The range of fast NBN plans on offer has changed drastically in recent months, and there are now three tiers available to households: NBN1000, NBN250 and NBN100.
NBN1000
Is the fastest consumer NBN speed tier, and the small but growing number of ISPs who offer it typically advise a typical evening speed of 250Mbps – though we’ve seen speed test results that place the figure much higher at 900Mbps. If you want blisteringly-fast broadband, this is our pick.
NBN250
The second-fastest tier is NBN250, and it strikes a nice balance between super-speedy broadband and affordability. Again, there’s a small number of providers who offer this speed, and most report an average download speed of 215Mbps during the evening hours – though the actual speed does vary among the ISPs, so be sure to read the fine print. Jump to our NBN250 plan choice.
NBN100
The NBN100 tier is the most affordable option from the fastest NBN category, and you can expect a typical evening speed of around 82Mbps. While the tiers mentioned above are leaps and bounds ahead in terms of speed, they are also limited in their availability – only fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) and hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connections can sign-up in most cases. Here’s our recommendation for NBN100.
NBN100 is available from most connection types, and is often the fastest option available for the millions of Australians using fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) technology. You can read more about each connection type here.
The sheer number of options, providers and contracts can be understandably baffling, but we’ve sifted through all the detail of the fastest NBN plans on offer to bring you our top picks.
Best NBN250 Plan
If you live in a busy home and want a fast NBN connection, we’d recommend an NBN250 plan. This option from Tangerine is our overall choice because it’s relatively affordable, and it promises to deliver a typical evening speed of 205Mbps – a significant jump over NBN100 plans. You’ll get a AU$10 discount each month for your first six months with Tangerine, bringing your bill down to AU$109.90 a month for the first half-year. After that, it will revert to the usual AU$119.90 a month. This plan will set you up with unlimited data, and there’s no lock-in contract, so you’re free to leave anytime. You can choose to bring your own modem, or alternatively pick up one pre-configured from the telco for a one-off payment of AU$129.90. Note that this plan is only available on FTTP and HFC connections, so check your address on the website.
Total minimum cost is AU$109.90View Deal
Best NBN1000 Plan
Before rushing to sign up to a high-speed NBN1000 plan, there are a couple of caveats you should be aware of. This tier is only available on two types of NBN connection – FTTP and HFC. And while all FTTP connections can sign up for 1000Mbps, that speed will only work with a select subset of HFC installations – estimated to be roughly 7% of the total.
Aussie Broadband | NBN1000 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$149 per month
Aussie Broadband was the first in the market to offer NBN1000 to residential addresses, but that didn’t stop the telco from offering an incredibly competitive plan. For download speeds of up to 1Gbps and upload speeds approaching 50Mbps, you’ll pay just AU$149 a month. Aussie has rightly cautioned potential customers that it’s yet to determine definitive numbers on peak evening speeds, though it’s put forward 215Mbps as its baseline, so you’ll at the very least get that.
Total minimum cost is AU$149View Deal
Best NBN100 Plan
Fastest Telstra NBN plan
Telstra has just launched an NBN250 speed tier, and it’s much faster than anything available from the telco before. Instead of being an entirely separate plan, it comes as an optional AU$30 ‘add-on’ to Telstra’s current NBN100 offering, which makes it AU$140 each month. If you sign-up before November 2, you’ll get AU$10 off your plan fees each month for the first 12 months, so your bill will be cut down to AU$130 a month over the first year. As this is a new service, Telstra has estimated that users will get a typical evening speed of 215Mbps. Sign-up online to get your AU$99 connection fee waived, and if you stick with the telco for 24 months, you won’t have to pay for the Telstra Smart Modem either (usually AU$216). Other perks include a free three-month subscription to Binge. Please note however that Telstra’s NBN250 plan is only available to those with a FTTP or HFC connection.
Total minimum cost over 24 months is AU$3,240View Deal
Fastest TPG NBN plan
TPG | NBN100 | Unlimited data | 18-month contract | AU$89.99 per month
TPG is a popular telco among Aussies because it offers solid, reliable speeds at an affordable price. It has also consistently performed well in the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) speed test report, and delivers speeds of up to 80.1Mbps during the peak evening period. If you sign up for this NBN100 plan on an 18-month contract, TPG will waive the AU$99 setup fee, though a AU$10 delivery fee applies, as well as a AU$20 home phone deposit. You can also get this same plan on a no lock-in contract, though it’s an additional AU$130 upfront with all fees included. Note that you could face a contract payout fee of up to AU$350 if you decide to leave early.
Total minimum cost over 18 months is AU$1,649.82View Deal
