nbn® Plans

nbn® plans with no contract

With little change in monthly cost, the biggest difference between a nbn with no contract and a fixed-term plan is in the initial setup costs and the ability to include bundled deals such as Fetch TV. If these don’t interest you, choosing an no contract nbn plan shouldn’t be a hard decision to make. Especially since there aren’t any significant disadvantages to going this route.

What is a no contract nbn plan?

Also known as a month-to-month plan, nbn plans with no contract require no long-term commitment from you to get connected to the nbn. For a set monthly fee, you get high-speed access to the internet through the nbn but are free to cancel it at any time with no penalty. This can be especially useful if you are a renter or are planning on moving soon and aren’t sure if you will be able to transfer your nbn connection.

What are the benefits of a nbn plan with no contract?

The biggest benefit of a nbn plan with no contract is freedom. Because you are not locked in to a 12-month or 24-month contract, you can cancel your plan and change provider at any time, without having to pay any early termination fees. But a month-to-month plan isn’t only good for avoiding being stuck with a service provider you might not be happy with; it is also a great way to start off with the nbn if you’re not sure what speed tier will be better for you. Most providers include details of what type of usage each plan and speed tier are suited to, but this is only a general guide and your actual needs might differ or change. Not being committed to a fixed-term allows you to switch to a faster or slower speed tier as needed.

Have friends or family staying with you for a few weeks or months? Switch to a different plan with faster speeds to accommodate more internet users and then drop back down to your original plan once they leave.

Is a contract nbn plan better?

The primary difference between a contract and month-to-month nbn plan is in the total cost. While the monthly plan fee with most providers remains the same regardless of whether you have signed on for a fixed-term or not, a month-to-month plan usually includes a once-off setup fee to cover the cost of the modem or router the provider supplies. Of course, if you have your own nbn compatible modem or router, they might waive this fee as they do when signing on for a fixed term. Most nbn service providers allow you to use your own modem or router, though you will need to confirm that it will work on their network.

Contract nbn plans are better if you don’t mind being locked-in for a fixed period, don’t have your own modem or router, or want to include a bundled streaming service such as Fetch. All you need to be aware of when committing to a contract term is that you might still have to pay for the modem and router–or return it– along with any exit fees the service provider charges if you terminate the contract before your term is up.

What do I need for a nbn plan with no contract?

For both contract and month-to-month nbn plans, the first thing you need is to check that your address has nbn® access. The rollout of nbn in most parts of Australia is all but complete, but unless you currently have a nbn connection, checking your address should be your first step. Doing this will also show you the nbn technology your address will use, which can influence the speed tiers you can sign up for. nbn plans referring to nbn50, nbn110, Home Standard, or Home Fast should be available if your address supports any of the following:

• Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC)
• Fibre to the Premises (FTTP)
• Fibre to the Node (FTTN)
• Fibre to the Curb (FTTC)
• Fibre to the Building (FTTB)

If you address only supports Fixed Wireless or nbn Sky Muster satellite, your speed options are much more limited.

Once you know that your home can access the nbn and what speed tier you want, visit the signup page for your chosen service provider or call them to get started. If you haven’t had nbn before, your service provider will arrange for the final installation and setup to take place.

If you don’t already have an nbn compatible modem or router, you can receive one from your service provider, and once that has been delivered to you–and your nbn installation is complete–all that is left to do is plug in your modem or router and connect.

Can I still get unlimited data with no contract?

It wasn’t too long ago that most nbn plans–both contract and month-to-month–only came with a fixed data allowance. Meaning that once your monthly data allowance was depleted you either couldn’t access the internet, had your internet slow to a crawl, or were charged a much higher rate for each MB of extra data you used. But as the nbn rollout expanded, unlimited data plans became the norm, rather than the exception. And today most nbn plans on both fixed-terms and no contract offer unlimited data across all speed tiers. And usually with no difference in monthly cost between contract and month-to-month plans.

However, plans with a set data allowance do still exist, and are still useful for some users. But always compare the monthly costs for both an entry-level nbn plan with no data allowance and one with a fixed data cap. The difference might be so minimal that it makes the peace-of-mind that comes from not having to worry about how much data you use more valuable.