It's normal that we want to get the most out of any financial decision we make. One area that stands out to me – and where bang for your buck really matters – is around NBN plans. The potential value available to millions of Australians has grown exponentially over the past month since its launch. NBN Speed Boost in September, which provided additional internet connectivity to eligible homes at no additional cost.
I spoke earlier about How affordable are NBN 500 plans? and why they are ultimately my top pick for anyone who wants impressive loading speeds without spending any money. However, if you need download speeds in excess of 500Mbps, you may be tempted by the NBN 750 plan.
If this is you, stop what you're doing and listen for a moment. While the new speed level may look great on paper, in my opinion it's worth increasing it a little more to one of best NBN 1000 plans this is a more financially sensible decision. Let me explain…
Upgrading can save you money
It's fair to assume that the more a particular product or service offers, the more you'll have to pay for it. This is true for most product categories, but NBN plans are a different matter as internet service providers (ISPs) can ultimately charge whatever they want.
That's why if you shop around (don't worry, you don't actually need to because I've done all the work for you), you can get a blazing fast gigabit internet plan for the same price as a slower 750Mbps plan. In fact, you can even save up to AU$34 per month by upgrading your plan.
Mathematics
Don't believe me? Let me give you my favorite example. NBN 1000 plan from Buddy Telco. The young provider is just over a year old, but its gigabit plan has remained my favorite since its launch, maintaining an exceptionally affordable AU$99 monthly fee.
In comparison, of the 16 NBN 750 plan providers I track, 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 which charge AU$99.99 – or the exact same price Buddy charges for a plan that offers faster speeds of up to 250Mbps. I know where I'd rather spend my money.
You can browse more of the most popular NBN 1000 plans with our readers in the price comparison tool below.
Warning
All this talk of super-fast internet speeds may sound great, but there's a caveat: to get them, you'll need to make sure you're connecting to the NBN via a fiber optic connection (FTTP) or a hybrid fiber coaxial connection (HFC). If you're not connecting through any of these methods right now, there's a good chance you're eligible for NBN Co. free fiber upgrade program.
If you're eligible, you can contact your NBN provider to confirm whether they can enable the upgrade for you. Also note that you'll need to order at least an NBN 500 plan to sign up for the program. Buddy confirmed to us that it is not currently equipped to perform the updates for you, however its parent company Aussie Broadband can do so. In other words, if you are not already using FTTP or HFC and want to sign up for this Buddy plan, you will first need to purchase a plan from Aussie Broadband (or other suitable provider) and complete the upgrade process, then then switch to Buddy after installing your new NBN hardware.
Conclusion
All this to say, there really is good value for money to be found across all NBN speed tiers if you know where to look. And while the NBN 1000 plan may be more cost-effective than the 750Mbps alternative, my money is still in the account. NBN 500 plans as the best option for most people.
You can view the current most popular NBN 500 plans with the help of TechRadar readers in the price comparison tool below.
