Now in their sixth year, the Mozo Experts Choice Awards provide a platform to highlight products in the marketplace we believe offer great value to Australians.
For the 2019 NBN awards, 89 retailers of home NBN plans listed on the NBNCo website were compared by our money experts.
“Between data limits, typical evening speeds and set up costs, navigating the hundreds of different NBN plans out there to find the one that suits your needs isn’t easy. So we’ve done it for you,” said Mozo money expert, Peter Marshall.
“Whether you work from home, play online games, or just need to get through a Netflix session without being bothered by buffering, our Mozo Experts Choice Awards can help you make the right call for your needs.”
The best NBN plan for you will depend on your internet usage needs as well as your budget, so there are several categories of awards to help you narrow down your search. To calculate the minimum cost of each plan option, Mozo’s money experts considered the monthly plan cost as well as set up costs, and the lowest cost modem available. For TV package options, the upfront cost of the TV Box was also included.
For details on how we crunched the numbers and determined the award winners see our NBN methodology report or get more info about our judging criteria and read our NBN FAQs. Plan details are shown as at 1 May 2019.
Standard: Suitable for everyday internet use such as email and social media, general browsing and basic streaming.
Standard Plus: Suitable for basic movies & music downloads, gaming, video calls and HD streaming.
Premium: Suitable for small businesses and working from home. Also great for intensive gaming using Steam, Xbox Live, PSN, HD streaming with large upload and download capabilities.
Winning a total of 7 awards across a wide variety of categories, Belong was crowned NBN Provider of the Year. Offering no data limits as well as some of the lowest prices around, Belong impressed the judges by winning awards for plans on a contract for all speed levels, plus the Standard Plus speed with no lock-in contract.
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
Tangerine Telecom may not be a familiar name yet, but with their great range of plans, we're betting they will become a household name. Tangerine Telecom won awards in 5 no lock-in contract categories, so if you don't necessarily want to commit for a year or two, they're an outstanding option.
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
This category assessed premium plans on fixed term contracts with the NBN's top speeds and and no data limit. These plans are perfect for people who want speed and plenty of data, whether for watching 4k video or downloading/uploading large files.
• $0 set up cost
• $95 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $20 set up cost
• $89.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $84.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about MyRepublic plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $84.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
For this category the judges looked at plans on a fixed term contract for the mid-speed tier with no limit on data usage. This speed is good for HD video streaming, playing online games and working from home. With unlimited data there's no chance of running out.
• $0 set up cost
• $55 per month
• Typical evening speed 30 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $65 per month
• Typical evening speed 40 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $70 per month
• Typical evening speed 39.4 Mbps
• $20 set up cost
• $59.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 43 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
The fixed term contracts considered in this category were for the top speed tier, as long as the monthly data allowance was 250GB or more. These plans deliver super fast speeds but save you some money if you don't need unlimited data.
• $85 set up cost
• $79 per month
• Typical evening speed 68 Mbps
Learn more about Activenet NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $95 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $20 set up cost
• $79.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
$0 set up cost
$84.95 per month
Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about MyRepublic plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $69.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
Learn more about Spintel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $84.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
Here the judges looked for plans offering the Standard Plus speed level as long as there was at least 250GB data included. These plans are great for people who want to watch some HD videos, but can get by with a lower data allowance in order to save some cash.
• $85 set up cost
• $59 per month
• Typical evening speed 39 Mbps
Learn more about Activenet NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $55 per month
• Typical evening speed 30 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $20 set up cost
• $54.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 43 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
• $20 set up cost
• $59.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 43 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $54.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 40 Mbps
Learn more about Spintel NBN plans.
For smaller households wanting email, web browsing and standard definition video streaming, the Standard speed may be all you need. Plans considered in this category were fixed term contracts with a minimum data allowance of 250GB. Why pay more than you have to?
• $85 set up cost
• $49 per month
• Typical evening speed 20 Mbps
Learn more about Activenet NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $59.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 22 Mbps
• $0 set up cost
• $64.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 20 Mbps
If your TV doesn't have the apps you want already built-in, bundling a TV box with your NBN service can be a cost-effective way of getting access to a range of video streaming services. Sure, you still have to pay whatever the montly fees are for the services of your choice, but this option means you don't have to buy a brand new smart TV. When we assessed this category, iiNet came out on top for both Standard Plus and Premium speed contracts.
• $0 set up cost
• $99.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 78.5 Mbps
If you don't want to be tied in to a fixed term contract, you can still get the fastest speeds with no limit on your data allowance. These plans offering the Premium speeds are perfect for people who want plenty of data, whether for watching 4k video or downloading/uploading large files.
• $0 set up cost
• $79 per month
• Typical evening speed 60 Mbps
• $0 set up cost
• $85.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Kogan NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $79 per month
• Typical evening speed 79 Mbps
• $0 set up cost
• $79.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about MyRepublic plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $69.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 76 Mbps
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $84 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Vodafone NBN plans.
