Compare Internet Providers and NBN Plans in Melbourne

Melbourne was ranked as the world’s most liveable city seven years in a row, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s home to the famed Melbourne Cricket Ground, the National Gallery of Victoria, and World Heritage listed buildings such as as Royal Exhibition Building; not to mention the surplus of beautiful gardens, trendy cafes, and obscure alley bars. 

Melbourne is also home to some of the fastest internet plans as well as some of the cheapest internet plans, from comprehensive service providers to low cost budget providers. In short, Melbourne is a city of lights, a city that offers a wide range of quality broadband internet service providers. 

If you haven’t heard of 5G, that’s going to change very soon! 5G is the emerging internet technology that’s the next step up from the old 4G cellular network, with download speeds so fast that it might just become the go-to service for all Melbourne home broadband! 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. Currently, 5G availability is pretty scarce… there are limited 5G towers constructed, and early 5G rollout is only happening in a few Australian cities. Thankfully, Melbourne is one of those cities!

The 5G Melbourne rollout is underway, and at the time of writing, 5G is available in very select regions of Southbank, Collingwood, Carlton, Docklands, North Melbourne, Tullamarine, Keilor Park, Attwood, Westmeadows, Gladstone Park, and Melbourne Airport. But if you’re nowhere near these areas, don’t worry, as 5G is expected to become readily available in Melbourne (and the rest of Australia) by the end of 2020. 

It’s worth knowing that there are some people who are concerned that the level of radiation that emits from 5G could potentially be dangerous, with the city of Brussels going as far as to ban it entirely. However, Australian scientists and officials have cited that 5G technology is perfectly safe for everyday use. 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.

Melbourne is known for its erratic and inclement weather, and thankfully, that doesn’t reflect the level of stability offered by Melbourne’s internet service providers (or ISPs). Melbourne is home to all the major internet service providers, including Telstra, Optus, TPG, MyRepublic, Dodo, Belong, iiNet, iiPrimus and Sumo. So whether you’re living in the heart of the city, or in the lush outer suburbs, or the trendy inner suburbs, there is a great range of internet providers in Melbourne to choose from.

The best ISP in Melbourne very for someone else might not be the best for you, as everyone’s requirements are different. The best internet service provider is going to be completely determined by your individual needs, your budget, and your location, so make sure you at least have a rough idea of all of these factors before you proceed.

. To find the best Melbourne ISP for you, make sure you first how much data you need per month, how much money your want to spend per month, and whether or not you are comfortable committing to a contract plan.

. Also take into account your address before you choose a plan, as your location will inform your internet connection type. For example, you’ll want to know if your house/apartment is currently equipped for NBN or for ADSL2+, as this will determine what kind of plans you’ll be looking at.

. Remember that a quality ISP will offer great plans at fair prices, in addition to offering helpful and articulate customer service.

. See what online presence they have. Melbourne is a city and a culture of online reviews, there is no shortage of assessments and feedback for Melbourne ISPs, so there will be plenty of first hand experiences online to help inform your choice.

. Keep in mind that many Melbourne broadband providers sometimes offer some sort of discount for signing up (or for bringing across your home phone and internet), and they may or may not mention such current discounts online, so while you have them on the phone, don’t forget to ask them about what other bonuses you could be in store for if your sign with them. Also remember to ask about potential discounts for other services such as mobile phone and table plans.

Melbournites have many options when it comes to data plans, but unfortunately, there’s no simple answer as to “what internet plan is the best”, because that very much comes down to your specific broadband needs. Indeed, just like how each Melbournian likes their coffee, your best broadband will be determined by your specific taste! 

There really are a lot of different plans and providers to choose from, to the point where it can almost be a bit daunting if you don’t know what you’re looking for. We’ve displayed some of the best deals currently going around above, but again, the best deal for someone else may not be the best deal for you, so if you want a selection of choices that’s tailor made to your location and net usage, then enter your postcode or suburb into our free broadband comparison search. Our handy algorithm can help you narrow down the best internet deals in Melbourne for you.

If speed is the number one thing that you’re looking for in a home broadband plan, then you’ll be happy to know that there is a tonne of fast broadband deals in Melbourne. Belong can offer you a 100 GB with up to 20 Mbps between $35 and $40 a month. If you need more data than that, you should consider a Sumo Unlimited plan with up to 50 Mbps for $64.95 a month. 

Also be aware that Melbourne is a very large city, and depending on what sort of internet connection you have, the speed can sometimes suffer over distance, so the best thing to do when finding a fast broadband plan in Melbourne is to call your intended providers double check what speed you should expect from the service and plan that you’re looking at before you sign for it.

As most Melbournians love a bargain, Melbourne also has a large selection of cheap broadband plans for the cost-conscious and the money-savers among you. There are seriously some super cheap deals out there, but you should be aware that when it comes to a really cheap home internet plan, there’s usually a trade-off; sometimes you’ll have to settle for less data, or sometimes you’ll have to lock yourself in to a contract (anywhere between 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months). If you’re comfortable with that, then you can stand to save a lot of money. There are also some plans that exceptions to the rule, but as ever, it will all boil down to you, your budget, your desired data and you location. But ultimately, if you’re a light internet user, then there’s no point paying for data that you’re not using). 

