Here are the cheapest NBN 100 plans available

NBN 100 is the fastest speed tier available to most homes in Australia.

While Fixed Wireless NBN and Sky Muster NBN homes can’t currently access up to 100Mbps download speeds, most fixed-line homes in populous parts of Australia can sign up for an NBN 100 plan. Speeds above that, such as NBN 250 and NBN 1000, are reserved for select FTTP (Fibre-to-the-Premises) and HFC (Hybrid-Fiber Coaxial) homes. 

There’s plenty of competition on price got NBN 100 plans too, with initial pricing that can be cheaper than some NBN 50 plans.

Most NBN 100 plans are 100/20 offerings, meaning they have the potential to reach download speeds of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds of up to 20Mbps. It’s common for these NBN 100 plans to have six months of promotional pricing that can be up to $20 cheaper than typical monthly pricing.

For instance, at the time of writing, the cheapest NBN 100 plan in our comparison engine was under $65 with promotional pricing. Typical monthly pricing, though, starts at around $80 a month. More expensive NBN 100 plans may not offer promotional pricing and can cost $100+ per month.

We advise factoring in initial and ongoing pricing when choosing an NBN 100 plan. You can also save money by shifting NBN providers every six months to take advantage of promotional pricing. You can see popular NBN 100/20 plans below.

The other thing to consider for NBN 100 plans is 100/40 offerings. These NBN 100 plans can hit download speeds up to 100Mbps and upload speeds up to 40Mbps. NBN 100/40 plans are worth considering for those working from home who have to handle large file uploads, plus content creators and Twitch streamers.

We track multiple NBN providers in our database that sell 100/40 plans. Prices start at around $80 for promotional pricing and start at around $95 for typical monthly pricing. Check out popular NBN 100/40 plans below.

In a best-case scenario with a speedy NBN provider, NBN 100 plans reach up to 100Mbps download speeds and up to 20Mbps upload speeds. Currently, NBN providers are required to self-report typical evening download speeds but not upload speeds. Typical evening speeds are a good indication of overall download speed, as this is between 7:00pm and 11.00pm nightly when demand for the internet is at its highest.

NBN Co hasn’t updated its speed expectations beyond the 60Mbps minimum, but all NBN providers we track in our comparison engine offer faster speeds than this. The slowest is Mate with 83Mbps typical evening download speeds, while NBN providers like Spintel, Exetel, Optus and Telstra offer 100Mbps download speeds, including during the busy nightly period.

Upload speeds are trickier to track, but the ACCC releases quarterly data on the average NBN upload speeds for a dozen NBN providers. Using 2022 data, upload speeds may be as slow as 16.28Mbps for TPG users and as fast as 17.84Mbps from Exetel (with an NBN 100/20 plan). That’s not a huge difference between the slowest and fastest average upload speeds for an NBN 100/20 plan.

NBN 100 plans are available to all fixed-line homes, including:

• Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP)
• Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)
• Fibre-to-the-Curb (FTTC)
• Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB)
• Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN)

The only disclaimer there is that some FTTN homes are ineligible for NBN 100 plans, but this is determined at sign-up. Similarly, while FTTP and HFC homes have a better chance of reaching close to full advertised download speeds, FTTC, FTTB and eligible FTTN homes may have top speeds that are below what a provider advertises. Check with a provider at sign-up to confirm expected speeds.

NBN 100 plans can reach up to twice the download speeds of NBN 100 plans. NBN 50 plans are the most popular picks in Australia, which is understandable because they represent a good mix of speed for the average-sized home and competitive value. Here’s a look at popular NBN 50 plans from our database.

Prices for NBN 50 plans start at around $55 for promotional periods and start at roughly $65 for typical monthly pricing. Practically speaking, NBN 50 plans kick off at around $10 cheaper than NBN 100 plans for promotional pricing and roughly $15 for typical pricing. While expected upload speeds are the same between NBN 50 and NBN 100 plans (except for NBN 100/40 plans), download speeds are up to twice as fast with an NBN 100 plan.

That makes an NBN 100 plan a great choice for people seeking faster download speeds or homes that like to stream to multiple devices in 4K. NBN Co recommends NBN 100 connections for five or more people.

If NBN 100 isn’t fast enough for your needs, you first need to be in an eligible home to sign up for faster plans. FTTP and most HFC homes can sign up for NBN 250, NBN 500 and NBN 1000 plans, which can reach download speeds of up to 250Mbps, 500Mbps and 1,000Mbps, respectively. Upload speeds are up to 25Mbps for NBN 250 and up to 50Mbps for NBN 500 and NBN 1000 plans.

Here’s a look at popular NBN 250 plans today.

And here’s a look at popular NBN 500 and NBN 1000 plans from our comparison engine.