With the demand for faster internet growing in Australia, so is the appetite for NBN 250 plans. Also known as Home Superfast NBN, these plans balance value with speeds suited to downloading big files quickly, whether it be for work or play.
With internet service providers (ISPs) offering plans with download speeds up to 250Mbps (megabits per second), it’s a versatile option for internet-hungry households. There’s also the possibility that NBN 250 plans will triple to 750Mbps by the end of the year, according to plans from NBN Co. Combine that with recent price drops for faster internet, and NBN 250 plans start to sound even more tempting.
Pretty much every ISP operates on a monthly billing cycle with no lock-in contracts. In other words, if you can find a better deal elsewhere, go for it. Many providers offer an introductory discount for the first six months, so make sure you regularly shop around to save money on your internet bill.
These are the current cheapest and best NBN 250 plans with unlimited data across a range of Australian telcos. To save the most money possible, check out the cheapest NBN plans overall and the cheapest NBN 100 plans as well.
Contents
- Cheapest NBN 250 plans
- What’s the best NBN 250 plan?
- Why choose NBN 250?
- Alternatives to NBN 250 plans
Cheapest NBN 250 plans
Of the current deals on NBN 250 plans, Spintel comes out on top. Its introductory offer of $75 per month for the first six months is even cheaper than many NBN 100 plans. Afterwards, it reverts to $85.95, which is still a solid price.
However, this low price comes with a caveat: Spintel’s typical evening download speeds are 211Mbps, slower than many of its competitors. It’s still a decent speed, albeit not as high as other NBN 250 plans.
For raw speed, Swoop and Dodo stand out as faster options. Both are currently $85 or less per month during the introductory six months. Conversely, both ISPs cost more after the discounted price ends. Swoop normally costs $119 per month, while Dodo charges $110.
Keep in mind that to get NBN 250, your residence needs either a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or a Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection. If you’re not sure which connection type you have, it’s easy to look up on the NBN Co website.
What’s the best NBN 250 plan?
Of course, cheapest doesn’t always mean best – nor does most expensive, for that matter. Several different factors impact what might be considered the best plan for your needs. Speed is important, while reliability and good customer service also play a part.
One way to find an objective measure of these criteria is to read the Measuring Broadband Australia report by the Australian Competition and Consumer Competition (ACCC). It publishes regular information about ISPs like outage frequency and typical evening speeds.
“Typical evening speeds” is a phrase you see a lot when browsing NBN plans. It refers to the span between 7 pm and 11 pm, when most people use the internet at the same time. Plenty of NBN 250 plans can reach maximum speeds during the day, but may not be able to reach them during busy times.
More so than with NBN 50 plans and NBN 100 plans, NBN 250 plans and above is when you start to see more variation in typical evening speeds. For example, some ISPs advertise plans that reach 200Mbps during peak use, while others hit the full 250Mbps. This transparency helps identify which plans might be better suited for your needs.
Why choose NBN 250?
More Australians have access to fibre connections than ever, so it’s easier to enjoy the benefits of faster internet. Between work, streaming, and gaming, we recently set a new usage record, meaning there’s a need for high-speed connectivity, not just a want. NBN 250 plans provide not only fast speeds, but also a greater capacity for multiple device connections at the same time.
As the name suggests, NBN 250 plans offer download speeds up to 250Mbps. This works out to be just over 31 megabytes per second, so you could download a 1GB file in less than a minute.
While NBN 100 plans are more than capable of sustaining multiple 4K streams, NBN 250 plans slash the wait time for downloads substantially. New video games routinely push 100GB file sizes, while photo and video editors know how quickly working files take up storage.
So, if you play the latest and greatest games, an NBN 250 plan is ideal for getting into the action faster. Creative professionals and remote workers who regularly download large project files also benefit from reduced waiting times.
Upload speeds
However, if upload speeds are more important to you, consider choosing an NBN 100/40 plan instead. Compared to NBN 100, the standard upload speeds you get with NBN 250 don’t differ much. Depending on the ISP, upload speeds sit between 20 and 25Mbps. If NBN Co’s upgrade plans come through, this could jump up to 50Mbps.
Faster uploads make sense for content creators who post videos and stream on social media platforms. Plus, a higher upload speed reduces the time it takes to send and save files via cloud services.
Alternatives to NBN 250 plans
Beyond NBN 250, there are multiple tiers suited to all kinds of households. NBN 50, for example, works just fine for two-person homes with modest internet requirements. Or, if you want to save a bit more money while still getting decent speeds, NBN 100 plans are a happy medium. For power users, NBN 1000 provides the fastest speeds, downloading large files in the blink of an eye.
Starting with NBN 50 plans, here are the current cheapest deals:
There are also some solid deals on NBN 100 plans, viewable below:
Want the absolute fastest NBN 1000 plans? Check out these offers on speedy unlimited internet:
Despite its popularity, NBN isn’t your only internet option in Australia. Depending on your location, satellite or fixed wireless broadband might be your best bet.
Another increasingly popular option is to use your phone as a hotspot, tapping into the generous data allocations included with many of the cheapest SIM plans. In essence, this consolidates your phone and internet bills into one expense.
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