It’s only normal that we want to get the most value out of any financial decision we make. One area I hold dear – and where bang for buck really matters – involves NBN plans. The potential value available to millions of Australians has increased exponentially in the past month following the arrival of the NBN speed upgrades in September, which have supercharged home internet connections for eligible homes at no extra cost.
I’ve spoken before about how affordable NBN 500 plans are and why they’re ultimately my top pick for anyone wanting to achieve impressive download speeds without breaking the bank. If you want or need download speeds in excess of 500Mbps, however, then you may be tempted by an NBN 750 plan.
If this is you, then stop what you’re doing and listen for a moment. While the new speed tier might look great on paper, in my mind, upgrading a little further to one of the best NBN 1000 plans is the more financially savvy decision. Allow me to explain…
Upgrading can save you money
It’s fair to assume that the more a particular product or service offers, the more you’re going to have to pay for it. Across most product categories, that’s true, but NBN plans are a different beast entirely, as internet service providers (ISPs) are ultimately free to charge whatever they please.
It’s because of this that if you shop around (don’t worry, you don’t actually have to, because I’ve done the legwork for you), you can secure a lightning-fast gigabit internet plan for the same cost as a slower 750Mbps plan. In fact, you can even save up to AU$34 a month by upgrading your plan.
The math
Don’t believe me? Let me take my favourite example of an NBN 1000 plan from Buddy Telco. The fledgling provider is only just over a year old, yet its gigabit plan has remained my favourite ever since it launched, maintaining its exceptionally affordable AU$99 monthly fee.
In comparison, of the 16 providers of NBN 750 plans I monitor, only two charge less than AU$99 – Flip (AU$89.90) and Kogan (AU$94.90).
The next-cheapest providers are TPG, iiNet and Dodo, all of whom charge AU$99.99 – or, the exact same price Buddy charges for a plan that delivers up to 250Mbps more speed. I know where I’d rather spend my money.
You can view more of the most popular NBN 1000 plans with our readers in the price comparison tool below.
The caveat
Now, all this talk of super-fast internet speeds might sound wonderful, but there is a caveat in that to get them, you need to make sure you connect to the NBN via a fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection. If you don’t connect via either of these right now, there’s a good chance you’re eligible for NBN Co’s free fibre upgrade program.
If you are eligible, then you can contact your NBN provider to confirm if they can activate the upgrade for you – note also that you’ll need to order at least an NBN 500 plan to enroll in the program. Buddy has confirmed to us that currently it isn’t equipped to handle upgrades for you, however its parent company Aussie Broadband can. In other words, if you’re not yet on FTTP or HFC and want to sign up to this Buddy plan, you would first need to take out a plan with Aussie Broadband (or another eligible provider) and complete the upgrade process, and then switch over to Buddy once the new NBN equipment is installed.
The takeaway
This all goes to show that there genuinely is good value to be found across all NBN speed tiers if you know where to look. And while an NBN 1000 plan can be more cost-effective than a 750Mbps alternative, my money is still on NBN 500 plans as being the best option for most people.
You can view the current most-popular NBN 500 plans with TechRadar readers in the price comparison tool below.
