

Last year bigger brother iiNet took top spot, but this year is Internode’s time to shine. As a subsidiary of iiNet, Internode’s plans are quite similar, but evidently Internode customers are generally more satisfied when it comes to factors like service, speed and bill clarity.

• Plans start at under $50, but for unlimited data you’ll spend closer to $70, with speed boosts an extra $10-$20. Unlimited data on NBN 50 costs about $80 a month.

Internode’s top-flight NBN 100 plan with unlimited data costs close to $100. While it’s not the cheapest provider out there, Internode customers are evidently very happy with the service and value for money. Internode scored five stars overall and for every other research category – an impressive feat in a hugely competitive space.

Dodo NBN Plans

With NBN plans starting from just $39.90 a month, Dodo is one of the cheapest providers out there. Be sure to check the specific details of what you’ll be getting for your money though, as the cheapest NBN deals come with very modest data allowances and at the most basic speed tier on offer.

• If you want to bump up your data to unlimited on the fastest speed tier that Dodo offers – NBN 50 – expect to pay closer to $80 a month.

Choosing either a 12 month or no contract option will cost you a little extra in activation charges. Dodo also provides access to streaming service Fetch at an extra cost. These costs can also increase if you add on extra call inclusions. Dodo certainly gives you the chance to connect to the NBN on the cheap, which seems to have gone down well as customers rated the telco four stars overall and on value for money. In fact, it rated well overall, with four stars in almost every other research category, except for contract clarity and bill clarity, where it rated three stars in these areas.

iiNet NBN Plans

Acquired by TPG Telecom a few years ago, it seems iiNet has lost none of the characteristics that made the Perth-based internet service provider such a hit with customers in the first place. iiNet earned four stars for overall satisfaction and for every other research category this year.

• Fixed line NBN plans start at $59.99 a month, but to get unlimited data you’ll pay at least $69.99 a month, with three speed tiers available – 12Mbps, 50Mbps and 100Mbps max speeds.
• iiNet also offers SkyMuster NBN starting from just $44.99 a month.

It’s probably fair to say that iiNet is the not the cheapest NBN provider, focussing on a quality service rather than low prices. iiNet is very competitive and is clearly keeping a majority of its customers pretty happy. Plans are available on either a no contract or 24-month basis, with the flexible option resulting in an activation fee. You can also throw in streaming service Fetch to any plan from $0 extra per month.

iPrimus NBN Plans

A stablemate of Dodo under the Vocus Communications umbrella, iPrimus has an interesting array of NBN plans. These start at $70 a month, but for unlimited data you’ll pay just $10 extra.

• Unlimited data with Fetch entertainment starts at $80 a month. An interesting thing to note is that plans come bundled with the NBN 50 speed tier as standard, but you can choose the NBN 12 tier if you wish and receive a $10 discount.

Plans also receive unlimited calls to local and national lines on the dearest plan. With a relatively high basement price, iPrimus’ value is arguably found in its more expensive plans, which include quite a bit for your money. iPrimus was rated four stars overall and for every other research category this year.

MyRepublic NBN Plans

You’ve probably heard of MyRepublic as the disruptive internet service, challenging the big guys. When it launched in 2016, it was the cheapest to offer top tier NBN, and although things have changed a little, MyRepublic is still a competitive challenger brand.

• All plans come with unlimited data as standard, and the choice of either NBN 50 or NBN 100 speeds. It’s about an extra $15 a month for the NBN 100 speeds.

Customers can sign up to either a 12 month or no contract plan, with the latter costing $99 in activation fees. MyRepublic customers rated their provider four stars overall, yet gave the telco five stars for value for money. It was the only provider other than Internode to register a five star rating for anything in this year’s ratings.

TPG NBN Plans

They may be part of the same group, but there are many differences between TPG, Internode and iiNet. TPG’s NBN plans start off at less than $30 a month, but you receive a very modest 10GB in return. Prices then increase gradually as you either increase your speed, data allowance or call inclusions.

• All plans are available with no lock-in contract, or over 18 months. However, the monthly option means you’ll need to pay a $99.95 set-up fee.
• Unlimited data starts at $59.99 a month, with the NBN 12 speed as standard, with the option to boost to either NBN 50 or 100.

TPG topped our NBN ratings in 2016 but this year scored four stars for overall satisfaction, in addition to every other category except for bill clarity where it achieved three stars.

Belong NBN Plans

A subsidiary of Telstra, Belong offers a dead-simple approach to NBN. On its website you’re presented with a plan builder and you simply choose your data allowance, choose your contract, and then choose your speed.

• Unlimited data starts at $60 a month, and users can opt for a no contract or 12 month plan. The 12 month option waives the $60 modem fee and the $5/month premium.
• Users can choose the NBN 12, 50 or 100 speed tiers. Jumping to the 50Mbps speed tier costs an extra $10, while going from NBN 12 to 100 costs an extra $30.

Belong was rated three stars overall this time out, but did get four stars in some areas. These included value for money, customer service, contract clarity, ease of activation and bill clarity.

Telstra NBN Plans

Like with Optus, the value in Telstra’s NBN plans comes in the form of its extra features. Telstra internet plans come with the option of adding a Foxtel subscription as well as Telstra TV, which delivers access to streaming services like Netflix and Stan.

• Basic broadband packages are also on offer, with prices starting from $70 a month for 100GB of data over 24 months. Telstra also offers unlimited data, but be prepared to pay closer to $100 a month.

If you decide on a Telstra bundle, prices range from $70 up to $130+, depending on the data allowance, speed tier and entertainment add-ons. While Telstra does offer month-to-month plans, not all plans are available and extra set-up fees apply. Telstra was rated three stars for overall satisfaction and for every other research category this year.

