Move over NBN, you're not the only fibre internet connection around. While the majority of Australians might get connected via fibre NBN there are places (typically apartments and new developments) where other fibre internet options exist.
If you've got fibre other than the NBN at your address this guide is for you. We'll detail some of the best fibre internet alternatives available in Australia.
Opticomm fibre internet plans
Opticomm is a popular fibre internet alternative with over half a million customers. Like NBN, Opticomm is a wholesaler, which means regular internet service providers you might already be familiar with sell Opticomm plans. Examples of Opticomm providers include Aussie Broadband, Superloop, and Telstra.
Here are fibre internet plans from Opticomm providers in WhistleOut's database, sorted by price:
|
#1
|
Exetel
Extra Value Fibre50
$63.99/mth
Min. cost $63.99
|
|
#2
|
Superloop
Extra Value Fibre50
$67/mth
Min. cost $67
|
|
#3
|
Activ8me
OptiComm Unlimited SuperSonic
$79.95/mth
Min. cost $177.95
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Aussie Broadband
Value OptiComm - Unlimited
$89/mth
Min. cost $198
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Origin Broadband
Experience Fibre 50
$95/mth
Min. cost $100
Link not supplied
|
|
#1
|
Exetel
Family Fibre100/20
$68.99/mth
Min. cost $68.99
|
|
#2
|
Superloop
Family Fibre100/20
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
|
|
#3
|
Exetel
Power Home Fibre100/40
$78.99/mth
Min. cost $78.99
|
|
#4
|
Superloop
Power Home Fibre100/40
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
|
|
#5
|
Aussie Broadband
Fast OptiComm - Unlimited
$85/mth
Min. cost $194
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Activ8me
OptiComm Unlimited Premium-100
$99.95/mth
Min. cost $197.95
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Origin Broadband
Enthusiast Fibre 100
$105/mth
Min. cost $110
Link not supplied
|
|
#1
|
Exetel
Superfast Fibre250
$83.99/mth
Min. cost $83.99
|
|
#2
|
Superloop
Superfast Fibre250
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
|
|
#3
|
Aussie Broadband
Super-Fast OptiComm - Unlimited
$99/mth
Min. cost $208
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Origin Broadband
Super fast Fibre 250
$120/mth
Min. cost $125
Link not supplied
|
|
#1
|
Superloop
Lightspeed Fibre1000
$99/mth
Min. cost $99
|
|
#2
|
Aussie Broadband
Ultra-Fast OptiComm - Unlimited
$109/mth
Min. cost $218
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Origin Broadband
Ultra fast Fibre 1000
$130/mth
Min. cost $135
Link not supplied
|
Some Opticomm providers may charge a one-off set-up fee but this varies by provider. It's typically going to cost you around the $100 mark.
Opticomm, like NBN, is typically installed within a complex or newly developed neighbourhood. As such, except possibly during the development phase of your new home you're unlikely to encounter a situation where you have the option of both.
TPG fibre internet plans
Telco TPG also has its own private fibre internet network (Vision Network) available as FTTB (Fibre to the Building) in some locations. There are roughly 400,000 premises connected to TPG's private fibre network. These are mostly apartments. Like Opticomm its plans come in a range of speed tiers.
TPG's fibre internet plans like its NBN plans come with the option of no lock-in contract or a six-month contract. Here are TPG's fibre internet plans, sorted by price:
|
#1
|
TPG
FTTB50
$35/mth
Min. cost $164.95
|
|
#2
|
TPG
FTTB100
$37.50/mth
Min. cost $167.45
|
|
#3
|
TPG
FTTB250
$40/mth
Min. cost $169.95
|
|
#4
|
TPG
FTTB Max
$45/mth
Min. cost $174.95
|
|
#1
|
TPG
FTTB50
$35/mth
Min. cost $240
|
|
#2
|
TPG
FTTB100
$37.50/mth
Min. cost $255
|
|
#3
|
TPG
FTTB250
$40/mth
Min. cost $270
|
|
#4
|
TPG
FTTB Max
$45/mth
Min. cost $300
|
TPG's fibre internet plans come with a compatible high-speed modem at no additional cost except for a $10 modem delivery fee.
