NBN plans will get more expensive from July

NBN Co today announced its annual wholesale price increases for this year, arriving on July 1. These changes are for the prices NBN Co charges internet service providers (ISPs) for access to the NBN, which in turn sell NBN plans to their customers. The ultimate effect on your monthly bill will be up to your ISP.

So, how much are we talking? The changes vary depending on speed tier, but most fall between $1.08 and $3.19. The two outliers are at either end of the speed spectrum: the NBN Basic Bundle is actually decreasing by one cent per month, while NBN 2000 is going up by $4.04.

Here’s a quick overview of the changes for fixed-line NBN plans:

These price hikes are a fair bit larger than last year, where the maximum wholesale jump for fixed-line plans was $1.71 for both NBN 1000 and the now-defunct NBN 250 (NBN 500, 750, and 2000 didn't exist at the time).

Aside from the NBN Basic Bundle, which saw no change, the lowest wholesale price rise last year was 68 cents for NBN 25.

It's important to reiterate these are the prices NBN Co charges to ISPs – not to consumers. Your own plan's price jump will almost certainly be different.

For example, while there were no wholesale price increases above $1.71 last year, we generally saw consumer NBN plans rise in cost between $2 and $4 per month – the latter of which was more than double the largest wholesale increase.

Keep an eye out for notifications from your provider about changes to your bill and compare them to the actual changes being implemented by NBN Co. Chances are you're not locked into a contract, so you can change NBN providers pretty easily if your new bill isn't to your liking. Given there are around 150 providers out there at this point, there's probably a cheaper NBN plan that suits your needs already waiting in the wings.

As Anna Perrin, Chief Customer Officer at NBN Co, stated in the announcement:

“We understand that price changes can raise questions for customers, which is why we encourage people to review their options and check they’re on the plan that best suits their needs and budget.

“Value and choice matter, and this is reflected in the strong choice amongst retailers, with more than 150 nbn providers offering a wide range of plans and price points for customers”.

We compare plans from NBN providers to help you find one that best suits your needs and budget. Here's a look at NBN 500 plans from our database, ranked by their popularity with our visitors over the last seven days: