iPrimus NBN plans review

iPrimus has a relatively simple plan model - pick a speed tier, and you'll get an NBN connection with no contract.

While most NBN providers now offer BYO-modem plans, iPrimus still requires customers to purchase its branded modem. If you stay for 12 months however, the modem is free - otherwise you'll need to fork out $10 for every month remaining in the 12-month term. The total maximum cost for iPrimus' modem is $120, if you were to cancel your plan within the first month. 

The Vocus-owned provider offers fixed line NBN from 25Mbps to 1000Mbps, and Fixed Wireless options aswell. All its plans sit around the standard price for the speed tier and technology type, and the provider occassionally has promotional discounts that bring that cost down.

Plan prices range from $75/mth for NBN 50, through to $145/mth for NBN 1000, making iPrimus' prices perfectly average. Below is iPrimus' range of fixed line NBN plans. 

For comparison, below are the most popular NBN 50 plans in our database.  Most of these plans are well under iPrimus' $75/mth price, but this pricing includes promotional discounts. After the discounts are over in 6-12 months, the below NBN 50 plans will revert to a monthly price between $70-$80/mth.

iPrimus also offers Fixed Wireless plans for those in applicable areas. Like the fixed-line NBN plans above, these iPrimus plans all have unlimited data, and are available across two speed tiers. The modem costs are the same on these plans as on the fixed, setting you back a maximum of $120 if you terminate your plan within the first month.

Below are iPrimus' Fixed Wireless and Fixed Wireless Plus plans, offering typical evening speeds of 18Mbps and 30Mbps respectively. Plus plans can go up to 75Mbps download speeds, while Standard plans cap out at 25Mbps.

As with iPrimus' fixed line plans, its fixed wireless plans sit around the middle of the pack for pricing. At $70 for Standard and $75 for Plus, these are on par with most other providers' non-discounted rates. 

Below are the most popular Fixed Wireless NBN plans available at the moment. While many of these are cheaper, it is worth noting that they include a 6-12 month promotional discount. Once the discount period is over, the prices will sit between $65-$70 for a Standard plan, and $70-$80 for a Plus plan.

With the exception of its NBN 50 plan, iPrimus promises below average typical evening speeds. While the NBN 50, and NBN 100 plans offer solid speed predictions, the provider falls further behind as the speed tiers increase.

Here is how iPrimus NBN speeds compare to the national average:

Toggle through speed tiers in the drop down menu below to compare the fastest NBN providers across all fixed line speed tiers. 

Using an iPrimus login, those signed up to an iPrimus NBN plan can access support and other features via the iPrimus Toolbox or iPrimus Webmail. You can check this dedicated page to see if there’s an iPrimus outage for NBN services, as well as historic status, planned upcoming work and any mass service disruptions. And if you’re curious about your latency, as well as download and upload speeds, there’s a dedicated iPrimus speed test page, which uses the popular Ookla Speed Test widget.

Whichever type of iPrimus NBN plan you pick, they all come with a TP Link modem. This means you don’t have to worry about purchasing external networking hardware to get online, and if you stay with the provider for 12 months the modem is free.

Those who still fancy having a home phone line can bundle an iPrimus NBN plan with a home phone bolt-on. It costs $10 extra a month for unlimited calls to Australian landline and mobile numbers, or you can spend $30 a month for calls to Aussie numbers as well as 2,000 minutes to international landlines and mobile phones in the top 25 countries.

The other bundling option is for Fetch entertainment. Spending an additional $10 a month gets you Fetch Mini with an included Channel Pack of your choice as well as 30 preselected monthly movies. Alternatively, pay $20 extra a month for Fetch Mighty, which includes everything that comes with the Fetch Mini alongside the option to record up to six channels at a time. There’s also a $55 Fetch activation fee on top of the additional monthly cost.

Using an iPrimus login, those signed up to an iPrimus NBN plan can access support and other features via the iPrimus Toolbox or iPrimus Webmail. You can check this dedicated page to see if there’s an iPrimus outage for NBN services, as well as historic status, planned upcoming work and any mass service disruptions. And if you’re curious about your latency, as well as download and upload speeds, there’s a dedicated iPrimus speed test page, which uses the popular Ookla Speed Test widget.

Like most providers, iPrimus doesn’t have any brick-and-mortar stores or a customer forum/blog to peruse when searching for answers. Outside of this, though, iPrimus has a great selection of support options, ranging from responsive Twitter and Facebook for the social media savvy through to online chat, usage monitoring and even phone support. You can contact iPrimus support on 13 17 89 if you’d like to chat to someone or you can use the iPrimus support centre to search specific topics or by category.

While the iPrimus support options are great, customer satisfaction is less so according to user review sites Product Review and Trustpilot. At the time of writing, the iPrimus review score on Product Review was at 2.6 out of five after 1,200+ reviews. The specific value breakdown fared better with a 3.4 out of 5 rating for value for money, 3.5 for customer service and 3.4 for transparency. Around 70% of people reported adequate speeds with iPrimus, too.

The Trustpilot reviews tell a less-satisfied story at 1.3 out of five overall, albeit only from around 52 reviews at the time of writing. That said, none of the reviews extended beyond three stars, with the majority falling into one-star or two-star reviews. It’s not uncommon for providers to have low scores on these types of websites, but these scores do put iPrimus towards the bottom of our provider rankings for reported customer satisfaction.

iPrimus sits squarely in the middle of the pack in almost every category. It doesn't have cheap plans, but also isn't the most expensive out there. For those who don't like promotional pricing, iPrimus may be a solid option because you'll know exactly what you're paying from the get-go, and it won't be more expensive compared to other provider's un-discounted monthly prices.

Customer satisfaction is pretty low however, but it is worth noting that most people who have positive experiences don't leave reviews on places like Trustpilot and Product Review.

Regardless, if you're looking for a no-frills internet provider, with a few thoughtful additions like entertainment packs and a home phone line, then iPrimus is worth comparing.

How do I contact iPrimus?

You can contact iPrimus through your online account,  call 13 17 89, or email customerservice@iprimus.com.au

Who owns iPrimus?

iPrimus is owned by Vocus Communications, the same wholeseller that owns Tangerine, More, and Dodo.

Does iPrimus include an email account?

New iPrimus connections do not include an email account as standard, however legacy plans with an @iprimus email are still supported.

Does iPrimus have mobile and internet bundling?

Yes, iPrimus offers discounts if you bundle a mobile SIM with your internet plan. Customers save $10/mth for the first six months by purchasing both services through the same iPrimus account.

What network does iPrimus use?

iPrimus uses the National Broadband Network for its NBN connections, and the Optus network for mobile coverage.