How to find the best NBN deals while working from home during COVID-19
With more Australians working from home, having the right internet deal is essential. See how to get the best offer and the suburbs in your area still waiting to be connected.
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One in six Australians have no idea what type of internet connection they have and many are unclear on what speeds they need, which could leave them wasting money.
About 29 per cent of National Broadband Network customers don’t know what speed they are paying for, a survey from telco comparison site WhistleOut has found.
In 2020, NBN Co rolled out new NBN 250 and 1000 speed tiers, but most NBN customers are on lower speed connections at 12, 25, 50 and 100.
WhistleOut spokesman Kenny McGilvary says the COVID-19 lockdown highlights the importance of having a good internet connection, particularly for those forced to work from home.
“Most home internet plans now come with unlimited data and today it’s the speed of the service that makes the most difference,” he says.
Mr McGilvary says NBN50 no-contract plans – the most popular speed households signed up to – with unlimited data start at about $60 per month.
He urges people to refrain from signing up to lock-in contracts until they have test driven a service by starting off with a month-by-month deal.
Latest data from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission shows 7.4 million consumers are now connected to the NBN – about 383,000 new services were activated in the three months until June 30.
Tangerine Telecom chief executive officer Andrew Branson urges customers to hunt for “maximum flexibility with your plan”.
“You need to look for a plan with no contract, unlimited data and a no-fee option to move either up to a faster speed, or down if you find you don’t need the speed,” he says.
Tangerine offers a 14-day risk-free trial so customers can try before they buy.
Belong’s head of product and networks, James Gerraty, says customers should be wary of honeymoon offers to suck new customers in.
“Nobody wants to change providers every few months, so you don’t want your price changing. Beware of plans that are only cheap for the first few months,” he says.
“Pay attention to upfront fees; check whether you have to pay connection fees or administrative charges.”
To see if NBN has arrived in your area visit nbn.com.au.
Originally published as How to find the best NBN deals while working from home during COVID-19