Have you been considering your internet options in Australia, trying to find the fastest and most reliable connection in the Land Down Under?
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You’re in luck, as most providers rely on the National Broadband Network (NBN) to offer unlimited plans, and we compare the top choices below.
So keep on reading to find the best internet service providers in Australia for you.
The Top 6 Internet Providers in Australiа
The Best Internet Provider in Australia: 2022’s Reviews
In the reviews below, we compare several telecoms with fantastic offers in terms of price and speed and a deserving spot on any list of the top 10 internet providers in Australia.
- Tangerine—Best Overall
- TPG—Most Experienced ISP
- SpinTel—Best Bundle Offers
- Telstra—Best Modem Offer
- iiNet—Best Entertainment Bundles
- Dodo—Best Worth for Money
1. Tangerine—Best Overall
- Data cap: Unlimited
- Installation time: 1 day to 3 weeks
- Type of contract: No lock-in contract
- Bundle options: With modem and phone line
Other home internet plans: NBN Fixed Wireless Plus starting at $54.90 with average speeds of 27 Mbps.
As the contender for the overall best internet provider in Australia, Tangerine offers everything users may need and want from an ISP, from its affordable no-lock plans to a reliable and speedy connection and efficient and prompt service.
Since it’s one of Australia’s smaller providers, this Melbourne-based ISP seeks to stand out from the rest with its 14-day free trial offer and personalised assistance approach.
Moreover, Tangerine provides NBN Bundles that include a $10/month phone line rental with local, national, and mobile calls and a Google Nest Wi-Fi router with up to two access points ($179.90–$379.90).
Ultimately, this award-winning ISP (2021’s NBN Provider of the Year) offers a much better bang for your buck and rewards your loyalty with a $50 referral bonus, making it one of Australia’s juiciest internet providers.
2. TPG—Most Experienced ISP
- Data cap: Only for the NBN12 budget plans
- Installation time: up to 10 days
- Type of contract: No lock-in contract
- Bundle options: Various phone bundles
*Other home internet plans: 5G Home Broadband starting at $59.99, Home Wireless Broadband starting at $54.99, and TPG Fibre to the Building starting at $49.99.
PROS:
- Up to 20 simultaneous users on the fastest plan
- $0 setup fee
- Free to change plans
CONS:
- Not the cheapest modems
As a service provider with internet speeds reaching 250 Mbps during the busy evening hours, TPG is one of Australia’s best ISPs, thanks to its robust transfer rates.
This experienced ISP has been relying on its own end-to-end broadband infrastructure to provide internet to countless Aussies for many years now, and with the recent acquisition of similar businesses, it has become Australia’s second-largest ISP (2 million customers).
In recent years, TPG has started offering six tiers of NBN plans, starting with NBN12 (12 Mbps at $59.99), in addition to its non-NBN connections. Also, every NBN plan comes with unlimited data, is contract-free, and has no setup costs (unless you need a modem).
With most plans, you also get a fixed line that you can pay as you go or via a voice pack ($10/month or $20/month) with unlimited local and national calls. Finally, TPG allows you to switch your plan and keep your phone number free of charge.
3. SpinTel—Best Bundle Offers
- Data cap: Unlimited
- Installation time: 2 to 20 working days
- Type of contract: No lock-in contract
- Bundle options: Internet, modem, mobile card, and phone line
*Other home internet plans: Mobile Internet from 7 GB for $9.95/month to unlimited data for $54.95/month and unlimited 5G Wireless Home Internet up to 225 Mpbs for $80/month; unlimited data 4G Wireless Broadband for $44.95 and 5G Wireless Broadband plan for $69 or $80 a month.
Plenty of NBN alternatives
Flexible phone packs
Speedy performance
BYO high-speed modem for the fastest plans
As another award-winning ISP—2022 Best Value NBN Broadband Plan—SpinTel works hard to stand out from the tough competition with excellent products and services.
Like most brands that put the customer first, this ISP offers friendly support, unlimited congestion-free internet, no lock-in contracts, and no setup costs.
Moreover, SpinTel’s main selling point is its bundle offering that you can configure after choosing any of the four broadband tiers by adding an optional modem, one of two phone lines ($0 or $10/month), and/or one of two mobile add-ons ($9.95 or $18).
So, if you are looking for an ISP that provides every telco product you may need in a single, convenient bundle and excellent customer service, SpinTel is the choice for you.
