Contracts suck. The telco industry is built on long-term commitments, but locking yourself into one provider for 24 months always feels bad. Sometimes you can even get hit with early exit modem fees. A lot can change in that kind of time. Best NBN plans can flip. Evening speeds could get worse. A better deal might pop up. You could abandon modern life for a cute off-the-grid commune. 5G might become a viable alternative. Thankfully, when it comes to NBN, there are plenty of providers who offer no-contract plans.
Contract-free plans tends to be the most flexible NBN option: you can leave whenever you want, for whatever reason.
As such, we’re going to look at some of the cheapest contract-free unlimited plans around.
Most ISPs will offer to sell you a modem, but some force you to buy one they range when you’re signing up. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve only compared plans where a modem purchase is optional. You won’t be hit with any setup or early exit fees.
Unlimited NBN 50 with no-contract
If you’re after one of the cheapest no-contract NBN 50 plans you can get, Tangerine is a good choice thanks to a promotional discount. You’ll save $10 per month for your first six months with the telco, bringing your bill down to $59.90 per month. You’ll then pay $69.90 per month thereafter, which is still competitive for an NBN 50 plan. Tangerine’s plans are all contract-free, so you’re always able to swap provider once your discount runs out. Tangerine also offers a 14-day risk-free trial.
SpinTel is a great choice if you’d prefer to avoid promotional pricing, with an unlimited NBN 50 plan for $64.94 per month.
MATE and MyRepublic both also have contract and setup fee free NBN 50 plans billed at a flat $69 per month. MyRepublic has a 1Mbps edge in evening speeds over MATE, but MATE will cut $10 from your bill if you bundle in a SIM-only phone plan. MATE’s mobile plans start at $20 per month for 5GB and are powered by the Telstra network.
Unlimited NBN 100 with no-contract
Tangerine is again once of your cheapest options if you’re after a contract-free unlimited NBN 100 plan. You’ll pay $74.90 per month for your first six months, and $89.90 per month thereafter. While that might seem like a steep rise, $89.90 is fairly standard pricing for an NBN 100 plan these days.
Vodafone is doing its own promotional discount, cutting $10 per month from its NBN 100 plan. You’ll pay $85 per month for your first six months, and $95 per month thereafter. If you’re already a Vodafone mobile customer, you can save further by bundling your services. Vodafone will cut 5% from your total bill for each postpaid service you have on your account after the first, up to a maximum of 20%.
If you’re looking to avoid timed discounts, MATE is a solid choice in terms of value. MATE’s unlimited NBN 100 plan is priced at $79 per month, which undercuts a lot of the competition. As with its NBN 50 plans, the telco will cut a further $10 from your total bill if you bundle in one of its Telstra-powered mobile plans.
While more premium providers like Aussie Broadband and Superloop used to charge around $100 per month for an unlimited plan, you can now get a plan from either for around $89 per month thanks to the introduction of NBN 100 / 20 plans. Aussie Broadband’s NBN 100 plan will set you back $89 per month, while Superloop’s is a little pricier at $89.95 per month. The pair also report some of the fastest evening speeds around, clocking in at 86Mbps and 90Mbps, respectively.
Unlimited NBN 250 with no-contract
If you’ve got an FTTP connection or lucked out with your HFC, you’re now able to sign-up for an NBN 250 plan. Both Aussie Broadband and Superloop offer ostensibly identical contract-free NBN 250 plans for $129 per month with typical evening speeds of 215Mbps.
At this stage, 70% of HFC premises can support NBN 250 plans. NBN Co intends to upgrade the HFC portion of the network to ensure all customers can get an NBN 250 plan by June next year.
Alex Choros is Managing Editor at WhistleOut, Australia’s phone and internet comparison website.
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