NBN internet plans for seniors and pensioners

While some NBN providers do still offer senior discounts, these saving schemes are much harder to find than they used to be. But even when you do find a something pitched exclusively at pensioners, a cheap NBN plan aimed at everyone is usually a better deal. 

But it's not only about finding the cheapest NBN plans. Comprehensive customer support pathways can be another thing to keep an eye out for, especially if you or the person you're shopping for prefer a personal touch with it comes to contacting your telco. A couple of other considerations are whether you want the option to bundle a landline phone service, or if you need a new modem or modem router (you probably don't, but more on this later). 

In this guide, we'll take an in-depth look at the cheapest NBN plans in our database for seniors to consider, cheap home phone and internet bundles for pensioners, and more.

When it comes to finding the cheapest internet for pensioners and seniors, we'd recommend you focus on ongoing pricing, rather than intrductory discounts. Most NBN plans offer a temporary discount for new customers, usually around six months. This is great if you're happy to swap providers regularly, but if you want to set up your plan and forget about it, focusing on longer-term costs makes more sense.

The NBN plans below are ordered by total cost over the first 12 months after signing up (which does include any deal pricing that lasts at least six months). They're all on the NBN 25 speed tier, have unlimited data, and are no-contract.

If you want to pair a home phone connection with your internet plan, that option is still out there. The main thing to remember is, while not all providers offer the option to bundle a home phone service, those that do typically charge for calls on a pay-as-you-go basis. 

Check out the comparison table below for a round-up of the most popular NBN 25 plans in our database with the option to bundle a phone plan for an additional fee.

Optus does not currently offer any special discounts for seniors internet plans. Its plans also aren't the cheapest around, but they do come with some perks, among which is a great modem you can get for free. The kicker is you have to stick around for 36 months or pay a hardware fee based on how many months short you are.

One of Optus' strengths is its wide array of customer support avenues, including live chat, in-app chat, phone support, brick-and-mortar stores, customer forums and responsive Facebook and X (Twitter) accounts. If you do run into a problem, you'll have a lot of potential ways to go about getting it solved.

Check out the comparison table below for a round-up of Optus NBN plans. Keep in mind you'll have to pay out the cost of the optional modem that comes with each of the below plans if you leave before your first 36 months are up. Alternatively, you can simply not include the modem with your plan and be completely contract free.

Both Optus' Plus Everyday nbn and Plus Family Entertainer nbn plans come with the option to throw in a home phone line service. Priced at $10, the Optus Plus Phone Extra service gets you a phone line with unlimited standard local, national and Australian mobile calls included plus 500 calls to 13/1300 numbers. 

If you wish to make international calls, you’ll need to opt for the Optus Plus Phone International plan instead. This add-on is priced at $15 per month and comes with unlimited international calls to landlines and mobiles in 30 selected destinations.

Right now, Telstra offers a $65 Starter Internet Plan to those with an eligible health care card or concession card. This plan includes 50GB of data and unlimited standard calls to local, national and Australian mobiles. But we're reluctant to recommend it for a number of reasons, among which is how easy it is to find a cheaper plan offering unlimited data and faster speeds. On top of that, 50GB is a tiny amount – you can blow through that entire allowance by accident with a single large software update.

That said, being with Telstra does offer other benefits beyond basic connectivity. Signing up for one of its NBN plans can mean discounts on streaming services, complementary cybersecurity inclusions, no fees for paper bills, no late fees, no credit card surcharges, a reduced connection fee and access to the provider's Payment Assistance program, if you qualify.

While all Telstra NBN plans are no-contract offerings that come with the Telstra Smart Modem at no additional cost, you have to stay connected for at least 24 months to avoid paying hardware fees for the unit. If any or all of those inclusions are intriguing, check out the table below for a rundown on Telstra's NBN plans.

All Telstra NBN plans include a home phone service with unlimited calls to standard Australian numbers (local, national and mobile).

Flip is one of the few internet providers out there that offers specific NBN plans for seniors. There are three options to choose from. The introductory discount pricing for each plan is the same as the non-senior options, but the ongoing pricing (after the introductory discount) is a tiny bit lower. If you end up clicking through to Flip's website further below, be sure to select the "Seniors" tab at the top of the page to get those discounts.

Here's a look at Flip's seniors internet plans:

The first is an NBN 12 plan, priced at $39 for the first four months (then $47.90 ongoing). While Flip's website lists this as a 9% discount, this plan isn't available to non-seniors. For NBN 25, you're looking at a $2 per month saving over standard pricing. And for NBN 50, it's a $4 per month discount vs. standard.

