Best internet plans in Australia 2024: Compare NBN, 5G home broadband, wireless plans and more

Some of the best internet plans in Australia pair seriously fast speeds with a competitively low cost. Here at Tom's Guide, we think it's near vital to have the best of the best value when it comes to your home internet, so we've rounded up the nitty-gritty details to help you get the most bang for your buck.

We’ve covered everything — including major NBN connection types and NBN alternatives, such as fixed wireless, satellite and 5G home internet (not to be confused with 5G mobile internet).

With plenty of options, deciding the best internet plan for you may take some time. The most significant factor will likely be where you live, as not all plans are available nationwide. 

More than 10 million homes are on track to access the NBN by late 2025. However, not everyone can take advantage of higher speed tiers or wired connections. In these cases, a fixed wireless broadband plan or satellite internet may be your saving grace. 

For other households, ADSL may be your only option, and in some cases, you might be able to (or perhaps be forced to) sign up for a private telco network that offers superfast speeds. 

So, if you’re still struggling to find the right plan for you, we encourage you to read on as we compare the best home internet options in Australia. 

New NBN rivals

NBN isn't the only option for getting online in Australia. There are a number of NBN alternatives that could be a better option for you and your home. These include 5G home internet, which uses one of Australia's various 5G mobile networks to get you connected. In some cases, 5G could offer faster download speeds than what you can achieve through a fixed-line NBN connection. 

Another option is going with a company like GigaComm, which is a privately-owned telecommunications provider that has its own infrastructure of fibre optic cabling to deliver superfast — and perhaps most importantly, consistent — internet speeds. The main downside to GigaComm (and similar telcos such as Opticomm) is that it's currently only available in limited parts of the country. 

And, as previously mentioned, another option is satellite internet. NBN already has its own version of this, in the form of Sky Muster, but global provider Starlink (founded by Elon Musk) is now available nationwide. Because of the technology used by Starlink, and the much closer proximity of its satellites to the earth (compared to Sky Muster), Starlink promises quicker, more consistent speeds for those who wish to use the internet service.

Read on to find out more about each internet plan type, along with our picks of the best deals currently available.

NBN

NBN is the National Broadband Network and the primary method Australians use to connect to the internet. NBN is accessed via both wired and wireless mediums, and within the wired medium, there are five different connection types which will dictate the maximum download speeds you're capable of achieving. 

An NBN plan is generally a fine option for homes that require a stable internet connection, and for carrying out tasks such as online gaming or streaming 4K content. Homes with a high number of devices connecting to the internet also need a fast, stable internet connection and this is where the NBN can prove to be the most effective option. 

5G home internet

While it works on a similar principle, 5G home internet isn’t the same as 5G mobile internet that you get on your smartphone. The best 5G home internet plans have the potential to offer lightning-fast download speeds, although the current reality suggests only speeds of up to 400Mbps are achievable. Various factors, such as network coverage and interference can have a dramatic effect on the speeds you experience.

One of the biggest upsides to 5G home internet is that it is much easier to install than NBN. This is because, by its very nature, it's wireless and so doesn’t require a physical wired connection. All you need to do is plug the supplied modem into a power outlet and wait for it to connect to a nearby 5G tower. 

But, this is also where the downsides crop up, as 5G internet relies on having a strong connection to cellular towers nearby. It therefore isn’t yet available in all areas of the country, and inner city locations have been prioritised over regional. 

Fixed-wireless internet

Fixed wireless internet plans connect premises in regional and remote areas of Australia to the NBN. This is achieved by installing an outdoor antenna on a premises (usually on the roof), which connects to an NBN device installed inside the property, which then connects to a telco-supplied modem. This then connects to a local base tower via 4G LTE.

Download speeds on fixed wireless home internet connections currently range from 12Mbps to 75Mbps, but environmental factors and network congestion will play a huge role in determining the actual speed you achieve. Providers of fixed wireless internet aren't required to self-report typical evening download speeds.

Fixed wireless home internet is a good option for households in rural areas that don’t have access to either 5G networks or the main fixed-line NBN infrastructure. NBN has also said that if your home is eligible to receive a fixed wireless internet connection, then it won't be eligible for its Sky Muster satellite service. 

Satellite internet

A satellite internet plan uses, you guessed it, space-based satellites to get an internet connection into your home. Satellite internet plans are predominantly targeted at Australians in rural areas, where neither fixed-line or fixed-wireless internet connections are available.

Currently there are just two main providers of satellite internet plans in Australia: NBN, with its Sky Muster satellites, and Starlink, the worldwide internet solution from Elon Musk’s SpaceX. Starlink is now accessible nationwide, for all Australians.

Private telco networks

Private telco networks refer to companies such as GigaComm, OptiComm and Vocus (Vocus is targeted more at business customers rather than residential). These companies have installed their own optical fibre cabling and/or networking infrastructure in certain areas of Australia and offer applicable customers an alternative to (or replacement for) a high-speed NBN connection.

In most instances, customers can realistically reach download speeds of up to 1Gbps on these networks and, because fewer people will be using the private telco network infrastructure compared to NBN, these speeds can remain more consistent. 

The main downside to private telco networks is their current limited availability. For now, most can only be found in select suburbs and within these, are predominantly installed in new or recently developed apartment blocks or housing estates. 

ADSL

ADSL is the connection many of us had to make do with before NBN was rolled out in Australia. ADSL uses copper cabling to transmit data and there are three versions available: ADSL, ADSL2 and ADSL2+.

ADSL home internet is much slower than NBN, with the fastest version, ADSL2+ only capable of speeds up to 24Mbps. Very few internet service providers in Australia continue to support ADSL, as the copper cables used have been (or are due to be) cut off, to make way for the faster fibre optic cables of NBN. 

Telstra is the last remaining major provider of ADSL in Australia, and is only one of six telcos in total that continue to provide the service. Because ADSL is pretty scarce in Australia, monthly fees for it have risen considerably, with plans now starting from AU$59p/m, making it more expensive than NBN in some instances.

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