If you find that your internet slows to a crawl during the evening, then it might be worthwhile investing in a congestion-free connection. These plans have typical evening speeds that match the speed tier and shouldn’t see any slowdown, no matter the time of day. That means you’ll maintain 100Mbps on an NBN 100 plan, and 50Mbps on an NBN 50 one.
While you used to pay a bit extra for the fastest connection possible, that isn’t the case anymore. Most of the fastest NBN 50 and 100 plans are also the cheapest.
Depending on which speed tier you’re interested in, a few internet providers offer an introductory discount for their respective NBN plans. So if you want to hit top download speeds without breaking the bank, here are the cheapest congestion-free NBN plans available right now.
This article has been updated since its original publish date.
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What affects your download speeds?
Before we look at which providers offer these plans, it’s important to point out that there are still factors that can prevent you from achieving these speeds. In-home wiring and your equipment can all adversely impact your download speeds, as can abnormally high usage in your area.
Some FTTN connections can’t even get full NBN 50 speeds. We’ve also seen providers that have advertised congestion-free typical evening speeds, but then reduced speed guidance at a later date.
The cheapest congestion-free NBN 50 plans
Many NBN providers now offer NBN 50 plans with typical evening speeds of 50Mbps, so it’s not hard to find a connection that shouldn’t slow down during peak hours. Even better, most of these providers offer some form of introductory discount, so you can score top speeds and a bargain.
Kogan currently has the cheapest NBN 50 plan, where you’ll pay $58.90 per month for the first three months and then $68.90 per month thereafter. Even at full price, Kogan has the cheapest plans in this connection.
If you want a longer discount period, Tangerine is offering a plan where you’ll pay $59.90 per month for your first six months. This jumps to $79.90 per month after that.
Exetel has a similar offer where you’ll pay $63.99 per month for your first six months and $79.99 per month after that. Exetel’s NBN 50 plan gives you five free speed boosts to NBN 100 every month. Each speed boost lasts a single day. Speed boosts are only available to those on HFC, FTTP, and FTTN connections, however.
The cheapest congestion-free NBN 100 plans
We’ve seen a substantial increase in internet providers that offer congestion-free NBN 100 plans over the past couple of months. These NBN plans are all reporting typical evening speeds of 100Mbps. It’s also worth noting that FTTN connections need to be within 400m of a node to even have a shot of achieving NBN 100 speeds.
Tangerine is your cheapest option currently. You’ll pay $64.90 per month for your first six months, and $84.90 per month thereafter.
Then there’s Dodo, which is offering its NBN 100 plan for $67.90 per month for the first six months you’re with the provider. After that introductory period ends, you’ll be paying $88.90 per month. You can also save an extra $10 per month if you bundle your internet with Dodo’s electricity and gas plans.
Exetel is up next and you’re looking at $68.99 per month for your first six months and $84.99 per month thereafter. As with its NBN 50 plan, Exetel will also give you five free speed boosts to NBN 250 per month. However, you’ll need to have an FTTP or HFC connection to take advantage of these.
If you don’t plan on changing providers every six months, SpinTel is a great set-and-forget choice. You’ll pay $71 per month for your first six months and $81.95 per month thereafter. It’s one of the cheapest full-price NBN 100 plans around.
The cheapest congestion-free NBN 250 plans
When it comes to NBN 250 plans that are reporting typical evening speeds of 250MBps, you’ve got a few options now.
TPG has the cheapest introductory offer available. If you pick up its NBN 250 plan, you won’t have to pay anything for your first month. After that initial month, you’ll be paying a flat rate of $94.99 per month, which is the cheapest full-price cost for a congestion-free plan. This offer is available until July 9.
The next cheapest plan belongs to Superloop. You can pick up its NBN 250 connection for $85 per month for the first six months of your plan before it increases to $99 per month. If you stick with Superloop for at least 18 months, you’ll also score a free Amazon eero 6+ router. However, if you leave the internet provider within this time period, you’ll need to pay a one-time modem clawback fee that’s equal to $8 per remaining month (to a total of $144).
Southern Phone is up next, which has a flat rate of $95 per month. After TPG, this is the cheapest full-price congestion-free plan that’s available.
Image: Universal Studios
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