Compare Internet Providers and NBN Plans in Perth

The City of Perth is a bit of a modern paradise; there are beaches, parks, museums, galleries, and of course, the famed Rottnest Island, home to the photo-friendly quokkas. Perth is a holiday hotspot for many, and a permanent residence to many more, which is exactly why internet providers have worked very hard to keep up with the city’s thriving commerce.

If you’ve not heard of 5G, that’s about to change! 5G is an emerging cellular technology, the next step up from our old 4G cellular network. 5G offers download speeds so fast that it might just become the go-to service for all Perth home broadband - seriously, it’s probably going to be a threat to the NBN! While there are some cities concerned about the level of radiation 5G emits (such as Brussels, who have banned 5G from their entire city), the general consensus is that it’s safe, and super, super fast. Initial reports of 5G’s peak performances cite download speeds between 1 and 3Gbps!

Because of this, 5G is expected to be the predominant choice of home broadband by the end of 2020. Until then, 5G towers are fairly scarcely located, which means only a select few Australian cities can access it… but one of those cities happens to be sunny Perth!

The 5G Perth rollout is under way, and at the time of writing 5G is available in select regions of South Guildford, Innaloo, Floreat, Wattle Grove, Osborne Park, Queens Park, Myaree, Booragoon, Riverton, Thornlie, Maddington, Hamilton Hill, Coolbelup, Henderson, Jandakot, Cockburn Central, Gosnells, Martin, as well as a small handful of other regions. Don’t worry if you’re nowhere near those areas… 5G will be everywhere soon enough! You can read more about 5G here.

If you’re a Perthie living in one of those areas not yet equipped for NBN, a Naked ADSL plan is a very viable option. You can set up Naked ADSL without having an active phone line; in fact, it’s because Naked ADSL lines are stripped of their active phone lines that they’re referred to as “naked”. 

There are quite a few internet service providers (or ISPs) offering Perth Naked ADSL plans, though not every ISP can guarantee sufficient service everywhere in Perth, so it’s always important that you ensure that an ISP's coverage is right for you before you sign with them (give us a call if you need help chcking that). Many providers won’t offer Naked ADSL plans to houses that are located within a certain distance (usually between 4-5kms) from a phone exchange. If your home is eligible, you may want to consider such great plans as Belong’s 100 GB plan with up to 20 Mbps a month for as low as $35, or an Optus 200 GB plan up 12 Mbps for $65 a month, or Sumo’s Unlimited plan with up to 50 Mbps for $64.96 a month.  

If you need the internet while on the go, then wireless internet is the way to go. Whether you are at home, at the beach, or on the train, wireless broadband makes it easy, and it’s very simple to set up. If you have a dongle connection, you can plug it straight into your laptop and away you go. Alternatively, if you need an internet connection across more than one device at once (also commonly known as Wi-Fi), then a hotspot on your phone is probably your best option. And of course, home wireless broadband means you can connect several devices simultaneously anywhere in your home without having to worry about cumbersome chords.

Some terrific options for home wireless in Perth include the Optus Home Wireless Plan with 200 GB for $65 a month, or Sumo’s Home Wireless Broadband Plan with 250 GB for only $59 a month. There are many other wireless broadband plans and providers in Perth, though not in all areas. The best way to find out if it’s available in your region is to call your desired provider directly.

Perth WA is home to all of the major Australian internet service providers, including Optus, Telstra, TPG, Sumo, iiPrimus, iiNet, Dodo, Belong and MyRepublic. As for which of these is the ‘best’ in all of Perth; well, that’s impossible to answer, because the best internet provider for someone else is likely not going to be the best internet provider for you! It will all boil down to your specific broadband needs; how much you want to spend, where you’re located, how frequently you use the internet, how much data you need per day, and how many other internet users there are in your household. 

Another prominent factor to consider is your location. Depending on what sort of internet connection you have in your home, the speed of your broadband will be based on how far your location is from telephone exchange in your area. Fortunately, all of Perth’s CBD areas have plenty of telephone exchanges which will enable a healthy broadband connection. Living in a home in one of Perth’s metropolitan areas means that you’re pretty much be able to get a good speed from any provider, and the same goes for many of Perth’s suburbs. 

Any good internet provider worth their salt will offer great plans at fair prices, in addition to providing helpful and articulate customer service. There are plenty of online reviews for all ISPs, so that’s always a viable research option when choosing the right provider for you. But if you want to find out first hand if an internet provider offers good customer service, the best way to gauge this is to call them directly. 

Additionally, all internet providers can check the broadband speed in your area and give you an estimate on how fast you can expect your connection to be. If you’re in Perth’s city or inner suburbs, this shouldn’t be much of a concern, but if you live in the outer suburbs of Perth, you should definitely call up some providers to get an estimate on what speed they’re estimating for your home before you sign up to any plans.

The best Perth broadband plan for you will effectively be determined by your location, how much data you need and how much you’re willing to spend. Fortunately, you have a lot of options; what Perth lacks in skyscrapers, it more than makes up for in broadband providers! 

