I monitor internet plans for a living, and Telstra's upcoming AU$93 price for NBN 25 is a total joke – here's what to get instead

Not only is it Australia’s largest telco, but Telstra is generally also the most expensive. That hasn't stopped it from announcing it will be increasing phone and internet prices across many of its offerings, placing the NBN plans in particular into unfathomably expensive territory in the process.

The changes will take effect from July 1, aligning with NBN Co’s planned wholesale cost increases, although Telstra says the price hikes will enable it to “keep investing in our network, products and services while responding to increased data usage”.

Affected NBN plans include NBN 25, NBN 50 and NBN 100. In some unexpected good news, the telco’s NBN 250 and NBN 1000 plans are actually coming down in price, although only by AU$1 and AU$11 a month, respectively.

You can view a complete table of Telstra’s planned price changes in the image below, but the standout for me has to be the NBN 25 plan, which is increasing from an already-expensive AU$89 a month to an insane AU$93.

I expect other NBN providers to increase the monthly cost of their NBN 25 plans come July 1, but Telstra’s offering is already the most expensive by as much as AU$50 a month. So for it to go up even further is seriously baffling.

For context, you can get Spintel’s NBN 1000 plan, which advertises 30x faster download speeds than Telstra’s 25Mbps plan, for AU$90 a month.

My expert-approved plans to get instead

I’ve previously recommended some plans to beat the expected price hikes, but here I’m simply going to show you the value that can be found elsewhere for the same, or similar, monthly cost as Telstra’s NBN 25 plan. Realistically, it’s not a particularly hard job.

• View more of the best NBN 25 plans

The fact that virtually all of the NBN providers I monitor advertise maximum plan speeds on an NBN 25 plan, the cheapest option should serve you just as well as the most expensive option. Unsurprisingly, then, it’s the cheapest option that I’m going to recommend.

Flip | 25Mbps | AU$39p/m (first 6 months, then AU$57.90p/m)

Flip’s NBN 25 is an absolute no-brainer if you’re looking to save money. The introductory cost is currently AU$50 cheaper than Telstra, and if it doesn’t change in July, it will be a staggering AU$54 cheaper. In the first year, Flip’s NBN 25 plan will save you well over AU$500 compared to Telstra’s plan, too.

Plus, at the time of writing, Flip’s plan is the only one of those I monitor to come in under AU$700 during each ongoing year. Truly remarkable value.

• AU$39 minimum cost
• AU$581.40 first year cost
• AU$694.80 ongoing yearly cost

View Deal

Spintel | 750Mbps | AU$90p/m

Alternatively, if you have the right connection at home – FTTP or HFC – then you can get Spintel’s NBN 1000 plan with 750Mbps claimed download speeds for AU$3 less than Telstra’s 25Mbps plan each month.

Even if you think you might not need the ultrafast speeds, this plan makes economical sense. Plus, you’re futureproofed if your household’s internet usage increases.

• AU$90 minimum cost
• AU$1,080 yearly cost

View Deal

If neither of those options suit you, there are plenty of great internet deals to be found elsewhere from a range of popular providers.

Or, if you want to find out the créme de la créme of home internet, be sure to check out my regularly updated selection of the best NBN plans.

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