NBN prices are set to increase in less than 2 weeks — lock in a low-cost plan now before it’s too late

A group of young people sitting on a sofa around a laptop screen, all looking shocked and surprised. — (Image credit: Future / Getty Images)

It’s been just over a month since NBN Co confirmed that it would be increasing wholesale prices on its entire plan lineup at the turn of the new financial year — which starts July 1 — and that means your NBN plan will likely receive an unwelcome hike as a result.

In fact, I’ve already spotted a few providers revealing that select plans will indeed go up in price from July 1. Superloop has announced that all plans except for its NBN 100, NBN 500 and NBN 750 options will increase by up to AU$6 a month. Aussie Broadband is following suit, with select plans increasing by as much as AU$4 a month.

To put it simply, there’s a very good chance that your current NBN plan will also increase in price when your first post-July billing cycle comes due. The best way to avoid any changes (at least for the next six months) is to switch your NBN plan to a new provider that’s offering an introductory discount.

Coincidentally, now’s a great time to be shopping for an NBN bargain, with the June EOFY sales revealing plenty of deals from a wide range of internet service providers (ISPs), including total discounts of AU$240 and some that run a full 12 months. You’ll need to hurry to take advantage though, as many of these deals expire at the end of the month. If you need some direction, below are my current top plan picks.

Kogan Internet Gold Plus | NBN 500 / 500Mbps TES | AU$69.90p/m (first 12 months, then AU$85.90p/m)

The easiest recommendation I can make in the wake of the planned price hikes is this 500Mbps offering from Kogan Internet. That’s because this plan, like all Kogan Internet plans, offers a mammoth 12-month discount — one of only two telcos I’ve seen currently doing so. That means you can essentially avoid the price hike for an entire year, while also locking an exceptionally low price for a nicely speedy plan.

• AU$69.90 minimum cost
• AU$838.80 first year cost
• AU$1,030.80 ongoing yearly cost

Superloop | NBN 1000 / 860Mbps TES | AU$79p/m (first 6 months, then AU$109p/m)

Superloop has confirmed this plan will see its ongoing cost increase to AU$114p/m from July 1. Not only can you avoid that for a few months thanks to the introductory rate of AU$79p/m, but you can also activate the telco’s PriceLock feature that will keep the AU$109p/m fee in place for 24 months. It’s a slightly sneaky yet savvy way to secure a seriously fast plan for less.

• AU$79 minimum cost
• AU$1,128 first year cost
• AU$1,308 ongoing yearly cost

Origin Energy Enthusiast | NBN 500 / 500Mbps TES | AU$56p/m (first 6 months, then AU$112p/m)

Origin Energy has an appealing deal live right now that saves you 50% on plan fees for the first 6 months (across all its NBN plans). In the case of NBN 500 (or NBN 100 for those on FTTN/C) it brings the price down to just AU$56p/m, by far the lowest for either tier. However, there’s no ignoring the fact that the ongoing cost is among the most expensive, so I’d encourage you to switch once your six months are up.

• AU$56 minimum cost
• AU$1,008 first year cost
• AU$1,344 ongoing yearly cost

Spintel | NBN 25 / 25Mbps | AU$39p/m (first 6 months, then AU$64.95p/m)

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of a high-speed NBN plan, then this NBN 25 deal from Spintel is an unrivalled choice. Promising maximum plan speeds for the very low price of AU$39p/m (first 6 months), it’s the most affordable route to NBN internet access. Do note, Spintel has confirmed this offer will end June 30 (any price increases are to be confirmed).

• AU$39 minimum cost
• AU$623.70 first year cost
• AU$779.40 ongoing yearly cost

Exetel One | 500Mbps | AU$80p/m

This plan from Exetel isn’t subject to any EOFY deals or discounts, but it’s priced so well I had to include it. It’s the only plan Exetel offers, and while it might not be the outright cheapest in the first year of service, it's the only one to charge under AU$1,000 from year two. On top of its promise of maximum download speeds during the busy evening hours, the most recent ACCC data (published June 17) found it consistently overdelivered on speed claims, giving you extra bang for your buck. Plus, you have the option of boosting your speed to NBN 1000 (860Mbps typical evening download speed) further for AU$1 a day.

• AU$80 minimum cost
• AU$960 yearly cost

If you want to view more options, check out my guides to the best NBN plans and the fastest NBN plans, while also checking out the latest internet deals.

Max is a senior staff writer for TechRadar who covers home entertainment and audio first, NBN second and virtually anything else that falls under the consumer electronics umbrella third. He's also a bit of an ecommerce fiend, particularly when it comes to finding the latest coupon codes for a variety of publications. He has written for TechRadar's sister publication What Hi-Fi? as well as Pocket-lint, and he's also the editor of Australian Hi-Fi and Audio Esoterica magazines. Max also dabbled in the men's lifestyle publication space, but is now firmly rooted in his first passion of technology.

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