Want to beat the NBN price hike? Here are 8 plans I recommend

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NBN 50 plans
NBN 100 plans
NBN 250 plans
NBN 1000 plans

Price increases are set to hit NBN customers come July 1 following the announcement by NBN Co that it will be increasing wholesale costs. And in actual fact, we’ve already seen some NBN providers passing on these costs to consumers to the amount of approximately AU$4p/m.

That might not seem like a lot – it’s an extra AU$48 each year – but at a time when we’re all keeping an extra close eye on what we’re spending, wouldn’t it be ideal if this cost could be avoided?

Fortunately, it can… at least for another six months, but only if you switch your NBN provider within the next week. It’s currently the annual EOFY sales in Australia and that means some internet service providers have slashed the prices of their NBN plans in the form of introductory discounts. The good news for anyone who switches is that these knocked-down prices have to be honoured for the duration advertised.

To help with your switching decision, I’ve picked out some plans that I consider to be affordable for their respective speed tier, but also promise fast download speeds during the busier evening hours of 7pm to 11pm. In other words, plans that offer good value.

I've picked out plans from the highly popular NBN 50 tier all the way through to the fastest NBN 1000 speed tier. You may find that your property can't achieve the fastest possible speeds because of the NBN connection type you have. If you're property isn't eligible, you may want to consider NBN Co's free fibre upgrade program, which will allow you to eventually achieve near-gigabit download speeds.

If you don’t quite like what you see, you can view the most popular plans for each speed tier selected in the price comparison widget below, or check out our round-up of the best NBN plans for this month.

NBN 50 plans

Flip | NBN 50 | No lock-in contract | AU$64p/m (first 6 months, then AU$73.90p/m*)

Now, Flip is actually one of the aforementioned NBN providers that has increased its plan costs already. However, it was the outright cheapest before the increase and now, following it, it still remains one of the cheapest overall providers in the country – it's one of only a few that will charge less than AU$900 each year following the introductory discount. We love Flip's claim of maximum download speeds, and it's also won the Mozo Expert's Choice Award two years in a row.

Total first year cost: AU$833.40

Exetel | NBN 50 | No lock-in contract | AU$60.99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$78.99p/m*)

Exetel is one of my favourite providers. Not only does the telco advertise maximum download speeds on the NBN 50 tier, but it consistently performs well in official ACCC reports looking at the overall performance of NBN providers, and it provides five free Speed Boost days that let you increase your speed to 100Mbps.

Exetel has, however, stated that its prices will be increasing from July 3, 2024. It says the ongoing price will increase to AU$79.99p/m, so if you want to lock in the service for AU$60.99p/m for the first 6 months, you better hurry.

Total first year cost: AU$839.98

NBN 100 plans

Dodo | NBN 100 | No lock-in contract | AU$64p/m (first 6 months, then AU$85p/m*)

Dodo is my top pick for the best NBN 100 plan to lock in before the price increases take hold. The telco advertises the maximum 100Mbps download speeds and, thanks to a WhistleOut-exclusive discount, is the cheapest provider in Australia to do so. The AU$64p/m figure will be honoured if you switch before July 2. Dodo has implied the ongoing cost will increase after this date, but hasn't confirmed by how much.

Total first year cost: AU$894

Flip | NBN 100 | No lock-in contract | AU$69p/m (first 6 months, then AU$79.90p/m*)

If it's the absolute cheapest NBN provider you're looking for, then the title has to go to Flip and its 100Mbps NBN plan. Admittedly, it's only cheaper than the Dodo plan above by 60 cents in the first year (not taking into account any potential future price increases), but a saving is a saving. It is worth noting that Flip 'only' advertises 97Mbps download speeds in the evening hours (compared to Dodo's 100Mbps), which is why I've chosen Dodo as my overall top pick.

Total first year cost: AU$893.40

NBN 250 plans

Spintel | NBN 250 | No lock-in contract | AU$79p/m (first 6 months, then AU$89.95p/m*)

To get the maximum 250Mbps download speeds on this tier, you're going to need to spend a lot, as very few providers advertise it. So, my top pick on the NBN 250 tier is Spintel. It only promises 211Mbps speeds in the evening hours, but that's still mighty fast and its pricing is hard to beat. Spintel's 250Mbps plan has already seen a slight price rise (and there's no mention of any further increases on its website), so I'm confident in assuming the prices mentioned here are valid for the foreseeable future. If it does increase, I'm confident in saying Spintel will still be the cheapest provider at this speed.

Total first year cost: AU$1,013.70

TPG | NBN 250 | No lock-in contract | First month free | AU$94.99p/m

TPG's monthly charge for its 250Mbps plan may seem steep, but the telco gives you the first month free, and the AU$94.99p/m cost is still well below the current average of AU$107p/m. This results in its being the second-cheapest provider at this speed, and considering it advertises 232Mbps speeds in the peak hours, I'd say that's a good deal. TPG hasn't yet indicated that its plan prices will increase in July, but does say the one month free offer will expire on July 2, 2024.

Total first year cost: AU$1,044.89

NBN 1000 plans

TPG | NBN 1000 | No lock-in contract | First month free | AU$104.99p/m*

For the same reasons I chose TPG for an NBN 250 plan are why I've selected it again for the fastest possible NBN 1000 tier. Once again, you get the first month free, which results in the telco being the cheapest provider by just under AU$50 in the first year. TPG also advertises 671Mbps typical evening speeds, which is commendable and certainly within the upper echelons of providers at this tier. Do note however, that the first month free offer expires on July 2, 2024.

Total first year cost: AU$1,154.89

Superloop | NBN 1000 | No lock-in contract | AU$99p/m (first 6 months, then AU$109p/m*)

Superloop is so often one of my top recommendations for near-gigabit NBN speeds, and for good reason. The telco currently promises the second-fastest speeds in Australia, at 811Mbps, yet is among the cheapest providers. For an extra AU$93.11 more than TPG's plan, you could get an extra 140Mbps download speed at a minimum. To me, that's great value, and so far Superloop hasn't indicated the cost of this plan will increase. If that turns out to be true – and TPG's free month offer expires – it will make this Superloop the best overall value in my opinion.

Total first year cost: AU$1,248

*Ongoing prices correct at time of publishing. They may increase on or around July 3, 2024 in line with NBN Co's wholesale price hikes.

Max is a senior staff writer for TechRadar who covers home entertainment and audio first, NBN second and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella third. He's also a bit of an ecommerce fiend, particularly when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for a variety of publication. He has written for TechRadar's sister publication What Hi-Fi? as well as Pocket-lint, and he's also a regular contributor to Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica. Max also dabbled in the men's lifestyle publication space, but is now firmly rooted in his first passion of technology.