If you’re a light internet user, you can get 10 GB plan for as low as $29.99 a month. If that amount of data just isn’t going to satisfy you, and you’re willing to pay a bit more money (which is generally the trade off), then you can consider a 200 GB plan, a 250 GB plan, or even an unlimited plan for anywhere between $60 and $70 a month.

There’s an absolute tonne of different providers and plans to consider, to the point where it can almost be a bit intimidating if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for. We’ve listed some of the best deals currently going around above, but again, the best plan for someone else may not be the best plan for you, so if you want a selection of choices that’s specific to your budget, location and internet usage, then enter your suburb or postcode in the white box at the top of the page and click “Compare”. Our handy algorithm can help you narrow down some options and help you find the best Perth broadband plan for you.

If your number one priority is saving money on your internet, Perth is a veritable smorgasbord of cheap broadband plans. While the general rule of thumb with cheap broadband is that you’ll need to settle for a plan with less data and speed, there are still plenty of great plans out there that offer sufficient speed and data at an affordable cost, depending on what you’re looking for. 

If you don’t typically use a lot of data, then there’s no point in paying extra money for data that you’re not going to use. Dodo offers 101 GB with up to 20 Mbps for $50 a month, and Belong have 100 GB deals between $30 and $40 a month. You can go even cheaper with a TPG 10 GB plan for $29.99 a month on a Month to Month contract. For the same price and provider, you can get that with 50 GB a month if you’re happy to sign on for 12 months.

Keep in mind though that many providers will offer a cheaper plan if you’re happy to sign on for a contract with them. Contracts typically last 6 months, 12 months or 12 months. If you’re comfortable doing that you can stand to save a bit of money, but there are still plenty of affordable Month by Month plans if you’d rather not lock yourself into anything long-term.

The NBN stands for National Broadband Network; it is a wholesale open access data network, owned and instigated by the Australian Government. The NBN is replacing Australia’s old copper line networks with a more effective fibre optic cable system. All ADSL connections in an NBN ready area are disconnected, so whether your home needs an ADSL plan or an NBN plan is very much determined by the NBN status of your residence.

You can check whether your home has NBN by entering your address into the NBN Rollout Map above. It will also tell you what NBN connection has been allocated to your area. If your home is not yet NBN active, the map will tell you when you can expect the NBN and what manner of NBN connection you can expect to be given. Make sure you put in your full accurate address, as until the NBN is 100% completed, the difference between an area that has NBN and an area that doesn’t may be as slight as one street.

Though the NBN was implemented with the intention to provide all of Australia with a speedier and more efficient internet broadband service, this has not been the experience of some Perth residents. While many Perth NBN punters have seen an improved broadband service after the NBN upgrade, others have reported connection and speed issues with their NBN service. 

NBN disappointment can sometimes spring from the misconception that there is one set NBN speed that comes with every service. Many people are unaware that there are different NBN plans with different NBN speeds. As the NBN is a mixed technology, there are also several different types of NBN connections too. Indeed, some NBN connections are more effective than others, which can often be the cause of NBN customers’ dissatisfaction. 

Unfortunately, customers can’t choose which NBN connections they are given - it’s very much luck of the draw, which is why many have started 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 opting for a provider and a plan that specifically suits your location, connection and broadband needs. And don’t forget, there are numerous potential causes for slow internet; the problem might be infrastructure, or it could be an unplugged cable, or simply a poorly positioned fish-tank.

If you’re in an NBN active area, the copper lines will already be cut off. If you’re in an area that’s still under NBN construction, the copper lines will be cut off as soon as the NBN is completed in that area. Once copper lines are discontinued in an area, you can no longer get ADSL2+ (or any other type of ADSL2) in that area. 

If you type your address into the NBN Rollout Map above, it will tell you your home’s NBN status. If your street is not yet NBN active, the map will tell you what month you can expect the NBN construction to be completed there. If want a specific date for when your copper lines will be cut off, your best bet is to call your internet provider and they should be able to give you that exact information.

You will also receive notice around 18 months in advance before copper lines are disconnected in your area. It’s important you find an NBN plan that suits you by the end of that 18 months, as there is no automatic switch from ADSL to NBN.

There are four standard NBN speed tiers available in Perth:

- Basic evening speed: No minimum 

- Standard evening speed: Minimum 15 Mbp 

- Standard plus evening speed: Minimum 30 Mbps 

- Premium evening speed: Minimum 60 Mbps

Compare Broadband is a free broadband comparison site for all Australian homes, and our friendly broadband consultants are ready to help you if you need any further information on Perth internet providers & plans. We are 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, so don’t hesitate to hit us up for help! 

You can either give us a call on 1300 106 571, or look at your options by yourself, using our free handy algorithm. Just enter your postcode or address into the white box at the top of this page (or right here) and click “Compare”. Our site will ask you a few questions about how much data you need and how you’re looking to spend per month, and then it will narrow down the best options for you and your location. Easy!