As the NBN expert for TechRadar, I make it my mission to constantly track plan prices. That’s become even more vital since the arrival of the NBN speed upgrades in September, as there are now three new tiers to keep an eye on.
I’ve said before I believe NBN 500 plans are the best overall option for most Australian homes and, within that, one provider continues to stand out to me – Exetel.
Exetel was the first provider to launch an NBN 500 plan at the end of June, nearly three months ahead of the full, official rollout that occurred in mid-September. It can always be a risky move being the first to market with a new product, but in my opinion, the telco’s pricing and extra perks are so good that it remains my top choice for anyone looking for a great value NBN plan.
Why do I like Exetel’s NBN 500 plan so much? It’s not entirely because of cost, because there are several providers that charge less over the first 6 months of service – Spintel’s plan is a crazy-low AU$64p/m for the first 6 months, for example. Yet, from year two onwards, the Exetel One plan is the cheapest on an ongoing basis and, of the 30 or so major providers I monitor, the only one to come in under AU$1,000 a year. For me, that’s superb value.
Then you can factor in Exetel’s neat perks, such as the ability to boost your download speeds up to NBN 1000 levels for the small fee of AU$1 extra per day and, conversely, the option to ‘downgrade’ your plan to 12Mbps to save yourself AU$1 per day (ideal if you’re away from home for extended periods) and you have yourself an NBN plan with much to offer.
Plus, Exetel also offers a friend referral program, whereby if you refer someone you know to Exetel – and that friend signs up for an Exetel NBN plan – you’ll both receive AU$1 off your plan each month for as long as you both remain connected. You can potentially add 30 friends and score free internet!
Compare this to virtually all other NBN 500 plans, where often the only perk is an introductory discount for the first 6 months, and in my mind there’s no better choice than Exetel.
Note that as with all the speedy new NBN tiers, if you want to sign up for this plan you’ll first need to make sure you have the necessary connection type at home – fibre to the premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coax (HFC). If you were on an NBN 100 plan before the September upgrades, and you’ve now been automatically migrated to a 500Mbps plan, then you have the right infrastructure. If you want to switch to Exetel’s plan, the process couldn’t be simpler.
If you don’t have the required connection type, and you connect to the fixed-line NBN network via fibre to the node (FTTN) or fibre to the curb (FTTC), then the good news is that you’re likely eligible for NBN Co’s free fibre upgrade. To activate the upgrade, you can order the Exetel One plan via the telco, and it will take care of the installation process for you.
One final tip: to really take advantage of the improved speeds offered by the best NBN 500 plans, you may need to upgrade your Wi-Fi router to one that comfortably supports the faster speeds. Fortunately, I’ve also found some excellent mesh Wi-Fi systems with discounts as part of the October Prime Day sales in Australia.
More NBN 500 plan options
Not sold on my Exetel plan recommendation? You can view more NBN 500 plans in the price comparison tool below.
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