You'll need to pay a $99.95 setup fee on its no lock-in contract plans. This fee is waived on the six-month contract plans which instead will charge you a $99.95 early termination fee if you cancel the plan before the six months are up.
TPG also charges a $20 prepayment to cover any Pay As You Go calls you make via the included phone service. Unfortunately, the prepayment is non-refundable is forfeited when you cancel your service.
Unlike Opticomm it's possible to have the option of both fibre NBN and TPG private fibre in the same complex. You can compare cheap NBN plans across the equivalent speed tiers here:
|
#1
|
Kogan Internet
Silver Unlimited
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
Value Plus NBN
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#3
|
MATE
Ripper nbn 50/20
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Exetel
Extra-value nbn50
$60.99/mth
Min. cost $60.99
|
|
#5
|
Buddy Telco
Editor's Pick
Value nbn - Unlimited
$63/mth
Min. cost $63
|
|
#6
|
Moose NBN
nbn 50/20 Premium
$63.80/mth
Min. cost $63.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Superloop
Extra-value nbn50/20
$67/mth
Min. cost $67
|
|
#8
|
Dodo
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$68.90/mth
Min. cost $68.90
|
|
#9
|
Swoop
nbn® Home Everyday
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
iiNet
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
|
|
#1
|
MATE
No Worries nbn 100/20
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Southern Phone
nbn Fast
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
NBN Unlimited Premium 100
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
|
|
#4
|
Moose NBN
nbn 100/20 Elite
$65.80/mth
Min. cost $65.80
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Kogan Internet
Gold Unlimited
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
|
#6
|
Tangerine Telecom
Speedy NBN
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
|
#7
|
Exetel
Family nbn100/20
$65.99/mth
Min. cost $65.99
|
|
#8
|
amaysim
Unlimited nbn Fast As
$70/mth
Min. cost $70
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Swoop
nbn® Home Fast
$72/mth
Min. cost $72
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Buddy Telco
Speedy nbn - Unlimited
$73/mth
Min. cost $73
|
TPG's private fibre plans come with hefty 12-month discount prices compared to most NBN providers which only offer discounts for the first six months.
Additionally, while premises connected to NBN FTTB can only get maximum download speeds of 100Mbps on an NBN 100 plan, TPG FTTB customers can get a maximum download speed of 500Mbps. This is because TPG has upgraded its FTTB network whereas NBN is focused on upgrading the network for its FTTN, FTTC, and Fixed Wireless customers.
Gigacomm fibre internet plans
Gigacomm is another private fibre provider, as its name suggests it provides plans with up to gigabit speeds. It sells plans direct to consumer, you can check availability at your address on its website. Gigacomm is mostly available in apartment buildings; in some cases there'll be a fibre connection to the building, in some cases it uses a wireless connection.
It offers month-to-month plans with a $125 installation fee and 12 and 24-month contract options with the installation fee waived. Contracted plans have a $250 early termination charge if you leave early. Its Gigacomm router is sold separately.
Gigacomm currently offers three plans:
| Plans | Download speed | Upload speed | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTTx 100 | 100Mbps | 25Mbps or 50Mbps (boosted) | $65/month or $75/month (boosted) |
| FTTx 200 | 200Mbps | 50Mbps or 100Mbps (boosted) | $79/month or $99/month (boosted) |
| FTTx Gigabit | 1000Mbps | 50Mbps or 100Mbps (boosted) | $99/month or $119/month (boosted) |
Each plan can have its upload speeds boosted to double at the cost of $10 per month on the FTTx 100 plan and for $20 per month on the faster plans.
Fibre internet speeds compared
Like the NBN, Opticomm, TPG and other fibre internet plans come in a range of speeds and price points.
These plans roughly translate to equivalent NBN speed tiers. Although they may not be identical with respect to download and upload speeds, pricing or performance.
