People we speak with tend to think about NBN plans in one of two ways. Either they’d like to know about the fastest plans, and focus on 100Mbps, or they want to know the cheapest. Sometimes it’s a combination of both.
This overlooks a part of the market that may be a better fit for a number of people. NBN 50 plans are the forgotten middle-children of the NBN world, and as an earlier article we mentioned in, only smaller, lesser known ISPs tend to offer them.
The thing is, if your home (or business) is plugged into the NBN with a Fibre to the Node (FttN) connection, an NBN 50 plan might be your best bet. Here’s an overview of the type of uses NBN plans are good for, courtesy of NBN Co:
As you know, FttN connection speeds degrade depending on the distance your home is from the node, and many people are finding that they can’t achieve a full 100Mbps despite paying for it. As much as we’d love this to change, there’s no point paying for something that you can’t get.
So, let’s take a second to sing the praises of the NBN’s redheaded stepchildren. Neither the cheapest or the fastest and often from ISPs you’ve never heard of (and a couple you probably have). This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take a closer look, though.
Cheapest NBN 50 plans with at least 100GB (and wireless modem included)
Obligatory caveat: Several of the ISPs in this list are so new that it can be hard to tell what sort of service you will get. Before diving in, you’ll want to do a bit of extra research – checking out the conversations on Whirlpool is a good place to start.
Also, it’s a good idea to consider a no-contract plan. Most of the smaller ISPs offer no-commitment options, and while the setup costs tend to be higher, it might be worth paying a little bit extra for the peace of mind.
Joe Hanlon is Publisher at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website. He’s been writing about phones and plans for far too long.