The best fixed wireless NBN plans for remote internet access

The NBN rollout is done and dusted, but things aren’t quite as simple as signing up to a run-of-the-mill NBN plan for those who live waaay outback. If you live in regional Australia and are miles away from an NBN PoI (Point of Interconnect), there are two far-reaching Internet connection types you might be eligible for: Satellite NBN and Fixed Wireless NBN.

If you’re less than 14 kilometres from a Fixed Wireless NBN tower, it could be your best option for getting faster broadband speeds at home. We’ve rounded up the best Fixed Wireless internet plans available.

Best Fixed Wireless NBN plan

Tangerine XL Speed Boost Unlimited

The Tangerine XL Speed Boost Unlimited plan is a no-brainer when it comes to best Fixed Wireless internet. Why? The value starts with an ongoing six-month pricing promotion, and there’s no contract so you can leave at any time. Tangerine also offers a no-risk 14-day trial, so you can try before you buy.

As the name suggests, this Tangerine NBN Fixed Wireless plan comes with unlimited data, and it’s a Fixed Wireless Plus plan, which means it has the potential for speeds that burst above 50Mbps. That’s the fastest NBN you can hope for on a Fixed Wireless connection. You can BYO modem to save money at sign-up or buy one Tangerine’s options. You can also add on a home phone plan for $10 a month.

Here’s how it compares to other Fixed Wireless internet plans that offer similar speeds and unlimited data.

Next best Fixed Wireless NBN plan

Mate NBN wireless mates plus

It can’t compete on the six-month promo pricing offered by our Tangerine winner, but the Mate NBN wireless mates plus plan offers great value at a fixed monthly price with no upfront fees. If you do want to save money, bundle this Mate Fixed Wireless NBN plan with an eligible Mate mobile plan to knock $10 off your monthly internet bill.

Outside of cost, you’re paying for a Fixed Wireless Plus plan, which means that while speeds may drop as low as 6Mbps – a finite-bandwidth technology challenge for all Fixed Wireless connections – they also have the potential to exceed 50Mbps.

Check out this Mate plan next to other popular Fixed Wireless Plus options with unlimited data below.

Cheapest Fixed Wireless NBN plan

Tangerine Standard Speed Unlimited

There’s no getting past the great value of Tangerine plans. Take this Fixed Wireless internet plan, for instance. It has a six-month promotional price that knocks your monthly bill down considerably, making it the cheapest monthly price available for Basic II speeds (up to 25Mbps). Even when that price reverts to the normal $59.90 per month, it’s among the cheapest Basic II Fixed Wireless NBN plan available.

Because there’s no contract, you’re free to switch providers after six months or beforehand. You can even take the service for a spin for two weeks as part of a zero-risk trial. Save money by using a BYO modem from a previous provider or pay for one upfront. You can also pay an extra $10 per month to add a home phone service.

You can see this Tangerine plan next to other cheap Fixed Wireless internet plans below.

Next cheapest Fixed Wireless NBN plan

Mate NBN wireless great mates nbn 25/5

If you’ve got to the end of the six-month discount with the Tangerine Standard Speed Unlimited plan and every cent counts, consider the Mate NBN wireless #greamates plan. The Mate plan is 90 cents cheaper per month than the regular monthly cost for the cheapest Tangerine plan, and it’s the same price whether you opt for the recommended Basic II (up to 25Mbps download speeds) or Basic I (up to 12Mbps download speeds) as part of the NBN Wireless #goodmates plan. It also comes with unlimited data, so you won’t have to worry about going over your monthly data limit.

There’s no contract, so you can come and go as you please, plus you can knock $10 off your monthly bill if you bundle your Mate internet with an eligible Mate phone plan.

Check out this cheap Mate Fixed Wireless NBN plan next to other affordable picks.

What is Fixed Wireless NBN Internet and how does it work?

Where Sky Muster NBN satellite customers connect via a literal satellite orbiting the Earth, Fixed Wireless customers get their Internet in a more familiar fashion, with data transmitted over a radio signal emitted from a tower. Not unlike the way we connect to the Internet with our smartphones via a 4G/5G mobile tower.

Satellite NBN plans are still quite expensive, and, out of necessity, offer capped data usage to prevent congestion on the network. Fixed Wireless, on the other hand, offers more traditional NBN speeds. Fixed Wireless connections aren’t as stable as Fixed Line connections because they’re at the mercy of the same outages and stability issues of any mobile network.

Think of Fixed Wireless as sitting somewhere between Fixed Line and Satellite NBN; it’s not as reliable as Fixed Line, but it offers faster speeds and more data than Satellite NBN.

How fast is Fixed Wireless NBN?

The ACCC’s trusted broadband speed testing program doesn’t include Fixed Wireless speeds. There are, however, some standard NBN speed guides to follow if you want a better idea of what to expect.

Fixed Wireless customers have access to three NBN Speed Tiers: Basic (12Mbps), Standard (25Mbps), and Standard Plus (50Mbps) but select providers (like Aussie Broadband) will offer a Fixed Wireless exclusive speed tier, Fixed Wireless Plus. Fixed Wireless Plus plans claim to achieve potential evening speeds of 70Mbps, but the factors that impact mobile 4G/5G signals will also affect Fixed Wireless customers. Outages, environmental obstructions, and home satellite positioning can all impact Fixed Wireless speeds.

Here are the fastest Fixed Wireless Plus NBN plans available, sorted by popularity.

How to fix a slow Fixed Wireless NBN connection

If you’re not getting the speeds promised on NBN Fixed Wireless, there are a few first steps to take as recommended by the ACCC:

• Contact your ISP: They may be able to tell you if you are connected to a congested cell.
• Change providers: If talking to your ISP doesn’t help, it might be time to switch to a provider with less congestion on its cell.
• Reduce streaming quality: Streaming services like Netflix and Stan allow you to lower the quality of your stream and the bandwidth used. Dropping the bit rate on your stream could improve your speeds for every other online activity.
• Pause downloads and updates: If your PlayStation 4 is downloading a game while your PC is running a software update, you’re going to notice a drop in speed. These activities hog a fair bit of bandwidth while running, so it’s worth putting them on pause if you need to prioritise another online activity.