Image: iStockSigning up for a new NBN plan can feel a bit like a game of Russian roulette. There are so many factors that can affect the speed and quality of your connection, and no one wants to get stuck with a crappy service.
While not all providers are equal, some are doing a bang-up job of delivering high quality NBN. Thanks to the ACCC’s “Measuring Broadband Australia” program – which relies on real world testing data from Australian households – we’ve got a better idea of who they are.
The ACCC released its fourth report on real-world NBN speeds at the start of this month, and the results were mostly good. While there's always room for improvement, most fixed-line NBN customers are consistently getting close to the speeds they're paying for. TPG came out on top again, delivering peak hour speeds that were 86.1% of plan maximums on average, while Aussie Broadband followed at 84.8%. Optus, Telstra, and MyRepublic were all close behind, delivering 83.9%, 82.7%, and 82% of their maximum speeds during busy periods, respectively.
Lastly, Exetel, iiNet, and Dodo / iPrimus racked up 81.7%, 79.8%, and 78.9%. These speed reports are still in their infancy and only encompass 908 individual NBN connections across 15 internet service providers. They're not necessarily the be all and end all. But at the same time, they're quite encouraging; it's hard to complain if you’re getting peak hour download speeds between 80Mbps and 90Mbps. Here's s a look at how these providers price their Premium Evening Speed NBN 100 plans:
Telstra doesn't sell NBN 100 plans as a standalone product. If you want NBN 100 speeds on Telstra, you''ll need to sign up for one of the NBN 50 plans below first. If your physical connection to the NBN is fast enough, you''ll then be able to upgrade to a 100Mbps plan for an extra $30 per month. If you are keen to go with Telstra, the good news is it&'s waiving the usual $240 setup fee on month to-month plans up until February 25. Unless you want 24-months of Foxtel Now (valued at $25 per month) and a Telstra TV bundled with your NBN, this is the best option right now.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia's phone and internet comparison website.
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