To get started, you may want to look at Belong’s 100 GB plan with up to 20 Mbps for only $35 a month, or TPG’s even cheaper 50 GB plan with up to 20 Mbps for only $29.99 a month. Providers such as Dodo, Telstra, iiNet, and Optus also offer a sound selection of affordable plans. 

If you’re in the market for a fast and effective internet service, then you may want to consider some Melbourne cable broadband plans. Cable runs directly into your home, allowing a much speedier and efficient performance for browsing and downloading. 

There are many Melbourne cable broadband providers (including TPG, iiSelect, iiNet, and Dodo). Cable broadband often uses the same coaxial cable used for cable/Pay TV, so some providers may even offer a broadband plan that bundles in a Pay TV subscription in the same package (though of course, you can simply choose to get the cable internet by itself). 

Cable broadband is not available everywhere, but it has become increasingly common in metropolitan cities such as Melbourne, and can offer speeds of up to 30 Mbps in some areas. They range in price and can cost anywhere between $50 and $100. 

The National Broadband Network, or NBN for short, is a federal government owned national wholesale open access data network. Basically it’s a nationwide operation that is replacing our old copper line networks with a more effective fibre optic cable system. It was implemented with the intention to provide all of Australia with a speedier and more efficient internet broadband service. 

As mentioned above, there are many regions in Melbourne where the NBN has not yet been fully constructed, but this won’t be the case by the of 2020, which is the estimated time that the NBN’s operation will be fully completed. At this point in time, ADSL, ADSL2+ and all other forms of ADSL technology will be completely phased out; however, until an area has been upgraded to the NBN, ADSL technology is still active and available.

If you’d like to know if your address (or your intended address) is NBN ready, you can type in your postcode or suburb into the NBN Rollout Map above. The map will then tell you if this area has NBN, and if so, what kind of NBN connection is available there. If the area does not yet have NBN, the map will tell you when you can expect it as well as what NBN connection you can expect. It’s advised that you type in your full, accurate address, as until NBN construction is fully completed, the difference between a section that has NBN and a section that doesn’t may be as slight as one street, so the only way to correctly ascertain your NBN status is to put in your full address! 

Though many Melbourians have noted an improved broadband service since their homes were upgraded to the NBN, others have reported connection and speed issues with their NBN service. 

Before you sign up for an NBN plan, it’s recommended that you know the basics of how it works; for instance, there’s a common public misconception that there is one set NBN speed that comes with every service. This is inaccurate, as not only are there different NBN plans with different NBN speeds, but there are also several different types of NBN connections, as the NBN is a mixed technology. Indeed, some NBN connections are more effective than others, which can often be the cause of NBN customers’ dissatisfaction.

Unfortunately, NBN customers don’t get to choose which NBN connection they are given, it’s very much luck of the draw (which is why many have taken to calling it the “NBN Lottery”). Thankfully, if you’re stuck with one of the less effective NBN connections, you can still counter a sluggish broadband performance by choosing a better ISP and plan for your specific needs and location.

But it’s also important to remember that there are many potential causes for slow internet; the problem could be infrastructure, or a loose cable, or a poorly positioned Christmas tree blocking your Wi-Fi signal.

Once NBN construction in a Melbourne area has been completed, all of the old copper lines in that area are permanently deactivated. This means that if you’re currently in an NBN active area, the copper lines there will already be cut off, and ADSL connections in that area will no longer be available.

If you’re on a street where the NBN is still under construction, or if construction hasn’t commenced yet, you will still have access to copper lines. Again, the NBN Rollout Map above will tell you what month you can expect the NBN in your area to be completed, at which point your copper lines will be decommissioned. If you’re looking for an exact date, your best bet is to call your phone/internet provider for specific information. Don’t stress though, as it’s standard practice that all residents are given written notice 18 months in advance before their copper lines are disconnected. In this 18 month period, you will need to select an NBN plan and provider to switch over to before your copper lines are cut off if you don’t want to be left without internet.

In Melbourne, there are four standard NBN speed tiers available:

 - Basic evening speed: No minimum 

- Standard evening speed: Minimum 15 Mbp 

- Standard plus evening speed: Minimum 30 Mbps

- Premium evening speed: Minimum 60 Mbps

If you would like any further information on finding the best Melbourne broadband for you, don’t hesitate to hit us up! Compare Broadband is a free internet comparison site for all Australians, and our friendly broadband consultants are ready to help. What’s more, we’ve been independently rated 5 stars by our customers, and we have a Trust Pilot score of 4.8 out of 5 based on over 1,800 reviews. You can either give us a bell on 1300 106 571, or snoop around at broadband options on your own using our free handy algorithm. Simply pop your postcode or address into the white box at the top of this page (or right here) and click “Compare”. Our website will ask you a few questions about how much data you want and how much you want to spend, and then it will whittle down the best options for you and your location. Happy hunting!