There's a new cheapest NBN 1000 plan on the block – but I'd skip it and spend a little extra on this fan-favourite provider instead

I hunt down the best internet deals on an almost daily basis, as plan prices are always changing. That’s certainly the case this week, as Southern Phone has taken the crown for the cheapest NBN 1000 plan thanks to an attractive introductory cost of just AU$85, which applies to the first full year of the service.

Usually, the best NBN providers only offer 6-month promotional discounts, so Southern Phone offering 12 months of savings is a very attractive prospect.

Or is it? When I recommend the best NBN plans, I’m not just looking at the cost, but I research each provider to determine if you’re actually going to get a good service. It can occasionally be the case that the cheapest NBN plan isn’t the best.

So when I had a look into Southern Phone on review sites such as Product Review, I came across a slew of negative reviews, many of which refer not only to the poor customer service, but unreliability and slow speeds of the internet service.

It’s for these reasons that I can’t confidently recommend it, but I can instead recommend Spintel’s NBN 1000 plan.

I’ve waxed lyrical about Spintel multiple times in the past few months, not only because of some recent pricing structure changes, but because it does receive positive reviews from real-world customers.

What’s more, Spintel’s NBN 1000 offering costs just AU$90 p/m for the life of the plan. This makes it only AU$60 more in the first year of service compared to Southern Phone’s, but then the cheapest of all the providers I monitor during each ongoing year.

Spintel | 750Mbps | AU$90 p/m

Spintel's NBN 1000 plan is practically unrivalled, especially when it comes to overall value. The telco has recently introduced a low-cost AU$90 p/m charge for the life of the plan, making it easily one of the cheapest providers at this speed. The 750Mbps typical evening speed claim can be bettered, it should be said, but you'll also need to pay extra. In my opinion, this is one of the best NBN 1000 plans.

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

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Now, the only slight negative against Spintel is that its typical evening speed currently sits at 750Mbps, falling short of Southern Phone’s 860Mbps claim. What’s more interesting is that Spintel has recently advertised the same 860Mbps figure, but has seemingly dropped it back down.

Typical evening speed figures are usually formulated by assessing what speeds customers actually achieve at home. So, while it may be a bit disappointing that Spintel has found it necessary to readjust its figure, the potential upside is that at least it’s a genuine reflection of what you’ll achieve in your own home.

Plus, if it were my money, I’d happily sacrifice some speed in favour of a truly affordable plan that costs less than numerous slower plans from other providers.

And don’t forget, when the new NBN 2000 plans arrive in September, NBN Co is promising that anyone currently on an NBN 1000 plan will receive a speed boost to a minimum of 750Mbps, indicating that your download speeds with Spintel may receive a further boost.

Do note, you will need a fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection at home to sign up for this plan. If you don’t, you’re likely eligible to take advantage of the free fibre upgrade that will get you the superfast speeds.

If this Spintel plan doesn't quite tickle your fancy, you can view more of the most popular NBN 1000 plans in the widget below.

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