Almost every internet provider offers an initial six-month discount when you first sign up to one of their NBN plans, all in an effort to get you to jump ship and switch to their service.
You can save a decent amount of dosh by doing this, but considering most of us stick with a provider for more than six months, it may not be the best-value in the long run.
Mate NBN has taken a different tack, and its NBN 250 plan in particular is pretty compelling. You’ll pay a flat AU$99 a month for Mate’s NBN 250 plan, and while there’s no initial discount here, that ongoing price is the cheapest we've come across for any 250Mbps plan.
You’ll find that Mate’s NBN 250 plan lists a typical evening speed of 208Mbps, but since some members of the TechRadar team are on this plan themselves, we can report reaching speeds of up to 265Mbps in the busy evening hours.
If you’re looking to switch mobile providers as well, we think this deal can provide even better value. Mate offers mobile plans on the Telstra 4G network, and if you want to bundle in a phone plan, you’ll get a permanent AU$10 monthly discount on your NBN.
Mobile plans start at 10GB a month for AU$20 and go all the way up to 70GB a month for AU$50. We’d argue the 20GB plan for AU$25 a month offers the best value for most people, and all up, you’d pay AU$114 a month for NBN 250 and mobile combined.
You aren’t able to access Telstra’s 5G network with Mate Mobile though, so this is something to consider if you have a 5G capable handset and are looking to get those blazing fast mobile data speeds.
If you are looking for an NBN plan with an initial six-month discount though, we have a roundup of the best broadband deals going at the moment. We’ve highlighted Tangerine’s NBN 250 plans as one of our top picks, because it’s just AU$94.90 a month for your first six months, before increasing to AU$109.90 ongoing.
Don't just take out word for it – both Mate and Tangerine were multi-award winners in the 2021 Mozo Experts Choice NBN Awards (a sister site of TechRadar Australia).
- Fastest NBN plans: NBN 100, NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans
