Is your internet bill about to skyrocket? Here’s why 69 per cent of homes could be affected

In an age where the internet has become as essential as electricity and water, a significant price hike in broadband services can be a real cause for concern.

Recent reports suggested that up to seven in 10 Australian homes could be facing increased costs for their National Broadband Network (NBN) services, and it's important to understand why this is happening and how it might affect your household budget.



The NBN, a massive infrastructure project aimed at providing reliable and fast internet across Australia, has seen various changes in pricing structures by service providers.

These changes are often influenced by wholesale prices set by NBN Co, the company responsible for the NBN rollout, and other operational costs that internet service providers (ISPs) need to manage.

Let's break down what's happening with the NBN pricing and what it means for you:


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NBN increased prices for its services, which affected 69 per cent of homes. Credit: Shutterstock


Several major ISPs have announced changes to their monthly plans, which could see 69 per cent of households paying more for their internet services.

This comes after NBN proposed to significantly increase the speed of its internet service offerings, enhancing some plans fivefold.

This includes increasing the popular plan speeds to 500Mbps download and 50Mbps upload, with other tiers seeing similar speed boosts.



Telstra's monthly charges could increase by $5 to $105, while Optus might see a rise from $4 to $89.

Other providers, such as Dodo, Aussie Broadband, Superloop, iPrimus, and Exetel, are also adjusting their prices, with increases ranging from $1 to $5 per month.

These price hikes are not uniform across all plans. Some high-speed tiers, such as NBN 250 and NBN 1000, are seeing price reductions.

Many ISPs offer promotional rates for new customers, which can be significantly lower for the first six months before reverting to standard pricing.



For example, Kogan's NBN 50 plan starts at $58.90 per month for the first six months and jumps to $68.90.

Similarly, Tangerine offers its NBN 50 plan at $59 for the first six months before increasing to $79.90.

A Standard NBN 50 plan is generally sufficient for a typical four-person household. According to the ACCC's ‘Netflix test’, 99 per cent of such plans support streaming Netflix in HD on up to four screens simultaneously.



NBN Co encouraged Australians to upgrade their internet speeds. A decade ago, the average household had seven internet-connected devices and used about 40GB of data monthly.

Today, households average 22 devices and consume around 400GB of data monthly. Data demand has doubled in the past five years, and NBN Co predicted households will have around 40 devices connected by the end of the decade.

However, many Australians face a cost-of-living crisis, with insurance premiums up 16 per cent and electricity prices up 20 per cent in the last year.
Key Takeaways
  • NBN price hikes have been announced that could affect up to 69 per cent of homes in Australia.
  • Price increases will vary across different internet service providers, with plans experiencing different levels of pricing adjustment.
  • Despite the increases, some plans have had their prices reduced, suggesting variances may be based on speed tiers.
  • Consumers should be aware of the changes and may need to review their options, as there are still competitive offers available from various providers.
Have you been affected by NBN price hikes or found a great deal on your internet service? Share your experiences and tips in the comments below.
 
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I was with Optus but their costs kept increasing too and they wouldn't offer me a cheaper plan, like they were to new custoners. So I changed to Dodo. Over the last couple of years the monthly cost (NBN50) has increased. In December 2023 it went up $10 per month & now a few months later, another increase to $83.90 per month plus they charge an extra $10 for my home phone. They have offered me an NBN25 plan for $68.90 + $10 for my landline phone. I originally started at $49.90 per month. I have been with Dodo for many years, but it might be time for a change.
 
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For the last couple of years I have swapped NBN providers every 6 months each time using their “introductory” price. Now I am running out of service providers to do this. Even the one that stated “for new and returning customers” no longer offers this. The change, each time, has been seamless (apart from the time I got the timing wrong and paid for two providers for a few weeks). Anyway I must have saved a few hundred dollars in that time. No shame in doing this. They offer and I accept!!
 
I was with Optus but their costs kept increasing too and they wouldn't offer me a cheaper plan, like they were to new custoners. So I changed to Dodo. Over the last couple of years the monthly cost (NBN50) has increased. In December 2023 it went up $10 per month & now a few months later, another increase to $83.90 per month plus they charge an extra $10 for my home phone. They have offered me an NBN25 plan for $68.90 + $10 for my landline phone. I originally started at $49.90 per month. I have been with Dodo for many years, but it might be time for a change.
Yes time for a change. You get nothing for years of loyalty. They just can't to sucker in new clients.
Shop around you will get what you want.
P.S. dontvfirhmget to let them know why you left. Good luck.
 
For the last couple of years I have swapped NBN providers every 6 months each time using their “introductory” price. Now I am running out of service providers to do this. Even the one that stated “for new and returning customers” no longer offers this. The change, each time, has been seamless (apart from the time I got the timing wrong and paid for two providers for a few weeks). Anyway I must have saved a few hundred dollars in that time. No shame in doing this. They offer and I accept!!
As well as being SLOW on service, most providers take little time to bother to check on their regulars. It would seem they havecrealised what you & hundreds of others are doing.
 
In our RAAF village we pay $36.95 per month....wonder if there will be a rise. Even so I do not expect to pay anything like those mentioned above. It is a local Perth company so hope it does not get absorbed into one of the larger ones.
 
In our RAAF village we pay $36.95 per month....wonder if there will be a rise. Even so I do not expect to pay anything like those mentioned above. It is a local Perth company so hope it does not get absorbed into one of the larger ones.
You are lucky you can double that at least over here in the east.
 
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One company has taken over several. They are holding their charges until September. They operate out of Qld. If you are having a problem and book a "call back" unless they have "caught up" I hope you have plenty of patience. One of their customers lodged "3 call backs" over the space of 3 weeks and was still waiting to hear from them a week later. There is going to be plenty of research by a huge number of people
 
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One company has taken over several. They are holding their charges until September. They operate out of Qld. If you are having a problem and book a "call back" unless they have "caught up" I hope you have plenty of patience. One of their customers lodged "3 call backs" over the space of 3 weeks and was still waiting to hear from them a week later. There is going to be plenty of research by a huge number of people
Would you like to name the company??? No good if we choose the one & it's useless. TUIA.
 
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In our RAAF village we pay $36.95 per month....wonder if there will be a rise. Even so I do not expect to pay anything like those mentioned above. It is a local Perth company so hope it does not get absorbed into one of the larger ones.
Which local Perth company rehandra? I’m just curious as my son works in that area.
 
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We’ve been with Aussie broadband and found them quite reasonable and if you have a problem you talk to someone in Australia. We didn’t bother upgrading to fiber to the house as the cost increase and wouldn’t have made any difference to our streaming experience.
 
We’ve been with Aussie broadband and found them quite reasonable and if you have a problem you talk to someone in Australia. We didn’t bother upgrading to fiber to the house as the cost increase and wouldn’t have made any difference to our streaming experience.
You were lucky. We didn't get a choice, they just put it in. No how's your father.
 
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Access to reliable internet is a bone of contention for most people living in Regional OZ, we do not have cable or telephone wired NBN where we live and only have internet access through "Fixed Wireless"nor do we have access to different speed tiers, it is what it is, often slow but mostly enough for basic streaming and email etc. We are also limited to a small number of providers for "Fixed Wireless" so cannot keep swapping to get the best deal most providers deals are the same as the next one, oh the joys of country living (Not)
 
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