Telstra NBN Plans Review: The Verdict
Telstra NBN plans don't represent that same kind of value you can get on a smaller provider, but offer a wider range of support options and plenty of extras you won't find anywhere else.
What we love
- Excellent typical evening speeds
- Great range of extras
- 30-day satisfaction guarantee
What could be improved
- Most expensive internet around, in terms of data per dollar
- Modem fee if you leave within your first two years
Overall:
Picking an NBN provider can be tricky. There's a whole host of providers, each offering their own plans. As Australia's biggest telco, Telstra is a natural starting point for many, but is the best deal? In this review, we'll look at value, support options, and the extras you can get for being a Big T customer.
Before we start, here's Telstra's current range of NBN plans:
|
Telstra
Upfront Internet Plan Basic
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
Telstra NBN plans: Value
When assessing value, we look at what kind of typical evening speeds an NBN provider advertises and compare that to how much they're charging for their plan. It's a question of how much speed your dollar buys you and how that compares to the rest of the market; we're not factoring in any extras or bonuses just yet. In order to calculate the value, we've looked at NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans, excluding promotional discounts.
Here is how Telstra's NBN 50 plan compares to the competition:
|
#1
|
Tangerine Telecom
Value Plus NBN
$59.90/mth
Min. cost $59.90
|
|
#2
|
Superloop
Extra-value nbn50/20
$67/mth
Min. cost $67
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$68.90/mth
Min. cost $68.90
|
|
#4
|
iiNet
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
|
|
#5
|
TPG
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
|
|
#6
|
Vodafone
Essential+ nbn®
$74/mth
Min. cost $74
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
Belong
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday nbn®
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Aussie Broadband
Value nbn - Unlimited
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Telstra
Upfront Internet Plan Essential (Fixed Wireless)
$105/mth
Min. cost $105
Link not supplied
|
And here is how Telstra's NBN 100 plan compares to the competition:
|
#1
|
SpinTel
Editor's Pick
NBN Unlimited Premium 100
$65/mth
Min. cost $65
|
|
#2
|
Tangerine Telecom
Speedy NBN
$65.90/mth
Min. cost $65.90
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
nbn100 Unlimited Plan
$73.90/mth
Min. cost $73.90
|
|
#4
|
Superloop
Family nbn100/20
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
|
|
#5
|
Vodafone
Home Fast nbn®
$79/mth
Min. cost $79
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
iiNet
nbn Home Fast Liimitless
$79.99/mth
Min. cost $79.99
|
|
#7
|
TPG
nbn Home Fast Unlimited Plan
$79.99/mth
Min. cost $79.99
|
|
#8
|
Belong
NBN Premium – Unlimited
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
Aussie Broadband
Fast nbn - Unlimited
$85/mth
Min. cost $85
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Optus
Optus Plus Everyday Fast nbn®
$89/mth
Min. cost $89
Link not supplied
|
|
#11
|
Telstra
Upfront Internet Plan Premium
$110/mth
Min. cost $110
Link not supplied
|
Telstra is unsurprisingly one of the most expensive NBN providers around, but it's also one of the fastest. It reports plan maximums as typical evening speeds for both NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans, which suggests you should get a congestion-free NBN experience for the most part.
This isn't overly impressive when it comes to NBN 50 plans; most providers report typical evening speeds of 50Mbps on their NBN 50 offering now. If you just want great speeds for a great price, there are much better choices than Telstra.
Telstra does stand out a little more when it comes to NBN 100 plans. It's easy to get typical evening speeds over 90Mbps right now, but only a few providers advertise 100Mbps. You can naturally get these speeds for less from other providers like SpinTel or Superloop, but it's nice to know you'll be getting top-tier speed performance if you're considering Telstra.
What are typical evening speeds?
Typical evening speeds refer to the NBN download speeds you can expect during the busiest hours of the day - typically between 7pm and 11pm - due to congestion.
Because of the way the NBN is designed, just paying for an NBN 100 plan doesn't guarantee you'll get those speeds the entire time. If you want great speeds during peak hours, you'll want to look for a provider that reports high typical evening speeds.
Need other NBN terms demystified? Check out our NBN glossary.
Just be aware that while Telstra's NBN plans are technically contract-free, you'll need to pay a prorated modem fee if you leave within your first 24 months. You don't have the choice of bringing your own modem to waive this fee. This fee is equivalent to $9 for each month left in your two-year term, up to a maximum of $216. So for example, if you were to leave Telstra after 12 months, you'd pay a $108 fee when you leave.
It's also worth noting that Telstra says its modem is locked, which means it may not work with all other NBN providers. At a minimum, you won't be able to use your Telstra NBN modem for 4G backup or phone calls if you leave Telstra.
Telstra NBN plans: Support
When it comes to supporting, we're looking at how many different avenues a telco has to help a customer, rather than quality. Support quality is difficult to gauge in a meaningful way; across the team, there are times we've had a really great experience with a telco, but times it's been awful. Instead, we're looking at the number of channels a telco has in order to try and gauge its investment in support.
