TPG NBN review

TPG has long been a favourite for delivering well-performing, reliable speeds to its customers, and it typically beats out many well-known internet providers to rank towards the top of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) broadband reporting.

Its NBN plans are affordable, though they’re not quite as competitively priced as providers such as Spintel and Tangerine. We also feel TPG is let down a little by its fastest NBN plans, which sit in about the mid-range of what’s available in terms of speed and don’t offer quite the same value as the competition as a result.

When TPG merged with Vodafone Australia in July 2020, it became Australia’s third-largest telco, behind only Telstra and Optus. The merger was a way of bringing together TPG’s NBN network with Vodafone’s mobile network, and take on the dominance of Telstra and Optus in both spaces.

We’re going to take a look at overall performance, customer reviews and available plans to help you decide whether you should sign-up to TPG as your NBN provider.

Noteworthy TPG NBN deals

• NBN 100: save AU$10p/m for 6 months (from AU$79.99p/m)
• NBN 250: save AU$30p/m for 6 months (from AU$94.99p/m)
• NBN 1000: save AU$30p/m for 6 months (from AU$114.99p/m)

TPG NBN pricing: is TPG good value?

• NBN 12: AU$59.99p/m (average NBN 12 cost is AU$57.78)*
• NBN 25: AU$64.99p/m (average NBN 25 cost is AU$66.32)
• NBN 50: AU$69.99p/m (average NBN 50 cost is AU$74.97)
• NBN 100: AU$89.99p/m (average NBN 100 cost is AU$92.27)
• NBN 250: AU$124.99p/m (average NBN 250 cost is AU$121.18)
• NBN 1000: AU$144.99p/m (average NBN 1000 cost is AU$145.77)

*Average cost of NBN 12 with unlimited data

As we’ve mentioned, TPG has historically performed well in the ACCC’s broadband reporting, recently beating out big names such as Aussie Broadband and Superloop in a measurement of average download speed.

Its NBN 12, NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans quote maxed-out evening speeds – as many other providers now do – and their cost is reasonable, with the NBN 50 plan in particular offering the best value for most people.

Like many other NBN providers, TPG’s pricing does benefit those who bring their own modem along to the plan. If you do need a modem from TPG, you’ll need to pay an additional AU$99.95 setup fee, plus a AU$10 delivery fee when you first sign up.

As you’ll find in our noteworthy TPG NBN deals section, the provider does currently offer a six-month discount on its fastest NBN plans. You’ll be able to save AU$10 a month for six months on its NBN 100 plan, while you’ll get a discount of AU$30 a month for six months by signing up to its NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plans.

While the reduced cost of TPG’s NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans are competitively priced, they’ll cost you slightly above average once the initial discount ends. If you’re looking for a better deal, we’d recommend checking out MyRepublic’s fast plans.

All TPG NBN plans compared

Performance and typical evening speeds

• Maxed-out typical evening speeds on NBN 25 and NBN 50 plans
• Lower typical evening speeds on its fastest plans aren’t as good value
• ACCC reporting shows majority of outages are quickly resolved

Keeping pace with most other ISPs, TPG offers a maximum typical evening speed of 25Mbps on its NBN 25 plan, and 50Mbps on its NBN 50 plan. Its NBN 100 plan currently reports a typical evening speed of 90Mbps, which lags behind Telstra, Optus and some other cheaper competitors such as Spintel.

Moving up to its fastest plans, TPG quotes a typical evening speed of 200Mbps on its NBN 250 plan, and 250Mbps on its NBN 1000 option. These plans sit just below the average of the typical evening speed available in their respective tiers, and given their costs, we’d argue their value isn’t as good as seen in TPG’s cheaper plans.

With that said, TPG does make up for these shortcomings by consistently delivering reliable speeds. In the ACCC’s most recent broadband report, which was released in March 2022, TPG beat out Aussie Broadband, Superloop and Vodafone in average download speed, during all hours and the peak period.

The ACCC’s quarterly report also monitors its pool of volunteers for outages lasting over 30 seconds. In its most recent update, TPG users experienced one of these roughly every 2.5 days, on average.

The better news is that while outages were somewhat frequent, they were often resolved quickly. Of all outages, just under 40% lasted between 30-60 seconds, with just over 10% lasting 10 minutes or more. The nature of outages means these figures can fluctuate over time, but we’ll be keeping you updated on TPG’s results.

Netflix also monitors performance with its own ISP Speed Index. It’s used to measure Netflix performance on particular internet providers during the prime time viewing hours, and TPG has held a consistently strong ranking since September 2021 (and only Telstra and Optus are ahead of it).

Customer support

• TPG NBN technical support: 1300 997 271
• TPG customer service: 1300 993 011
• TPG email: customer_service@tpg.com.au

TPG has a number of support channels for its NBN users. You can visit TPG’s support page for answers to frequently asked questions, or if you’d prefer to speak with someone, there are several contact numbers for a variety of inquiries.

