There are 4 speed-tiers offered by the NBN and differing ISP’s offer one or more of them. To confuse matters further, each company gives the speed tiers their own special names. The deals you see plastered on the back of buses and on flyers pushed through your door, only ever quote the cheapest and slowest plan (Basic Evening Speed) which is less than 15 mbps download speed (equivalent to what you may already be getting using ADSL) See latest report on actual NBN speeds at February 2019 at this link If you DO NOT need a telephone handset, consider the following non-NBN alternatives: Telephone and Internet Connections offered via the Mobile Phone NetworksTelephone and Internet Connections offered via Independent Telecomm Companies NBN Speed Tier’s Speed Tier Old NBN Name Telstra iiNet/ WestNet/ TPG Optus Basic Evening Speed nbn™ 12 N/A Basic N/A Standard Evening Speed nbn™ 25 Core (200 GB) Standard N/A Standard Plus Evening Speed nbn™ 50 Unlimited Standard Plus NBN50 Premium Evening Speed nbn™ 100 Speed Boost Premium NBN100 Basic Evening Speed – Designed for very basic usage. Ideal for: Home phone Very basic internet usage Typical busy period download speed should be: Less than 15Mbps* Standard Evening Speed – Designed for a few people online. Ideal if you like to: Browse the web SD video streaming Send emails Typical busy period download speed should be: Minimum 15Mbps* Standard Plus Evening Speed – Designed for many users/devices. Ideal for: HD video streaming Playing online games Working from home Typical busy period download speed should be: Minimum 30Mbps* Premium Evening Speed – Designed for multiple users/devices. Ideal if you enjoy: 4K video streaming Uploading and downloading large files Multiple devices online at the same time Typical busy period download speed should be: Minimum 60Mbps* Factors that can affect your speed The time of day, as high-traffic times like the evening can cause speeds to slow The type and size of the content you are downloading or uploading The number of people in your premises actively online at the same time The provider, plan and speed tier you choose The way your specific provider configures their network and manages traffic The nbn™ access network technology available at your premises How nbn configures the access network Be wary of NBN offers from unknown-companies offering NBN deals that sound too-good-to-be-true. In October 2019, our research came up with the following NBN plan prices from the major carriers Speed Tier Old NBN Name Telstra iiNet/ WestNet/ TPG Optus Aussie Broadband Basic Evening Speed nbn™ 12 N/A Basic – $60/m, 500 GB data, Payg calls, Modem extra N/A N/A Standard Evening Speed nbn™ 25 Core (200 GB) $75/m Unlimited calls to landlines, mobiles, New Modem Standard, $70/m Unlimited Data Payg calls, Modem extra N/A Casual – $69/m Unlimited Data Modem Extra Standard Plus Evening Speed nbn™ 50 Unlimited Data $90/m ditto Standard Plus $75/m ditto NBN50 – $70/m Unlimited data Payg calls. New Modem, $99 setup fee Everyday – $79/m Unlimited Data Modem Extra Premium Evening Speed nbn™ 100 Speed Boost $120/m ditto Premium $100/m ditto NBN100 – $90 ditto, incl calls,  $99 setup fee Power User – $99/m Unlimited Data Modem Extra Generally only the larger established telecom companies such as Telstra, Optus, Aussie Broadband, and TPG (including iiNet and Westnet) have the capacity and bandwidth to ensure that the speed you sign up for can be maintained at busy times and when the household uses multiple devices, TV’s and computers simultaneously. The IT Guys recommend ignoring the lowest speed plans and only considering those based on the Standard Evening Speed and higher. If you are happy with your current ISP then you maybe better staying with “the-devil-you-know” rather than switching provider. There is not much to choose between the main ISPs they all offer similarly priced plans with the main difference being that Telstra cap their plans at 1000 GB per months with TPG and the like offering “unlimited” usage plans. A deciding factor between ISP‘s is more likely to be what the ISP‘s can “bundle” together to save you money. Combining your Internet, mobile-phones, land-line and even Foxtel can save you a considerable amount of money. The first step to moving to NBN is to contact your preferred ISP who will then contact NBN company to inspect your premises. You need to decide where you wish your internet line to be located inside your house and agree this with the NBN technician. Your ISP will then mail out your new modem and will give you the option of a self-install, ISP-install or a third-party-install such as the IT Guys. If you DO NOT need a telephone handset, consider the following non-NBN alternatives: Telephone and Internet Connections offered via the Mobile Phone NetworksTelephone and Internet Connections offered via Independent Telecomm Companies If you are looking for an Internet-Only service (no telephone calls) and do not require a land-line telephone, Pentanet NBN or Pentanet Fixed Wireless may be for you. To see what services are available at your address click here and enter your address here To order NBN or to switch NBN providers, download the NBN Plan form here, complete the form and email to info@pentanet.com.au or post to Pentanet, 2/8 Corbusier Place, Balcatta WA 6021. Plans start at $69 per month. To order Fixed-Wireless Internet or to switch providers, download the Fixed Wireless Internet form here, complete the form and email to info@pentanet.com.au or post to Pentanet, 2/8 Corbusier Place, Balcatta WA 6021. Plans start at $59 per month. If you are looking for a Phone-Only NBN deal then Telstra offer a $55 per month plan and if an Australian Senior a discount of $10 per month may apply bringing the cost down to $45 per month. Phone-Only NBN Plans are still quite expensive when you consider you can find mobile phone plans with unlimited calls and texts from $10 per month and basic mobile phones can be purchased from $89 Telephone and Internet Connections offered by NBN Telephone and Internet Connections offered via … Continue reading Confused by NBN Plans? What are the alternatives to NBN?