Compare Internet Providers and NBN Plans in Sydney

Sydney is bounding in culture, hotspots and events. It’s no surprise that Sydney is often dubbed one of Australia’s most liveable cities, so it’s little wonder that locals have a rich selection of broadband choices to complement the rest of their varied lifestyle. If you’ve ever enjoyed the free Wi-Fi on the Manly Ferry, you’ll be pleased to know that there is also a reliably fast broadband connection accessible through the Sydney CBD. If you’re living in one of Sydney’s many high-rise apartments, you’re likely in a building that requires more extensive cabling, so you will need to check with the building owner or your body corporate to confirm what kind of internet connection is available to you there.

Broadband in Sydney comes with a lot of different plans and from different ISPs (internet service providers). Finding the right broadband connection that best suits you can be a bit daunting if you don’t know where to look, but we’re here to help!

5G is the next big emerging cellular technology, and if you haven’t heard of it, you certainly will soon! 5G is the next evolutionary step after 4G, with speeds so fast that you’ll be able to use it for your home broadband as well as your phone. 

Early reports of 5G’s peak performances cite that not only will you be able to connect multiple devices simultaneously, but you’ll be able to support a whopping 1,000 odd HD movies, with download speeds between 1 and 3Gbps. It’s worth noting that there are some people who fear that the level of radiation that 5G emits might be dangerous, with the government of Brussels going as far as to ban it from their city. However, Australian officials have cited that 5G technology is perfectly safe for everyday use. 

Australian 5G is pretty scarce at the moment, with limited 5G towers in select cities. Certain Sydney-siders will be happy to know that Sydney is one of the lucky cities designated for some early 5G hotspots - but even then, only in a select few suburbs! The 5G Sydney rollout is underway, and at the time of writing, you’ll be able to find 5G available in areas around the Randwick, Botany and Mascot suburbs, as well as a few other random patches. If you’re not in these areas, don’t fret, as 5G is expected to become the preeminent choice of home broadband technology by the end of 2020.

For many Sydney-dwellers, fast internet is very much a priority. Sydney is a fast paced city with fast paced lifestyles, so it’s only fitting that its residents need fast paced internet! It’s fortunate then that a lot of Sydney internet providers are able to keep up with the demand. But does fast internet equate to expensive internet? Not always!

If you’re after a broadband plan that’s fast as well as cheap, both Dodo and Belong offer plans of around 100GB between $35 and $50 a month, with up to 20 Mbps. If you need even more speed, you might want to consider Sumo’s Unlimited plan with up to 50 Mbps for $64.95 a month. However, the fastest Sydney internet available to your address is dependent on a number of factors. To begin with, you’ll need to know if your home or office is currently equipped for ADSL2+, Naked Broadband, or NBN; and if it is NBN, then there are even more connection variables (more on that below). 

It is also worth calling your desired internet provider to see what sort of speed and connection is available in your area. Alternatively, you can enter your address or postcode in the white box at the top of this page, and our handy algorithm will give you a shortlist to help you find the best broadband provider in Sydney for you.

The NBN stands for National Broadband Network; it is a government owned, national wholesale open access data network, designed and implemented with an aim to supply all of Australia with a faster and more reliable internet broadband service, by replacing all of Australia’s old copper line networks with more efficient fibre optic cables. 

If your area has not yet been upgraded to the NBN and you’d like to know when construction will be commenced or completed, you can look up your area in the NBN Rollout Map above. Simply type in your address into the box on the map, and it’ll tell you if your street has the NBN yet, and if so, what sort of NBN. But don’t forget to put in your full, accurate address, because until the NBN is fully rolled out, the difference between an area that has NBN and an area that doesn’t may be as little as one street, so the only way for you to find out for certain is to type in your full address.

Most Sydney-siders have noted a marked improvement in their broadband since they were upgraded to the NBN, though there are those who have reported difficulties. It is a common misconception that there is one set NBN speeds; there are actually four different NBN speeds, and often the cause of dissatisfaction is due to a customer unwittingly choosing a data/speed plan that does not suit their internet requirements.

That said, there are occurrences where the NBN infrastructure is to blame for lacklustre internet performance; to try and remedy this, the NBN Co have cited that in 2020 they’ll be giving more attention to Wi-Fi modem upgrades as well as more collaboration and accountability with ISP’s. 

Some NBN end users may experience broadband problems due to the specific type of NBN they have been allocated. As the NBN is a mixed-technology, there are several different kinds of NBN connections, and some have been proven to be a little bit more effective than others. Unfortunately, we don’t get to choose which of these connections our home is outfitted for, and that home is stuck with whatever NBN type is alloted there (this is both public and press have referred to as the “NBN Lottery”). If your home has been assigned one of the lesser NBN connections, you can still choose a plan with enough speed and data to counter the sluggish performance.

And remember, while NBN problems can occur from faults in the infrastructure or poorly chosen speeds, sometimes the cause of faulty home broadband is simply an incorrectly configured modem, or a fish tank blocking your Wi-Fi, or something else just as easily fixed. If you’re experiencing difficulties, it’s advised that your first step should be to call your internet provider and ask them for assistance.

Once an area has been fully upgraded for the NBN, all of the old copper lines in that area are permanently deactivated, so if you’re in an NBN active area, the copper lines will already be cut off. When this happens, you will no longer be able to procure ADSL technology in that area. 

If you’re in a region where the NBN is still under construction, the rollout map above will give you an estimate of when you can expect the changeover to happen. If you’re looking for an exact date for when the copper lines will be cut off at your home, you will need to call your phone and internet provider; but rest assured that it is standard practice that all residents are given written notice 18 months before their copper lines are discontinued. Before the cut off data, you will need to select an NBN plan to switch over to, as the transition is not automatic, and you don’t want to be left without internet.

There are four standard NBN speed tiers available in Sydney:

- Basic evening speed: No minimum

- Standard evening speed: Minimum 15 Mbp

- Standard plus evening speed: Minimum 30 Mbps

- Premium evening speed: Minimum 60 Mbps

Wireless broadband has been a popular option for a very long time now, so you’ll be glad to know that it’s easy to come by in Sydney. You may also have heard of Fixed Wireless NBN in Sydney; this specific kind of connection refers to a system where your internet data is transmitted through radio signals to connect your home directly to the NBN’s signal. 

The primary difference between Fixed Wireless Broadband and mobile broadband is that the latter allows connectivity to anyone that’s within range of their Telco’s towers, whereas with Fixed Wireless, this signal is only transmitted to select people in a limited area who have signed up for it. The selective nature of this system means less congestion which results in a typically smoother service. Fixed Wireless NBN is often used in areas where the distance between premises is several kilometers away, so if you’re living out bush, so to speak, it might be a viable option for you. And Fixed Wireless is not just for the NBN, you can also get it with 5G!

If you would like any further information on Sydney NBN, Sydney 5G, Sydney ADSL2+, or absolutely anything to do with broadband in Sydney or anywhere else in Australia - give us a call on 1300 106 571. Compare Broadband is a free broadband comparison service for all Australians, so if you hang your proverbial hat anyway in the Great Land of Aus, you can get free internet consultation from our friendly broadband consultants between 9am and 8pm Mon-Fri, or 10am and 5pm Saturday. We’re independently rated 5 stars by our customers, with a Trust Pilot score of 4.8 out of 5 based on over 1,800 reviews.

If you’re not in a talkative mood, you can simply pop your postcode or address into the white box at the top of this page - or right here - and click “Compare”, and our free broadband comparison algorithm will ask you a few questions about your desired data, and then whittle down the best options for average internet use and your location. Easy!