The provider can also call you – to find this option, go to the bottom left hand corner of TPG’s NBN homepage and fill out your contact details. If you like to get your answers by direct message, TPG also has a live chat function on its site for a quick answer, or you can opt to email TPG on 'customer_service@tpg.com.au'.

TPG also maintains a community page, where TPG users can speak with each other and troubleshoot issues. There’s also a TPG mobile app for iOS and Android which allows you to manage your account and get support for your internet connection.

Most of TPG’s support is based in the Philippines, and it does not have support based in Australia. We’ve had some interaction with TPG’s support agents over email and live chat, and our personal experience has been positive.

TPG’s diverse range of customer support is commendable, but we’ve found ourselves dissatisfied with TPG’s online account management. Its user interface feels antiquated, and online account statements are difficult to understand. Similarly, while it’s nice that TPG offers a mobile app, it’s very limited in its usefulness, and has attracted low user ratings online.

As for customer satisfaction, TPG doesn’t have particularly great ratings on Product Review, while its rating on Trustpilot paints a more positive picture – in any case, we’d suggest taking these reviews with a grain of salt.

Optional extras and bundle deals

• Phone line included with modem
• Bundling mobile plan optional
• No entertainment extras

Unlike Telstra and Optus, TPG isn’t big on optional extras, and you won’t find any added entertainment perks with its NBN plans.

You’ll have the option of using your own modem on TPG’s NBN plans, but if you’re in need of one, the modem TPG provides is Wi-Fi 6 capable and promises a straightforward setup. 

If you want a modem included in your plan, you’ll need to pay a AU$99.95 setup fee along with a AU$10 equipment delivery fee. The only way to avoid this cost is to bring your own modem.

If you do want a modem included in your plan, TPG will also give you a phone line – an inclusion which is growing rather rare among internet providers. You’ll need to select a ‘voice add-on’ at checkout, so if you have no plans to use it, choose ‘pay as you go’.

If a home phone is something you’d like to use though, TPG’s got three options for you: there’s Oz Talk (unlimited local calls, unlimited standard national calls and unlimited national calls to mobiles for AU$10p/m), Big Talk (unlimited local calls, unlimited standard national calls and 100 international minutes for AU$10p/m) and Extra Talk (unlimited local calls, unlimited standard national calls, unlimited national calls to mobiles and unlimited international calls to 15 countries for AU$20p/m).

TPG also gives you the option of adding a mobile plan into your NBN bill, and plans start at AU$10 a month for existing TPG customers. In this way, TPG is a good option for those wanting a one-stop-shop, but there are much better NBN bundles out there if you’re willing to shop around.

For example, Vodafone also offers a discount for those who bundle together more than one plan, with savings reaching up to 20% depending on how many services you have. Telstra and Optus also offer a wider range of optional extras and added entertainment perks (though their ongoing cost can be higher).

Additional fees

• Additional setup fees with included modem
• No cancellation fee if you leave TPG

As mentioned above, getting a modem included in your TPG NBN plan comes with a AU$99.95 setup fee and a AU$10 delivery charge, but these costs can be avoided by bringing your own hardware. Getting a TPG modem also gets you a phone line from the telco, but you’ll only incur a charge if you use it.

Since all of TPG’s plans now come with no lock-in contract, there’s no cancellation fee if you decide to leave the provider, though do note that TPG requires 30 days notice.

However, there are some payments you could be subject to in certain circumstances. If you’re activating an NBN service for the first time in a new development, for example, there’s a fee of AU$300 no matter what ISP you choose, and if you change or miss an appointment, you’ll need to pay an additional AU$109.

TPG NBN FAQ

Can I get TPG NBN?

TPG provides NBN plans across all available speeds, from minimal NBN 12 plans right up to ultra-fast NBN 1000 options. When it comes to the NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans, these speed tiers are only available to those who have a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection, as is the case across all providers who offer them.

Aside from NBN plans, TPG does also offer home wireless broadband and its own fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) tech, which is available in certain apartment complexes and is entirely different to the NBN. You can check if your apartment building has this fibre installed on TPG’s website.

How to check if TPG NBN is down

If you’re experiencing an TPG NBN outage, you’ll first want to figure out if it's just you, or if the internet is down for everyone in your area. We’d recommend visiting TPG’s service status page first, and if no issues have been reported there, you can check NBN Co’s website for wider network outages.

To do this, you’ll likely need to check using your phone, or another device with its own internet connection. If TPG’s own website is down, we’d recommend checking the independent site Down Detector. If you find you’re having connection issues that can’t be attributed to a known outage, call TPG’s NBN technical support on 1300 997 271.

For further help, we also have a dedicated guide to NBN outages.

• First reviewed February 2022