Seniors discounts on NBN plans

Stores and service providers offer fewer discounts for seniors and pensioners these days, and even when they do, they are rarely the best way for seniors to save money on their monthly bills. In fact, in a few cases, a seniors discount can still work out more expensive than the regular options available.

There are still a few NBN providers that offer discounts, including customer-favourite Aussie Broadband. Aussie NBN and phone bundles for seniors offers some incredible value, with options for unlimited home phone calls.

As for your entertainment options, Foxtel phased out seniors packages when Foxtel Now dropped its pricing, and there are no discounts for pensioners on Foxtel iQ packages either.

But this isn't necessarily a bad thing. Many seniors plans have gone the way of the dinosaurs because utility and entertainment services have become cheaper in general. So even though your old Seniors Card might be gathering dust, there are still less expensive offers on the market since the last time you compared.

While some NBN providers offer senior discounts, these aren't always your best option. Even without senior discounts, there are still plenty of affordable NBN plans. 

The NBN plans below are all configured on the NBN 25 speed tier, have unlimited data, and will set you back less than $60 per month. Some of them are discounted for your first six months, meaning you'll pay even less initially. 

These plans are all contract-free, so you can always change providers after your discount runs out. Note that these plans do not include home phone or line rental. 

The below plans also include home phone and line rental.

One of the country's most beloved internet providers, Aussie Broadband, offers seniors discounts on its NBN and home phone bundles. Aussie's award-winning customer service team can connect you to one of their NBN phone and internet seniors bundles, with discounts across its Basic NBN 12 range.

Here are those discounted plans.

• $50 per month
• 100GB data
• 12/1 Mbps speeds
• Pay as you go calls
• Free calls to other Aussie customers

• $55 per month
• Unlimited data
• 12/1 Mbps speeds
• Pay as you go calls
• Free calls to other Aussie customers

• $60 per month
• 100GB data
• 12/1 Mbps speeds
• Unlimited local and national calls
• Unlimited mobile calls

You can compare them to other Aussie Broadband plans below:

Westnet offers an NBN deal for seniors who don't mind signing up for a 24-month contract. For $39.99 per month, Westnet will give you 50GB of home internet at 12/1 Mbps speeds, a bundled modem, and a home phone with local and national calls included. Eligible customers can even port their existing home phone number.

Just make sure 50GB is enough data for you, if you're considering this plan. If you go over your allowance, you'll be capped to speeds of 256kbps, which is barely faster than dial-up. You wouldn't even be able to stream a video on Netflix.

Alternatively, these are the cheapest NBN plans from Westnet's sibling brand, iiNet. These plans start at $59.99 per month and have at least 500GB.

Internet and home phone provider 10MATES offers a $10 per month discount off its NBN and home phone bundles. 10MATES' NBN plans are very expensive, however. It charges $90 per month for an NBN 25 plan, which is typically in line with what you'd pay for an NBN 100 plan, which would be four times faster. 

Even with a seniors discount, 10MATES isn't a good deal. 

Flip has three NBN plans for seniors. The first is an NBN 12 plan, priced at $34 for the first six months (then $39.90 ongoing). For NBN 25, you're looking at $44 for the first six months (then $52.90 ongoing). Alternatively, there's an NBN 50 plan for $54 per month for your first six months and $61.90 per month thereafter. Call packs can be added, started at $9.95 per month. 

How much data you need depends on, well, how much data you use. Luckily though it's becoming less relevant as more and more providers are offering NBN plans with unlimited data.

To get an idea though, social media uses 720MB of data an hour, on average. Netflix uses up to 3.65GB an hour. So if you watch a movie twice a week, you're looking at over 50GB a month potentially, just for that.

If you use loads of data, then it's best to opt for a plan that offers unlimited data use, and pick the best speed tier for your needs. 

Here's a quick breakdown of what kind of internet allowances are best for different online activities. Note that these recommendations are based on just one activity, so if you regularly engage with multiple online activities in the chart it’s best to opt for a larger allowance.

Unfortunately not, but as outlined above, there are some super cheap options available to seniors and pensioners. For a seniors internet deal with free phone calls, we recommend Aussie Broadband's nbn 12/1 Unlimited + Seniors Phone package.

What NBN speed tier you'll need depends on what you need the internet for, and how many people will be using the internet at the same time.

An NBN 12 plan is best suited for single households who don't use the internet for much - just light internet browsing.

NBN 25 plans are suited for households of 1-2 who are light internet users. If you want to browse through social media, check your emails and watch some movies, then an NBN 25 should suffice.

It's when you have more than one person streaming movies at the same time, downloading big files or playing data-heavy games that you'll need to think about an NBN 50 or NBN 100 plan.

Sadly, there are no longer any Foxtel packages for seniors. Still, there are now cheaper ways to get Foxtel and Foxtel's content these days.

If you don't need a set-top box, you can access Foxtel's sports coverage online via Kayo Sports from $25 per month, and Foxtel's premium TV shows and movies via Binge from $10 per month. Otherwise, you can sign up to Foxtel Now from $25 per month (with additional costs for each channel pack).

The best thing about these streaming options is that you can try before you buy. Here's what each service offers:

• Binge has a two-week free trial
• Kayo Sports has a two-week free trial
• Foxtel Now has a ten-day free trial

If you do need a set-top box, you can get Foxtel iQ4 with Foxtel Plus (basic channel pack) from $49 per month. At the time of writing, Foxtel is also waiving hardware and connection costs.

Outside of Foxtel altogether, there's even more value to be had with Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus. Here's how much each service costs, and whether or not there's a free trial.

There's also the option to choose and NBN plan that bundles in a home phone option. They're becoming less and less popular in recent years, but if you'd like it one included there are a few providers that still offer the home phone bundle.

Generally speaking, you'll get the home phone service with your NBN plan, and opt for pay-as-you-go calls. You can see the plans below that have the option to bundle in a phone plan.