Here's how the private fibre plans we've discussed compare to NBN (the first figure represents download speed followed by the figure for upload speeds):
| NBN plan | NBN speeds | Opticomm speeds | TPG fibre speeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| NBN 12 (Basic I) | 12/0.84Mbps | N/A | N/A |
| NBN 25 (Basic II) | 25/8.5Mbps | 25/4Mbps | N/A |
| NBN 50 (Standard) | 50/20Mbps | 50/17Mbps | 50/15Mbps |
| NBN 100 (Fast) | 100/40Mbps | 100/17Mbps | 92/25Mbps |
| NBN 250 (Superfast) | 250/21Mbps | 250/22Mbps | 220/25Mbps |
| NBN 1000 (Ultrafast) | 811/42.5Mbps | 700/40Mbps | 500/25Mbps |
Note: Based on typical evening speeds reported by providers in WhistleOut's database.
Fibre internet FAQs
What's the difference between a fibre internet plan and an NBN plan?
Technically the NBN or National Broadband Network is only partly a fibre network. The NBN was rolled out by the Australian government to update the old copper phone line network to something that could handle growing demands for faster internet access. The NBN consists of several technology types of which fibre is a part of at varying points. For example, an FTTP (Fibre to the Premises) connection is fully fibre to the individual property while the FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) technology ends at the curb and continues over copper cable.
When we talk about "fibre internet" we're typically referring to smaller fibre networks that are NBN competitors. These "private fibre" networks typically exist in newer developments. If you have access to private fibre you likely don't have access to the NBN and vice versa.
Is fibre better than NBN?
It's difficult to answer that one is better than the other due to the fact that except for extremely limited cases (usually the building phase of some properties) most people only have the choice of one or the other.
NBN is advantageous in terms of a competitive market of plans to shop around while private fibre plans theoretically beat the majority of NBN plans on speed (although providers with NBN and private fibre plans such as Opticomm in our database report similar speeds for both networks).
5G home internet can be a fast and cheaper alternative to fibre internet. Compare 5G internet plans with capped and uncapped speeds by price:
If you decide to choose a plan capped at 50Mbps, this means it's the equivalent of NBN 50, however, you may experience
slightly slower speeds during peak hours. This is a great option if you're either conscious of the price
or you know you won't use over 50Mbps.
Here's pricing for 5G home internet plans capped at 50Mbps:
|
#1
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (50Mbit)
$49/mth
Min. cost $74
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
iiNet
5G Home Broadband Plus
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
|
|
#3
|
TPG
5G Home Broadband Plus
$49.99/mth
Min. cost $49.99
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
5G Home Internet Plus Plan
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday 5G
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Yomojo
5G Internet 50
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
Link not supplied
|
If you choose a plan capped at 100Mbps, this means it's the equivalent of an NBN 100 plan, however, you may
experience slightly slower speeds during peak hours. This is a great option for households with multiple
members who regularly connect to the internet at the same time.
Here's pricing for 5G home internet plans capped at 100Mbps:
|
#1
|
TPG
Editor's Pick
5G Home Broadband Premium
$54.99/mth
Min. cost $54.99
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband (100Mbit)
$59/mth
Min. cost $84
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
iiNet
5G Home Broadband Premium
$59.99/mth
Min. cost $59.99
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone
5G Home Internet Premium Plan
$60/mth
Min. cost $60
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Yomojo
5G Internet 100
$75.90/mth
Min. cost $75.90
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday Fast 5G
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
Link not supplied
|
Telstra, Optus, Yomojo and SpinTel currently offer uncapped plans. These can go as fast as network conditions allow but exact speeds will depend on your coverage and congestion. Generally, though we have found 200Mbps is a pretty safe average.
|
#1
|
SpinTel
5G Unlimited Wireless Broadband
$79/mth
Min. cost $104
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
5G Home Internet - 1TB
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Optus
Editor's Pick
Optus Plus Entertainer Superfast 5G
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Yomojo
5G Internet Max
$95.90/mth
Min. cost $95.90
Link not supplied
|
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