Everything You Need to Know Before Swapping Internet Providers in Australia

Aussies don’t change internet providers very often, but more of us should. It’s not a hard thing to do and it can make a big difference to your wallet and day-to-day frustration levels. If you’re having trouble with your internet service provider (ISP) or network connection – or just want to save on your monthly bill – you can often improve your lot by playing the field. 

Lock-in contracts are very rare these days, so you can bounce from provider to provider in search of greener pastures. Some of them charge an initial connection fee, but it’s not the norm, so you can avoid it if you keep an eye out. 

And if the NBN just isn’t up to snuff at your premises, you can try switching to a different connection technology – in which case you may or may not decide to stick with your provider. Some areas have private fibre networks such as TPG FTTB, Opticomm, and others. But the most widely available NBN alternative is 5G home internet.

Switching NBN providers

Not every ISP performs the same in every location, either in speed or stability of your connection. So even if your NBN provider is reportedly great elsewhere, you can possibly get better results by taking your business elsewhere. At the very least, there’s a good chance you can find a cheaper NBN plan than your current one.

Given the rarity of lock-in contracts, you can always come back to the same one if you decide you had it good, all along – unless your current plan has been discontinued, but the chances are slim.

Cheaper internet plans

One of the main reasons to switch providers is to save money. Some NBN providers are drastically cheaper than others, though you sometimes sacrifice perks or possibly customer service by going with the budget option. It really depends on which providers you’re moving between.

Just be sure to pay attention to introductory discounts. Many providers offer one price for six months or so, after which it can jump up quite a bit. To help even this out, let’s take a look at some cheap NBN plans, but we’ll rank them based on total cost over the first 12 months:

Here are some of the cheapest NBN 50 plans on the market right now:

And here are some of the cheapest NBN 100 plans:

How to switch internet plans

First, don’t cancel your old internet service until the new one is live. It’s not the end of the world if you do, but you might be left without an internet connection for longer than necessary.

To change NBN providers, and assuming you’re not locked into a contract, all you have to do is sign up to a new NBN plan – usually online – then contact your old provider to cancel your service.

Sometimes your old service will automatically cancel when your new one starts or your connection switches over, but not always. You might be able to cancel your old plan via an app or online portal (often called “My Account”), or you might need to call to make the request.

If you decide to call, make sure you have your account number or customer reference number on hand, which you can probably find buried deep in your email inbox somewhere.

Different providers give different timeframes for how long it takes to cancel a plan. Exetel, for example, requires a minimum of 30 days’ notice to cancel an NBN plan or you’ll be charged an additional month’s fee. Other providers might register it either on the same day or next business day, but you’ll always need to pay out the current billing period, at least.

Generally speaking, the switchover between two active internet plans is pretty seamless – you might not even suffer through extra buffering if you’re streaming video during the swap.

Contracts and device payments

While very few NBN plans have lock-in contracts, they do still exist. So check with your provider – either via your user account or by contacting them – what your situation is.

You should also be aware of hardware fees. If you grabbed a “free” modem router with your plan, you might be charged extra if you leave within 24 or 36 months of signing up, depending on the provider. Many of them waive the fee if you return the modem router within good working order – but then you have to go buy a new one for your new internet plan. But some will charge you, no matter what.

If the NBN won’t cut it, try 5G home internet

If your NBN connection is the problem, switching providers won’t solve anything. The most widely available alternative is 5G home internet – though its availability and performance obviously depends on 5G network coverage at your home.

Much like the NBN, 5G home internet plans come in speed tiers:

• 50Mbps maximum download speed (comparable to NBN 50)
• 100Mbps maximum download speed (comparable to NBN 100)
• Uncapped download speeds (roughly comparable to NBN 250)

Where most fixed-line NBN technologies can, at most, sign up to an NBN 100 plan – some providers offer 5G home internet with more than 200Mbps download speeds. And the price compares favourably, too.

For example, you’ll pay $200 less over the first 12 months with a 100Mbps TPG 5G home internet plan than with TPG’s NBN 100 plan. The difference isn’t quite so stark for most providers, but you’ll generally save $100 or more per year, and that’s only when comparing plans from the same provider.

There are fewer providers to choose from when it comes to 5G home internet, and pay attention to which 5G network each of them operates over so you can get an idea of how they might perform in your area. 

Let’s take a look at some plans, once again ranking them by total cost over the first 12 months.

Here are some 5G home internet plans with a 50Mbps download speed limit:

Here’s a look at plans with 100Mbps speed caps:

And here are uncapped 5G home internet plans:

5G home internet modems

Because it’s a different technology, your NBN modem won’t work with 5G home internet. But just about every provider that offers these plans will include a free 5G modem router with your plan. If you leave within 24 or 36 months, depending on the provider, you’ll need to return the modem in good working order or pay a hardware fee, which is based on the number of months short you are of 24 or 36 months.

Optus is the exception because you have no option but to pay for early termination – $13 per month for each month shy of 36.

Alex Angove-Plumb is a journalist at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website

Lead Image Credit: iStock/HBO