Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink is now available to a small number of lucky Australians, with the aim to provide high-speed internet to places where infrastructure might be limited.
The new internet service has gone live in selected parts of New South Wales and rural Victoria, with a larger rollout intended later in the year. This limited availability is because of beta testing, as the company is still figuring out the technology and installing ground stations. Because of this, the stock of the technology required is in short supply.
If you’re unimpressed by the NBN and don’t have a lot of good internet options in your area, then maybe it’s worth considering Starlink. Just keep in mind that it’s a bit on the pricey side – $139 per month in Australia, with the required hardware costing $709, along with a $100 shipping fee.
How do I get Starlink in Australia?
If you live in an eligible location, you can get Starlink in Australia by ordering it through the official website. The website uses an address checker to confirm that you can receive the service. Once you’ve checked your address, you’ll be able to sign up, order the Starlink technology, and get the hardware sent out to you. Once it arrives at your property, you’ll need to set it up by downloading the Starlink app and completing self-installation of your hardware.
Keep in mind that Starlink is still very much in a beta period, and you might notice performance dips and outages. Starlink has confirmed that there will be periods where the service simply has no connectivity, so if you rely on your internet daily, you should probably steer clear.
Most Aussies will need to keep waiting for Starlink to arrive in their area – as of the time of writing, only people in parts of rural Victoria and New South Wales can get Starlink. But if you’re keen on this new NBN alternative, you can sign up for updates on the Starlink website. In the meantime, you can check out NBN alternatives in the table below.
iiNet Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published iiNet home wireless broadband plans from Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Wireless Broadband Liimitless Plan
min. cost $59.99 over one month |
Unlimited | $59.99 | Go to Site |
 View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
TPG Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published TPG home wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Wireless Broadband Unlimited Plan
min. cost $54.99 over first month |
Unlimited | $54.99 | Go to Site |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Optus 4G Home Internet Plans
The following table shows a selection of Optus 4G Home Internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
4G Home Internet Lite 200GB (24 Months)
min. cost $1,416 over 24 month plan period |
200GB | $59 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
4G Home Internet Lite 200GB (Month-to-Month)
min. cost $275 (incl. $216 modem cost) over first month plan period |
200GB | $59 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
4G Home Internet Everyday 500GB (24 Month)
min. cost $1,656 over 24 month plan period |
500GB | $69 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
4G Home Internet Everyday 500GB (Month-to-Month)
min. cost $285 (incl. $216 modem cost) over first month plan period |
500GB | $69 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Southern Phone Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Southern Phone wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Home Wireless 50
min. cost $1,279 over 24 month plan period |
200GB | $50 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
Home Wireless 70
min. cost $1,759 over 24 month plan period |
500GB | $70 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Tangerine Wireless Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published Tangerine wireless broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
200GB Plan
min. cost $59.90 over first month |
200GB | $69.90 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
500GB Plan
min. cost $69.90 over first month |
500GB | $79.90 | Link to provider unavailable |
|
1000GB Plan
min. cost $99.90 over first month |
1000GB | $99.90 | Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
How fast is Starlink?
The Starlink website says speeds can vary between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, which makes it a worthy contender against the NBN – right now, the fastest widely-available NBN tier (NBN 100) delivers speeds typically within the 80Mbps to 90Mbps range, although this varies between NBN providers.
Speeds projected between 50Mbps and 150Mbps leave a lot of room for inconsistency though, so time will tell if Starlink lives up to the hype. That being said, if you live in rural Australia, you’d be blessed to have speeds this high: normally, you’d have to rely on Sky Muster or Fixed Wireless, which max out at download speeds of 50Mbps.
If you’re keen on speed, and you’ve got your eye on Starlink, it might not be news to you that 5G is on the rise in Australia. If it’s available in your area, it might be worth picking up a 5G phone plan if you want fast speeds on the go, or as a mobile hotspot option when the NBN is acting up. If you’re after a straight-up NBN replacement, consider 5G home internet. You can find plans in the table below.
5G Home Wireless Plans
The following table shows selected published 5G home internet plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Spintel 5G Home Wireless Contract
min. cost $1,460 over 24 months |
Unlimited | $70 |
Link to provider unavailable |
|
Optus 5G Internet Everyday
min. cost $75 over first month |
Unlimited | $75 |
Link to provider unavailable |
|
Optus 5G Internet Entertainer
min. cost $90 over first month |
Unlimited | $90 |
Link to provider unavailable |
|
Spintel 5G Home Wireless No Contract
min. cost $110 over first month |
Unlimited | $90 |
Link to provider unavailable |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
5G Mobile Broadband Plans
The following table shows a selection of published 5G mobile broadband plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
| Brand | Features | Max Data**/billing period | Advertised Cost^^/billing period | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
min. cost $55 over one month |
75GB | $55 | Go to Site |
|
min. cost $85 over one month |
400GB | $85 | Go to Site |
| View all NBN plans listed on Canstar Blue |
**^^View important information | |||
Image: Starlink.com
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