Thanks to the official NBN speed upgrade, NBN 500 plans are now a reality. For many Australians, the tier previously limited to 100Mbps downloads is five times faster. While keeping the prices more or less the same, the newly turbocharged NBN 500 plans are capable of downloading large files faster and streaming more high-resolution content simultaneously.
From now onwards, Australians with Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) and Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections can access faster internet speeds at no extra cost. This includes anyone on one of the current cheapest NBN plans; many of them will automatically upgrade with no action required.
For example, NBN 100 will turn into NBN 500. That means a download speed increase from 100Mbps to 500Mbps, while uploads jump from 20Mbps to 50Mbps.
Some telcos, including Exetel, SpinTel, and Tangerine, started selling faster plans early, using NBN’s existing high-speed infrastructure. Now, you can get boosted internet from more telcos as they gradually pass on the upgrade to customers.
With more options available, it’s a great time to compare NBN 500 plans and get the best deal.
Table of contents
Cheapest NBN 500 plans
These are the current cheapest NBN 500 fixed-line plans we have listed in the comparison widget we use. It automatically updates, listing the lowest prices at any given moment. As more telcos switch on NBN 500, you’ll see more options listed below.
At the moment, SpinTel and TPG are within one dollar of each other. Both NBN 500 plans cost less than $65 per month for the first six months. Afterwards, SpinTel is cheaper over the long term; its $84.95 monthly price comfortably beats TPG’s $94.99 non-discounted price.
Kogan is close behind, selling its Gold Plus Unlimited plan for $66.90 per month for the first six months. At full price, Kogan’s $85.90 monthly rate is pretty close to SpinTel.
Exetel has arguably the most interesting approach of the early NBN 500 contenders. In July, it boldly scrapped all of its internet plans bar one: a solitary plan that provides 500Mbps download speeds and 50Mbps upload speeds, priced at a flat $80 monthly fee.
Exetel’s plan also has the option to pay an additional $1 per day for 1000Mbps download speeds. Its main point of difference is the ability to “Hibernate” your internet plan when you don’t need it, like when away on a holiday. Hibernating slows the speeds to 12Mbps/1Mbps and saves $1 for each day it’s activated.
Not listed in the widget is the newly debuted plan from Leaptel. Its discounted monthly rate of $79.95 isn’t the outright cheapest, but the discount lasts for 12 months, so it’s competitive over a year. Newcomer Arctel also offers a discounted $65 monthly plan, while matching Exetel’s $80 price once the discount ends after six months.
NBN 500 plans price list
| Telco | Discounted price (monthly) | Standard price (monthly) |
|---|---|---|
| Arctel | $65 | $80 |
| Aussie Broadband | $85 | $95 |
| Buddy Telco | $80 | $85 |
| Exetel | N/A | $80 |
| Leaptel | $79.95 | $92.95 |
| Occom | $95 | $105 |
| Optus | $84 | $99 |
| SpinTel | $74 | $84.95 |
| Superloop | $75 | $95 |
| Tangerine | $68.90 | $88.90 |
Who can get NBN 500?
Australian premises with FTTP or HFC connections can access faster speeds once 14 September arrives. NBN’s upgrades will automatically affect existing NBN 100 (Home Fast), NBN 250 (Home Superfast), and NBN 1000 (Home Ultrafast) plans.
If you’re not sure what type of connection your home or business has, you can find out by checking your address online. If you don’t have either FTTP or HFC, NBN Co’s website also confirms if your address is eligible for an upgrade.
Nearly four million Australian premises are eligible for an FTTP upgrade, with plans to expand that footprint to five million by the end of the year. In most cases, the fibre upgrade is free when ordering an NBN 100 plan or faster through a telco.
However, not everyone needs the fastest internet available. NBN 50 plans are fast enough to stream 4K video, browse the internet, and do many other basic online tasks. Faster speeds mainly benefit larger households that want to stream multiple videos at the same time and download large files.
Once you start looking at faster internet speeds, you also need to consider more powerful networking gear. The ACCC recently updated its industry guidance to ensure that telcos let customers know that their hardware may impact internet performance.
Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6 modems and routers should be fine for NBN 500 speeds, provided their transfer rates match or (preferably) exceed 500Mbps. If you haven’t upgraded a modem or router in the last 10 years, you likely have a Wi-Fi 4 device that won’t take full advantage of the new speeds.
If in doubt, ask your internet provider — they’re obliged to tell you what you need to reach your plan’s maximum speeds.
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