4. Telstra—Best Modem Offer
- Data cap: Only for 5G and mobile data internet
- Installation time: Within several days of your order date
- Type of contract: No lock-in contract
- Bundle options: Internet + TV entertainment packages
*Other home internet plans: 5G Home Internet with 1TB data and up to 600 Mbps/90 Mbps speeds for $85 a month (first month free) and Mobile Broadband of up to 400 GBs with 5G speeds and a cost of $85 per month.
Free shipping and setup
Varied bundle selection
Discount for the first six months
100 Mbps is the fastest personal plan
Telstra is one of the best and biggest internet providers in Australia, as evident from their huge and varied offering of anything from speedy NBN to SIM-only internet, 5G home plans, TV and gaming entertainment, outright devices, and additional accessories.
Plus, you get all the NBN perks offered by other providers, such as no-lock contracts, unlimited data, and a phone line, plus other unique perks, such as cyber security tools (powered by McAfee) and club rewards (Telstra Plus).
However, this ISP’s most enticing selling point is the Telstra Smart Modem 3—a modern, safer, and more secure Wi-Fi 6 modem that accommodates more devices in larger spaces with double the speeds offered by the previous generation of wireless routers.
All in all, Telstra is a safe yet excellent choice if you are unsure which ISP to go for, as you get everything others are offering plus other benefits focusing on entertainment.
5. iiNet—Best Entertainment Bundles
- Data cap: Only for the budget NBN12 plan
- Installation time: 2 to 20 business days
- Type of contract: Both contract and no-contract options
- Bundle options: TV and movies, mobile, and phone line bundles
*Other home internet plans: NBN Wireless starting with NBN12, a 500 GB cap, and a $59.99/month price or a Home Wireless alternative for the same price, but limitless data and speed of up to 20 Mbps; unlimited 5G Home Broadband with 100 Mbps for $69.99 month; capped NBN Satellite starting at $49.99 with speeds of up to 25 Mbps.
30-day satisfaction guarantee
Varied TV and gaming packages
Rewards and discounts with Telstra Plus
Pricier than the competition
If you are experiencing problems and you want to switch from one NBN to another, read our tips on Telstra early termination.
When looking for the best internet provider in Australia, you should also check out iiNet’s offering, as it includes every NBN tier and connection technology, including up to ultrafast fibre internet, fixed wireless plans, and satellite connection.
In addition to offering the full NBN suite, iiNet has been making a name for itself with its flexible contracts (month-by-month NBN plans), complementary cyber protection, added home phone and email service, and 24/7 technical support.
However, this ISP’s biggest appeal is its variety of entertainment bundles. For example, you can bundle in a Fetch TV box with your internet plan to access great channels, movies, and TV content (even on the go with the Fetch mobile app).
Note: Fetch is included with NBN50 and up and costs $5/month after the first two years.
6. Dodo—Best Worth for Money
- Data cap: Unlimited
- Installation time: 3 to 20 business days
- Type of contract: No lock-in contract
- Bundle options: Electricity and gas bundle
*Other home internet plans: SIM-only plans starting with 2 GB plans (with an extra 5 GB) for $10/month.
Includes every NBN connection
Offers three optional phone packs
High-speed modem with 4G connection backup
Wireless plans are more expensive than expected
The last entry on our list is Dodo—an award-winning Australian ISP with a superb balance of performance and price, thus earning the Best Worth for Money title.
While the unlimited data plans are enticing for any customer, Dodo offers fantastic value per performance since you can bundle various internet plans with the company’s electricity and gas offer and save $10 per month.
For even better savings, new customers get a free first month, 50% off on the Dodo modem, free delivery, and $15/month less for the first six months on select plans.
Even if you are left dissatisfied with Dodo’s plug-and-play connectivity and easy account management, you can easily cancel their no-contract plans to switch to a different ISP.
How Can I Pick the Best Internet Plan?
Below, we go over several factors to consider when searching for your next internet service provider to help you make a decision based on your specific budget and needs.
Simple online account management
Save money with the Dodo energy bundle
Various modem options
Limited alternative internet connections
Types of Broadband Internet
While the government’s rollout of the robust and fast NBN infrastructure—replacing the older cable broadband and copper telephone wires with modern optical fibre—has been completed across most of the country, certain Aussies still reside in NBN blind spots.
Users in such cases must rely on other types of internet access, such as:
- Fixed NBN wireless—uses a similar LTE technology as mobile networks but with a steadier and more reliable signal;
- Satellite internet— the NBN and other popular providers (Starlink) also offer an internet connection transmitted via satellite dishes;
- Mobile 4G or 5G—take advantage of great mobile speeds and an easy-to-setup connection with a single wireless modem;
- ADSL copper wires—the older standard of internet connections that utilises existing phone lines to transmit the signal.
