Changing NBN providers is one of those things that seems hard. Swapping ADSL providers was a nightmare back in the day and getting your NBN connection setup is an ordeal. Thankfully, once you’re connected to the NBN, the process of changing telco is surprisingly simple.
How to change NBN providers
The technology behind the NBN makes it quick and easy to change providers. In the best-case scenario, you could order a pizza, order a new plan, and be connected to your new provider before your food arrives.
The transfer might not always be quite as seamless, but in most cases, you’ll be switched over to your new provider the same day you make the order. All your new provider needs to do is process your application and make the switch, and this is often automated.
You won’t need a technician to come out to your place like when you first connected to the NBN. You shouldn’t experience any downtime either – or if you do, it shouldn’t be any more than an hour.
In short, swapping NBN plans is pretty painless. But there are a few things you’ll want to consider first.
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Make sure your contract is finished and the plan is cancelled
Before you make the change, you’ll want to ensure your current NBN plan is out of contract. If you’re still committed to another provider, you could be hit with early termination fees if you order a new service.
After you make the change, you’ll want to ensure your old NBN plan has been cancelled. Given the disparity between NBN technology types, there are instances where you will actually need to cancel your previous plan to avoid being billed twice.
If you’ve got FTTP or Fixed Wireless NBN, you’ll need to explicitly get in touch with your old telco and cancel your old plan, as the new plan will be added as a secondary service. In the case of HFC FTTN, FTTB, and FTTC, your old service will be replaced by your new plan, and your old provider should cancel your plan.
But no matter what NBN technology type you have, it’s always worth checking whether your plan has been cancelled or not. I’m on an FTTB connection, and the first time I swapped providers the account at my old telco wasn’t automatically cancelled. The second time I swapped providers, it was.
Now that’s out of the way, the most important thing you’ll want to consider is your new plan. If you want to look yourself, pop your address in here to bring up plans for your area and connection type:
NBN 50 Plans
If you’re not sure where to start searching for a new plan, here’s the cheapest NBN 50 plans around right now. These plans are all contract-free and have no upfront fees so that you can make the most of how easy it is to change NBN provider and swap if you happen to come across a better deal.
Tangerine is your cheapest option here thanks to promotional pricing. You’ll pay $59.90 per month for your first six months, and $69.90 per month thereafter. Tangerine reports typical evening speeds of 42Mbps for NBN 50 plans. In addition to being contract-free, Tangerine has a 14-day risk-free trial. If you’re not happy within your first fortnight, you can get a complete refund of your plan fees.
If you’re after a zippier NBN 50 plan, iiNet currently reports the highest typical evening speeds on the speed tier: a zippy 46.7Mbps. iiNet’s NBN 50 plan is a little pricier, however, billed at $74.99 per month.
NBN 100 plans
And here are some of the cheapest NBN 100 plans around right now. Once again, these plans are free from contracts and setup fees.
Once again, Tangerine is your cheapest bet for NBN 100. You’ll pay $74.90 per month for the first six months, and $89.90 per month thereafter. Tangerine reports typical evening speeds of 83Mbps on its NBN 100 plans.
Superloop has a promo of its own, having cut $10 per month from most NBN plans. Once again, this discount lasts for your first six months. If you’re after an unlimited Superloop NBN 100 plan, these start at $79.90 per month. You’ll then pay $89.90 per month after your discount period ends. Superloop reports the fastest typical evening speeds of any provider, clocking in at 90Mbps.
If you’d prefer to avoid promotional pricing, MATE is your best bet with a flat price of $79 per month for an unlimited NBN 100 plan. You can also save a further $10 per month by bundling in a MATE SIM-only plan. MATE’s mobile plans are powered by the Telstra network, and start at $20 per month for 5GB. MATE reports typical evening speeds of 83Mbps.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.