For this category the judges looked at plans on a fixed term contract for the mid-speed tier with no limit on data usage. This speed is good for HD video streaming, playing online games and working from home. With unlimited data there's no chance of running out.
• $0 set up cost
• $60 per month
• Typical evening speed 30 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $65.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 45 Mbps
Learn more about Kogan NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $64.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 40 Mbps
Learn more about Spintel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $64.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 42 Mbps
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $74 per month
• Typical evening speed 45 Mbps
Learn more about Vodafone NBN plans.
No fixed term contracts here either, just the top NBN speed level and at least 250Gb of data allowance built-in. The winners this year offered at least a 500GB data allowance, and some even offered unlimted data, making them standout value!
• $0 set up cost
• $79.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $79.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about MyRepublic plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $79.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 80 Mbps
Learn more about Spintel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $69.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 76 Mbps
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $84 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Vodafone NBN plans.
Many internet proividers are shifting toward only offering unlimited data plans, but there are still a few that give the option of a data allowance in exchange for a lower monthly charge. In this category, assessing plans with no contract that offer the Standard Plus speed, the cheapest plans do have caps, but plans with no data cap are available for just a little more. This highlights the importance of thinking about how much data you really need before making a choice.
• $139 set up cost
• $59 per month
• Typical evening speed 39 Mbps
Learn more about Activenet NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $60 per month
• Typical evening speed 30 Mbps
Learn more about Belong NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $59.99 per month
• Typical evening speed 43 Mbps
Learn more about Exetel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $65.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 45 Mbps
Learn more about Kogan NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $64.95 per month
• Typical evening speed 40 Mbps
Learn more about Spintel NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $64.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 42 Mbps
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
For smaller households wanting email, web browsing and standard definition video streaming, the Standard speed may be all you need. Plans considered in this category had no lock-in period and no exit fees with a minimum data allowance of 250GB. Why pay more than you have to?
• $139 set up cost
• $49 per month
• Typical evening speed 20 Mbps
Learn more about Activenet NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $55 per month
• Typical evening speed 22 Mbps
• $0 set up cost
• $57.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 23 Mbps
Learn more about Kogan NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $58.90 per month
• Typical evening speed 21 Mbps
Learn more about Tangerine NBN plans.
• $0 set up cost
• $64 per month
• Typical evening speed 23 Mbps
Learn more about Vodafone NBN plans.
Even if you don't want to lock in to a 12 month or longer contract, you can still get a plan that bundles a TV box. For this category, we included the cost of adding a TV box to both Premium and Standard Plus speed plans with no lock-in period and Vodafone came out on top for both.
• $0 set up cost
• $84 per month
• Typical evening speed 83 Mbps
Learn more about Vodafone NBN plans.
The Mozo Experts Choice Awards recognise products that deliver exceptional value or benefits to consumers. They have been running since 2014, and this is the first year that Mozo has included an NBN Plan category in the Awards. Providers don’t pay to be in the running and we don’t play favourites. Our Judges base their decision on hard-nosed calculations of value, using Mozo’s extensive product database and research capacity.
Experts Choice Awards are awarded to the top 10% of products that meet the selection criteria in each awards category.
Mozo analysed 89 retailers of home NBN plans for the Mozo Experts Choice Awards. Retailers were selected from the list of providers listed on the NBNCo website. Business providers and some small regional providers were not included in our calculations.
For the Mozo Experts Choice Awards, we compared the NBN plan options based on our key criteria and this is what we highlight on this page. Some of the NBN plans listed will have more options available or allow you to add on more data for extra cost.
There isn’t one single best or cheapest NBN plan for everyone, but there is going to be a best plan for your needs. This is why we’ve reviewed available NBN plans based on a range of criteria such as whether the plan has a lock-in contract term or not, the amount of data included in the plan, and the NBN speed. We’ve even included a category for people interested in bundling a TV service with their NBN plan.
There are three main NBN speeds worth considering - Standard, Standard Plus, and Premium. The speed that you will need for your home will depend on the number of devices you’ll have, and the things you’ll be doing on those devices like gaming, movie streaming or just internet browsing. At the top of this page, we’ve included a quick summary of each speed to help you determine which NBN plan speed will be best for you.
The peak hours of home internet usage are between 7pm and 11pm. As this is the busiest time for the network, the typical evening speed is a much more accurate indicator of how fast your internet will be, rather than the maximum speed available on your plan.
Mozo has been researching and comparing products since 2008, and thousands of Australians use our comparison services each month. Our research team is headed by our Data Services Director and our Product Data Manager who have over 60 years of financial services experience and 29 years in online comparison.
Our NBN awards methodology report is available for you to read, which includes information on the criteria for each award category and a complete list of all the providers assessed.
Please get in touch with us to discuss by emailing or phoning our accounts team on 02 9037 4368.
The NBN is the national broadband network currently being built around Australia by NBNCo to provide all Australians with fast broadband and phone services by 2020. NBNCo does not offer internet plans, they are responsible for the network infrastructure and rollout. To choose an NBN plan that will best meet your budget and needs, you contact a phone or NBN retailer (like the ones listed above).