Note: With limited internet choices, always go for a stable instead of a speedy connection.
Limited or Unlimited Data?
Since most households use up an average of 600 GB per month, even if they comfortably watch movies, play games, stream music, video conference, and work, a standard 1 TB plan (extra headroom is recommended) perfectly meets their internet needs.
Nonetheless, in recent years, most internet providers have started offering unlimited plans by default across all data plans, making this consideration irrelevant.
However, certain users, especially those living in rural areas, can only access mobile or satellite internet, which comes with limited plans and costs extra. If you belong to that group, thoroughly review your data needs to ensure you are not overpaying for your plan.
How Fast Is Fast Enough?
While the majority use the internet casually to surf, work, and socialise, some users may require speedier connections for reasons such as gaming competitively, downloading HQ content, livestreaming their sessions, connecting to servers, and other similar cases.
To meet the needs of the first group, providers offer entry-level plans with speeds averaging between 15 to 25 Mbps. On the other hand, more demanding users shouldn’t go below 50 Mbps, especially companies requiring Gigabit connections (1,000 Mbps).
Note: If you need to upload just as much data as you download, look for a data plan with symmetrical internet speeds, i.e., 50/50 Mbps, 100/100 Mbps, etc.
Reliability Before Speed & Data
What good would an unlimited and fast internet plan do if you regularly lose your connection or experience latency and jitter issues? This consideration is very important for businesses as they rely on a stable internet connection for their everyday work-related processes.
Therefore, subscribe to a provider that pledges to get you up and running as soon as possible if anything goes wrong or look for online reviews on different internet suppliers.
Note: Certain types of internet connections, such as mobile wireless plans, are inherently unstable as their speeds and uptime may vary in cases of signal interference.
Prices & Type of Contract
And last but not least, you should compare the prices offered by different internet providers for the same or similar services. Remember that the most expensive plans may not always be the best for your household, especially if you don’t need the extra data or speed.
Another thing to look out for is equipment—even though most providers include the cost of NBN-compatible routers and modems in the package, you should still check before you decide on a final plan.
Right now, the average monthly cost of NBN plans based on speed are:
Note: You can also choose between discounted contract plans or month-to-month contract-free plans that offer the freedom to swap providers that underperform.
What’s the Best Internet Provider in My Area?
If you are wondering which internet provider is best in your location, check our list of the best ISPs in Australia’s five biggest metropolitan regions:
Best internet provider in Sydney: Dodo, Telstra, iiNet, Aussie Broadband, and Belong.
Best internet provider in Melbourne: iiNet, TPG, Telstra, Dodo, and Optus.
Best internet provider in Brisbane: Tangerine, SpinTel, Telstra, iiNet, and TPG.
Best internet provider in Perth: Launtel Residential, Tangerine, SpinTel, More, and Aussie Broadband.
Best internet providers in Adelaide: SpinTel, Launtel Residential, Tangerine, Aussie Broadband, and More.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for modern internet service, the reviews and buying guide outlined above will certainly help you with that. In any case, since operators are utilising Australia’s wholesale NBN infrastructure, Aussies can now enjoy a faster, safer, and more reliable fibre optic connection, which also comes with unlimited plans for all kinds of internet activities.
1. What is the best internet connection in Australia?
The best type of internet you could have in Australia is one based on the NBN Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology as it offers the fastest (up to 1 Gbps) and most stable access.
2. What is the fastest internet provider in Australia?
Per the latest ACCC report, Exetel, Optus, Telstra, and TPG were the only ISPs that surpassed the advertised speeds of the 50 and 100 Mbps plans during the busiest hours.
3. Who has the most reliable internet in Australia?
To determine reliability, we look at latency, jitter, and packet losses, and Exetel showed the least average latency of 8.6 ms during busy hours, closely followed by Aussie Broadband, Optus, and Superloop.
4. Will I lose internet if I switch providers?
You will lose internet connection for several hours until the installation process is completed; however, when switching to a different connection type or the cancellation and installation dates do not overlap, you may have to wait several days to be up and running again.
5. How do I switch from ADSL to NBN?
Simply check if NBN is available in your area, make sure you are not under contract with any other ISPs, place your order with your provider of choice (online, by phone, or in person), and schedule an installation date.
6. Which Internet service provider is best?
If you are looking for the best internet service provider in Australia, review the ISPs we reviewed above as they offer the fastest and most reliable deals in the Land Down Under.