Here is how Telstra's support options compare to the competition:
| Provider | In-store | Call | Chat | Social | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aussie Broadband | - | ||||
| Belong | - | - | - | ||
| Dodo | - | ||||
| Exetel | - | - | |||
| iiNet | - | ||||
| Internode | - | - | - | ||
| iPrimus | - | - | |||
| Kogan | - | - | - | ||
| MATE | - | ||||
| Moose | - | - | |||
| MyRepublic | - | ||||
| Optus | - | ||||
| Origin | - | ||||
| SpinTel | - | - | |||
| Superloop | - | ||||
| Tangerine | - | ||||
| Telstra | - | ||||
| TPG | - | - | |||
| Vodafone | - |
Last updated 3 November 2022
Telstra is about as full-featured as it gets when it comes to support. You can call up, you can use web chat via its site or app, there's a monitored social media presence, and you can go into a store. The only option we'd expect to see that Telstra doesn't offer is a contact form. From my own experiences, I've found Telstra's social media presence the most helpful option for getting issues resolved.
It's also worth noting that Telstra has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee on NBN plans. If you're a new customer not happy within your first 30 days of connecting, you can leave Telstra and get a full refund on plan and hardware fees. Just make sure you do this before switching to a new provider.
Telstra NBN plans: Extras
Telstra NBN plans are about as featured-packed as they come. Here's how the extras you'll get compare to other NBN providers:
| Provider | Perks | Streaming offers | 4G Backup | Bundle discount | Referral bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aussie Broadband | - | - | - | ||
| Belong | - | - | - | - | |
| Dodo | - | - | - | - | |
| Exetel | - | - | - | ||
| iiNet | - | - | - | ||
| iPrimus | - | - | - | - | |
| Kogan | - | - | - | - | - |
| MATE | - | - | - | ||
| Moose | - | - | - | - | - |
| Optus | - |
- | - | ||
| Origin | - | - | - | - | |
| SpinTel | - | - | - | ||
| Superloop | - | - | - | ||
| Tangerine | - | - | - | - | |
| Telstra | - | - | |||
| TPG | - | - | - | - | - |
| Vodafone | - |
Last updated February 2025
To start, you'll get 4G backup through the Telstra Smart Modem, which keeps you connected via the Telstra mobile network in the event your NBN goes down. You'll be limited to download speeds of 25Mbps, which is equivalent to an NBN 25 plan.
You'll also get access to the Telstra Plus perks program. This includes:
- $12.50 movie tickets for Event and BCC cinemas, excluding sessions after 5pm on a Saturday, public holidays, and special events
- Discounted tickets to select sporting events
- Pre-sale tickets for select concerts and events
If you're a Telstra Plus member, you'll also earn points for every dollar you spend on your monthly bill. These can then be redeemed for gadgets or a discount on a more expensive product.
You can access the Telstra Air public WiFi network at no extra cost.
Telstra's biggest extra category comes in the form of streaming and entertainment.
Telstra NBN customers can also bundle streaming services and pay TV options on their monthly bill. At present, you can add a Foxtel package to your NBN plan for a cheaper rate than you'd pay with Foxtel itself, but the discount only lasts for your first 12 months. After you'll pay the same rate as you would with Foxtel.
Telstra has a similar offer for Kayo, where you'll save $10 per month compared to retail, but only for your first year.
You can also add Binge or Netflix to your monthly bill, but you'll pay the standard market rate.
Lastly, customers can bundle an Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S onto their mobile or broadband plan as an entertainment option. Instead of buying your console upfront, you pay it off over 24-month months.
Xbox All Access also includes Game Pass Ultimate, Microsoft's Netflix for game subscription service which gets you access to hundreds of titles across Xbox and PC. All of Microsoft's upcoming first-party titles for Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will be available on Xbox All Access on day one.
Telstra's Xbox All Access plans are as follows:
| Inclusions | Details | |
|---|---|---|
|
Telstra |
|
|
|
Telstra |
|
One extra Telstra doesn't offer is a discount or bonus for bundling your NBN with your mobile plan. This is a feature that is becoming increasingly prevalent, with providers such as Vodafone, TPG, and iiNet all rewarding customer loyalty with discounts or extra perks.
Telstra NBN FAQs
How fast are Telstra's NBN plans?
Telstra sells plans configured on five different speed tiers: NBN 25, NBN 50, NBN 100, NBN 250, and NBN 1000. You can find more information on NBN speeds here.
Do I need to buy a new modem to sign up for Telstra?
Telstra requires all customers to get a new modem when you sign-up for a plan. You can still use your own modem or router if you have a compatible device, but you'll miss out on features like 4G backup.
What happens if I want to cancel my Telstra NBN plan?
Telstra's NBN plans are now all no-contract. However, if you leave within your first 24 months, you'll need to pay a prorated modem fee. This is equivalent to $9 multiplied by the number of months left in your two-year term. For example, if you left after one year, you'd be up for a $108 fee.
Do I own my Telstra TV box?
Whether you buy it outright, or you're on a 24-month plan that includes Telstra TV, your set-top box is yours to keep.
Do Telstra's internet plans include calls?
Telstra's NBN plans all include unlimited standard local, national, and mobile calls.
Want more information about the NBN?
Got questions? We've got answers. Whether you want to know what the NBN is, how to connect, if you have to connect, how much it will cost, what the alternatives are, or something else entirely, check out our complete guide to the NBN.
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