If you crave a fast internet connection above all else, we’re going to take a look at the best NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans out there, breaking them down by speed and price. While these faster NBN connections don’t come cheap, most of the plans we cover here include introductory discounts that last for the first six months you’re on them. They’re also contract-free, so if you aren’t happy with the service, you can give it the flick with no strings attached – which we recommend doing every six months.
Here are the cheapest and fastest NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans.
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The cheapest NBN 1000 plans
If you’re looking for the cheapest NBN 1000 plan that’s currently available, Superloop is charging $99 per month for your first six months and $109 per month thereafter. Not only is this the cheapest NBN 1000 available, but Superloop is also reporting typical evening speeds of 700Mbps, making it the fastest connection in this speed tier.
Swoop is also running an introductory offer where you can pick up its NBN 1000 plan for $99 per month. This price lasts for the first six months of your connection, before making a sizeable increase to $139 per month. The provider is currently reporting typical evening speeds of 582Mbps, which isn’t too shabby.
TPG is also worth considering, especially if you don’t want a plan with shifting prices. The provider’s NBN 1000 plan is billed at a flat rate of $104.99 per month, and it’s currently reporting typical evening speeds of 671Mbps – which is the second fastest connection in this speed tier.
Southern Phone has an NBN 1000 plan with typical evening speeds of 650Mbps, which is available at a fairly affordable price (relative to other NBN 1000 plans, that is). Southern Phone’s plan is priced at a flat rate of $105 per month.
The fastest NBN 1000 plans
If you’re looking for the fastest NBN 1000 plans around, apart from Superloop, TPG and Southern Phone, then your key choices are either Aussie Broadband, Optus or Southern Phone.
Telstra is also offering an NBN 1000 plan with typical evening speeds of 700Mbps, so it shares the title of “fastest NBN 1000 plan” with Superloop. The major difference here is that Telstra’s plan is priced at $130 per month for the first six months and then $170 per month after that, which makes it one of the more expensive plans in this connection tier.
It’s a somewhat similar story with iiNet. The provider is also reporting typical evening speeds of 671Mbps, which match what TPG is offering, but at a slightly more expensive flat rate of $109.99 per month.
There’s also iPrimus, which is reporting typical evening speeds of 650Mbps. This plan is priced at $110 per month for the first six months of your connection, and then $130 per month after that. The provider will also throw in a free modem, provided you stay connected for 12 months. If you leave iPrimus within your first year, you’ll need to pay a modem fee of $10 for every remaining month of your plan (to a total of $120).
Aussie Broadband is running an introductory deal where new customers can save $120 with this plan. Aussie Broadband’s NBN 1000 plan is currently $109 per month for the first six months you’re connected, and then $129 per month after that. Aussie is reporting typical evening speeds of 600Mbps.
If you go with Optus, its NBN 1000 plan will set you back $129 per month for your first six months and will then increase to $149 per month after your discount period runs out. Optus reports typical evening speeds of 600Mbps. This plan includes Optus’ Ultra WiFi Modem Gen 2, which offers 4G backup. However, if you leave this plan within the first 36 months you’ll need to pay a modem fee, which is equal to $8.50 per remaining month (to a total of $306).
The cheapest NBN 250 plans
Spintel currently has the cheapest NBN 250 plan available at $75 per month. This price will last for the first six months of your connection, before increasing to $85.95 per month, which is still cheaper than the vast majority of discounted NBN 250 plans. The trade-off here is that Spintel is reporting typical evening speeds of 211Mbps. That’s not necessarily slow, but it is slower than some of the other plans we’ll cover here.
Exetel is another cheap choice if you’re after high-speed NBN. You’ll pay $83.99 per month for its NBN 250 plans, and $98.99 per month thereafter. It has a typical evening speed of 220Mbps.
Up next is Swoop, which is running an introductory offer for new customers where you’ll be billed $84 per month for the first six months you’re with the provider. After this period ends, you’ll be paying $119 per month for Swoop’s NBN 250 plan. The provider is currently reporting typical evening speeds of 250Mbps, making it the cheapest congestion-free plan.
Dodo, which has a typical evening speed of 245Mbps, is also currently offering a discounted plan. For the first six months that you’re with the provider, you’ll only pay $85 per month and then $110 per month after the deal period ends.
The fastest NBN 250 plans
If you want an NBN 250 that isn’t too expensive while still being fast, Southern Phone is currently reporting congestion-free evening speeds of 250Mbps. The provider’s plan is priced at a flat rate of $95 per month, making it some good bang for your buck.
Telstra is reporting typical evening speeds of 250Mbps. You’ll pay $115 per month for the first six months and then $135 per month thereafter. If you leave within your first two years, you’ll need to return your modem to Telstra or face a non-return fee.
There’s also iPrimus, which is just a tad slower with typical evening speeds of 245Mbps. This plan is priced at $90 per month for the first six months, and then $110 per month after that. If you go with iPrimus, you’ll be given a free modem, provided you stay connected for at least 12 months. If you leave this service within that period you’ll need to pay a clawback fee of $10 for every remaining month of your plan (to a total of $120).
Aussie Broadband has an NBN 250 plan that’s reporting typical evening speeds of 243Mbps and currently comes with an introductory offer where you’ll pay $99 per month. This discount period will last for the first six months of your connection, with your bill increasing to $119 per month once it ends.
Make sure you have the right connection first
If you’re upgrading from a slower internet tier to an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan, it’s important to make sure that you have a connection that can support either of these speeds.
While NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans are still limited to FTTP and HFC addresses, essentially everyone with those technology types should be able to get a super high-speed plan if they want it. NBN 250 plans are available to all FTTP and HFC addresses, and NBN 1000 plans are available at all FTTP addresses and over 95 per cent of HFC addresses.
If you aren’t sure which type of NBN connection you have, you can check out Gizmodo Australia’s guide here.
More NBN plans
You can find the rest of Gizmodo Australia’s NBN breakdowns here:
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