I’ve spotted some sneaky NBN providers aren’t waiting until July to raise plan prices – here are 5 deals you should jump on immediately to beat the increase

We recently reported that NBN Co is set to increase wholesale costs to internet service providers (ISPs) in July, which will more than likely increase the costs of the best NBN plans.

Well, it seems a couple of ISPs have jumped the gun and raised their prices a little earlier than expected, with costs increasing by as much as AU$10 p/m, depending on the speed tier.

At the moment, we’ve only noticed these increases from Exetel and Superloop – two of our longstanding favourite providers here at TechRadar – and they affect plans from NBN 25 through to NBN 250. Superloop’s NBN 1000 plan is, for now, unaffected (Exetel doesn't currently offer an NBN 1000 plan).

Not only has the timing of these increases come as a bit of a shock, but the AU$10 p/m increase on both providers’ popular NBN 100 plans is also much more than we’d speculated.

We’ve also noticed that both providers now charge the same as each other. Previously Exetel was the cheaper of the two, but that’s no longer the case. It’s not a complete surprise, however, considering the two are sister companies.

Here’s how Exetel and Superloop NBN plans have been affected. We’ve only taken into account the ongoing cost following introductory discounts.

Will other providers increase costs early?

As we’ve said, we’ve only noticed Exetel and Superloop as being the only two providers to increase costs. Other ISPs may soon follow suit rather than wait until the new financial year to implement their expected price hikes.

What to do now?

Given we can’t guarantee what Australia’s ISPs will do leading up to the increased wholesale costs, we would recommend taking a look at your current NBN plan and deciding if you want to switch to lock in a cheaper price for at least six months (the majority of NBN providers currently offer a six-month discount which will have to be honoured).

We’ve picked out a recommended NBN plan for each speed tier below. Do note that in order to sign-up for an NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plan, you’ll need either a fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) fixed-line connection. If you don’t, then you may be eligible for a free fibre upgrade, and most NBN providers will be able to handle the installation process for you.

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

Thanks to an exclusive WhistleOut offer, Flip's NBN 25 plan becomes outrageously cheap and the perfect option if you're a single-person or small household. The same plan receives just a 4 month discount directly at Flip, making this exclusive offer one that's simply unrivalled in our opinion.

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

View Deal

Buddy | 49Mbps | AU$63p/m (first 6 months, then AU$75p/m)

Buddy is our favourite pick for an NBN 50 plan thanks to a highly-competitive introductory discount. With this new pricing structure, Buddy is one of the outright cheapest providers and is bolstered by a positively-reviewed and reliable network.

• AU$63 minimum cost
• AU$828 first year cost
• AU$900 ongoing yearly cost

View Deal

Spintel | 100Mbps | AU$65p/m (first 6 months, then AU$81.95p/m)

Spintel is an easy recommendation for anyone seeking an NBN 100 plan, primarily because of its ongoing cost, which results in it being the only provider to come in under AU$1,000 per year. Spintel is regularly a favourite provider of ours here at TechRadar, due to its wealth of positive customer reviews and value.

• AU$65 minimum cost
• AU$881.70 first year cost
• AU$983.40 ongoing yearly cost

View Deal

Spintel | 240Mbps | AU$80p/m

Spintel is also our top choice when it comes to an NBN 250 plan thanks to an insanely low price. Spintel's AU$80p/m ongoing fee makes it the cheapest provider by some margin. This plan doesn't quote maximum typical evening speeds, but the 10Mbps drop is outweighed by the seriously cheap price.

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

View Deal

Buddy Telco | 875Mbps | AU$99p/m

Buddy Telco has been our top recommendation for an NBN 1000 plan ever since it arrived to market in July last year. Buddy promises to deliver excellent speeds, which is the whole point of signing up for an NBN 1000 plan, right? Combine this with a low monthly charge and you have yourself a winning provider.

• AU$99 minimum cost
• AU$1,188 yearly cost

View Deal

Of course, these are our top recommendations at the time of writing. We’ll be keeping a close eye on NBN plan prices over the coming days and weeks to see if any other price hikes are implemented.

You might also like

• Get prepared for the incoming NBN 2000 plans
• Find out more of the best internet deals
• Forget cheap internet: TPG's making it FREE for a whole year for 100 lucky customers, and offering tempting NBN plan discounts to lure you over