Below, we've listed all Flip's NBN plans. We don't have the seniors pricing available, but you can click on the Seniors tab if you follow any of the Go to Site buttons in the table.

Flip doesn’t offer any specific home phone and internet bundles for pensioners that include a landline at no additional cost. However, the provider does offer three different call packs can be added to any of its NBN plans as little as $3.30 per month. 

• The Basic Phone Plan costs $3.30 per month plus 20c per local call. National and mobile calls cost 20c/minute and 33c/minute, respectively. 
• The Standard Phone Plan costs $9.95 per month and includes unlimited local and national calls. Mobile calls are charged at 33c/minute.
• The Bonus Phone Plan costs $19.95 but includes unlimited local, national and mobile calls.

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.

See the table below for a snapshot of those discounted plans and what they include.

Depending on your circumstances, it may make more sense to sign up for one of the many other NBN plans available through Aussie Broadband instead.

You can Aussie's normal plans sorted by 12-month pricing in the widget below:

If you sign up for one of Aussie Broadband’s NBN plans, you can bundle in a home phone connection for no additional cost. This Casual home phone service add-on will let you take incoming calls for free but charge you for outgoing ones on a pay-as-you-go basis. 

If you’re expecting to make more regular calls, it might be worth paying for one of the other home phone options Aussie Broadband offers.

• The Everyday Home Phone Plan costs $10 per month and comes with unlimited in-network, local, interstate and mobile calls. 13/1300 calls cost 35c apiece and international calls vary from country to country.
• The International Home Phone Plan costs $20 per month and comes with $15 of international call credit plus unlimited in-network, local, interstate and mobile calls. 13/1300 calls cost 35c apiece and international calls vary from country to country.

For a sense of how Aussie Broadband’s home phone and internet bundles compare when it comes to 12-month pricing for NBN 50, check out the widget below.

iiNet used to offer a senior plan for NBN. However, it recently discontinued the iiNet NBN Senior’s Card plan for new customers. Those who are still signed up for it are alright for now but if they change their setup lose the option to take advantage of this offer.

These days, seniors looking to sign up for an iiNet internet plan get the same options as everyone else. This provider has offers 24/7 customer support via web chat, email and dedicated a phone line. If you sign up for one of iiNet's NBN plans, you'll have the option of bringing your own modem or paying for one over the course of 24 months. Check out the widget below for a snapshot of what your options look like when it comes to iiNet internet plans for pensioners:

iiNet will you let you bundle in a “Netphone” connection with any of its broadband plans at no additional cost, outside of any modem or equipment that might be involved. This home phone and internet bundle isn’t specifically aimed at older Aussies but that it comes for free goes a long way towards making it a good fit for that segment of the population.

But there is a catch here. Even if the connection won’t cost you a cent, outgoing calls might. A iiNet Netphone plan includes free unlimited in-network calls. Meanwhile, local and national calls are charged on a pay-as-you-go basis from 15 cents a call. International calls are charged at 5c a minute and mobile calls come in at 29c per minute. 

For a sense of how iiNets’s home phone and internet bundles compare when it comes to 12-month pricing for NBN 25, check out the widget below.

Kogan doesn’t currently have any internet plans for pensioners but it does offer a ton of perks to those who sign up for one of its many no-contract NBN plans. Some of the selling points here include the ability to bring your own modem, the chance to earn one Qantas Point per $2 you spend with the provider and the opportunity to save by taking advantage of Kogan’s Internet Price Pledge. That said, this provider isn’t exactly leading the pack when it comes to customer support.

At the time of writing, it only offers phone support and self-serve customer support. For a sense of how Kogan’s cheap NBN plans for seniors stack up when it comes to 12-month pricing, check out the widget below.

Kogan does not currently have any phone and internet bundles for anyone, let alone offer any specific ones for seniors.

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 do need a set-top box, you can still get Foxtel iQ4 with Foxtel Plus and basic channel pack for a relatively modest sum. On the other hand,  if you don't then you can access Foxtel's sports coverage online via Kayo Sports or Foxtel's premium TV shows and movies via Binge. 

For a little bit of both, check out Foxtel Now. One of the best things about these three streaming platforms is you can try before you buy. Both Binge and Kayo Sports offer a 7-day free trial. Meanwhile, Foxtel Now has a ten-day free trial. Outside of Foxtel altogether, there's even more value to be had with Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime Video and Disney Plus.