Optus NBN Plans

Optus has a more concise range of NBN plans than you might expect from a big telco. You may also be surprised at its prices.

• Existing Optus customers can get connected with Optus NBN from as little as $65 per month, but if it’s those extra entertainment packages you want, you’ll need to pay $80, for which you’ll receive Optus Sport and a Fetch TV bundle.
• Non-Optus customer prices start at $75 a month.
• Customers get the Standard Plus speed tier as standard.

Plans are available monthly or over 24 months. The flexible option means you’ll need to pay a significant $200 up-front, but if you commit for the long haul, these charges are waived. All Optus NBN plans come with unlimited data. The simple approach yet comparatively high costs of speed boosts and non-Optus customer prices may be a bit of a letdown to some consumers. Optus was rated just three stars for overall satisfaction and in every other research category.

This year’s NBN ratings were featured in a special consumer report on 9 News, which you can watch here:

Smaller NBN Providers

In addition to the big telcos featured above, there are several ‘second tier’ NBN providers around that should be equally capable of supplying your new service. These include some familiar names from the world of mobile phone plans:

• Amaysim
• Barefoot Telecom
• Exetel
• Foxtel
• Mate Communicate
• MyNetFone
• Southern Phone
• SpinTel
• Vodafone
• Westnet

These smaller telcos may even offer superior value than their bigger counterparts, but what you save in price you may lose when it comes to customer service. The exceptions to this are perhaps Amaysim and Vodafone, which tend to stand on their own two feet, competing with Optus and Telstra.

Big providers will generally have the most comprehensive customer service and will likely pick up the phone a bit quicker if you call. This will not always be the case, but it’s worth keeping in mind when it comes to deciding which provider to go with. And just because someone picks up the phone, doesn’t mean they’ll be able to help. Also consider that the big providers often offer more in the way of extra entertainment features, or other sign-up incentives.

Even Smaller NBN Providers

Due to the wholesale nature of the NBN, more than 130 different service providers have sprung up across Australia. They include plenty of weird and wonderful names – including 2Easy Telecom, Lizzy Internet, CrunchTel, MyTelcoMate and SuperCheap Telco. Some of the more prominent smaller NBN providers are:

• Activ8me
• AusBBS
• Aussie Broadband
• Boom Broadband
• Flip TV
• Harbour ISP
• Hello Broadband
• Start Broadband
• Tangerine Telecom
• Teleron

While some of these NBN providers will offer cheap alternatives to their bigger counterparts, it will be hard to really judge their customer service credentials until you have actually signed up. It could mean taking something of a gamble with your NBN service. With that in mind, you may want to avoid lengthy contracts, rather keeping your options open just in case things don’t work out as planned.

The NBN is nearly complete

The NBN is due for completion in 2021. There may be more than 130 NBN providers in Australia, but the majority of households are still connected with one of these bigger telcos featured above. Is that a good move? Maybe. We’ll come to that shortly. Here are some links to useful resources if you’re keen to learn more about how the NBN works and what you need to consider when picking a plan:

• How to pick a good NBN plan
• Is your router ready for the NBN?
• What affects NBN speeds?

If you’re really not sure about the NBN actually offering the best internet service for you, you may want to consider the alternatives and how 5G could be the solution.

How to pick an NBN provider

As you will have gathered, picking the right NBN provider for your specific needs can be a real challenge, which will help explain why a majority of Aussie households stick with one of the big guys as a seemingly ‘safe bet’. While this is perfectly understandable, try to keep an open mind and judge each provider on its own merits. Try not to be sucked in by funny marketing campaigns or other gimmicks, rather focusing on the products and service being offered.

• Don’t be afraid to ask questions about customer service (such as call centre opening times) and what you will need to do in the event of any problems.
• Find out as much as you can about the provider itself and the plan on offer, by reading the critical information summary. This holds all of the details relating to the plan, including the contract terms and any charges you may need to pay.

Also seek out customer reviews to give you an idea of what you can expect if you sign up. All in all, with so many NBN providers out there, it can be hard to disseminate which provider is right for you.

You may also be interested in:

• The Best Internet Deals
• Best Internet For Netflix
• Wireless Internet Guide

How much can you expect to pay on the NBN?

Our research shows that households connected to the NBN are paying an average of just over $80 a month for their new service. This compares to an average of about $73 for those who have an ADSL connection, suggesting an upgrade to the NBN is resulting in higher costs for many. But it doesn’t have to be the case. While the opportunity to upgrade your service is tempting, be sure to consider exactly what you need in terms of speed levels and data allowance.

• Many providers only offer unlimited data, but this could mean you are paying for something you don’t need.
• Switching to the NBN will not necessarily deliver an upgrade to your internet service in terms of performance, especially if you subscribe to a plan with the slowest download speeds, which are comparable to those experienced with an ADSL2+ connection.

NBN speeds remain a major political issue, with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) investigating service providers to ensure that advertised speeds are realistically being met by the end user. It is worth remembering that all download/upload speeds reported are the maximum speeds that can be achieved with a particular plan.

• A number of providers have had to compensate customers over slow NBN speeds.
• The NBN is improving, however, with the ACCC reporting ‘better than expected’ results since its crackdown on NBN speeds.

While it’s tempting to go for a cheap NBN plan, keep in mind that doing so will likely mean that you are sacrificing either speed or data allowance. You might find there is better value in paying a little extra but think carefully about what you’re getting if your new NBN plan is more expensive than your old service. The last thing you’ll want is to end up paying more for a service that is no better than your old one!

When it comes to picking an NBN provider or plan, the most important message is to keep your options open – you certainly have plenty of them!

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