
It’s much more straightforward to buy a mobile phone plan for your business than it is an NBN plan. The differences between residential and business mobile phone plans are basically non-existent. There are, however, some key differences to consider when it comes to weighing up the best residential NBN plans with business NBN plans.
Before we dive into comparing NBN business plans with residential ones, here’s a look at some popular business NBN plans from our comparison engine:
Popular Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Telstra Business
|
Telstra Business
|
100%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
More
|
More
|
83%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
|
80%
|
|
|
#4
|
Vodafone Business
|
Vodafone Business
|
80%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Exetel
|
Exetel
|
56%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#6
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
|
55%
|
Link not supplied
|
And here’s a list of some daily updating popular picks for residential NBN plans from our database:
Popular Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
amaysim
|
amaysim
|
100%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
|
SpinTel
|
70%
|
|
|
#3
|
Dodo
|
Dodo
|
70%
|
|
|
#4
|
Tangerine Telecom
|
Tangerine Telecom
|
70%
|
|
|
#5
|
Belong
|
Belong
|
57%
|
|
|
#6
|
Exetel
|
Exetel
|
54%
|
|
|
#7
|
Superloop
|
Superloop
|
37%
|
|
|
#8
|
Telstra
|
Telstra
|
31%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#9
|
iiNet
|
iiNet
|
30%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#10
|
Flip
|
Flip
|
28%
|
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Speeds and tiers
On the all-important speed front, business NBN plans forego the bare-bolts NBN 12 plans and start off with NBN 25 speeds, which should be considered the minimum for most small businesses. NBN 50 plans offer a great mix of upload/download speed and price, while NBN 100 plans are the fastest speed tier available to metro offices not connected by Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) or Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technologies.
If your office is connected to the NBN via HFC or FTTP, you may be eligible to sign up to NBN 250, and NBN 1000 plans. The other big difference for speed considerations is that business NBN plans have download speeds that tend to be advertised in terms of business hours (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday) whereas residential plans are advertised in terms of after-hours speeds (7pm to 11pm every night).
Providers like SpinTel have specific plans with expected speeds split between different time,s which, in the case of SpinTel, is 100Mbps from midnight to 7pm AEST for its NBN 100 plan and 50Mbps from 7pm to midnight AEST.
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Plan prices
Residential NBN plans tend to be cheaper than business NBN plans, with better first-year pricing for certain residential NBN plans thanks to the trend of the popularity of six months of promotional pricing. Let’s take a closer look at some comparisons.
With promotional pricing, the cheapest residential NBN 25 plans in our comparison engine are initially at least $20 cheaper than the cheapest business NBN 25 plans.
Here’s a look at the cheapest residential NBN 25 plans:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
amaysim
|
amaysim
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN25
All Fixed Line nbn®
$30/mth
for first 6 months, then $70/mth
Min. cost $30
Link not supplied
|
$30/mth
for first 6 months, then $70/mth
Min. cost $30
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
SpinTel
|
SpinTel
All Fixed Line nbn®
Home Starter 25/10
All Fixed Line nbn®
$41/mth
for first 6 mths, then $69.95/mth
Min. cost $41
|
$41/mth
for first 6 mths, then $69.95/mth
Min. cost $41
|
|
|
#3
|
Tangerine Telecom
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value NBN 25/10
All Fixed Line nbn®
$42.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $72.90/mth
Min. cost $42.90
|
$42.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $72.90/mth
Min. cost $42.90
|
|
|
#4
|
Dodo
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn25 Unlimited Plan
All Fixed Line nbn®
$43.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $73.99/mth
Min. cost $43.99
|
$43.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $73.99/mth
Min. cost $43.99
|
|
|
#5
|
Moose NBN
|
Moose NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn 25/10 Value
All Fixed Line nbn®
$44.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $64.80/mth
Min. cost $44.80
Link not supplied
|
$44.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $64.80/mth
Min. cost $44.80
|
Link not supplied
|
And below is a snapshot of the cheapest business NBN 25 plans:
Broadband Plans
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Basic Plus 25/10
All Fixed Line nbn®
$58/mth
for first 6 months, then $83/mth
Min. cost $58
|
$58/mth
for first 6 months, then $83/mth
Min. cost $58
|
The typical pricing for residential NBN 25 plans from Tangerine, SpinTel, Moose Mobile, Superloop, Exetel, Southern Phone, Mate, Belong, Aussie Broadband, Kogan and Dodo are all cheaper than the cheapest business NBN 25 plan.
If you ignore promotional pricing for residential plans, it’s a tighter competition for NBN 50 plans. In fact, most residential NBN 50 plans have comparable pricing to business NBN 50 plans.
Check out a handful of the cheapest residential NBN 50 plans below (note: they likely have promotional pricing):
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Belong
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
All Fixed Line nbn®
$55/mth
for first 6 mths, then $91/mth
Min. cost $55
|
$55/mth
for first 6 mths, then $91/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
|
#2
|
Dodo
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
All Fixed Line nbn®
$57.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
$57.99/mth
for first 6 mths, then $87.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
|
#3
|
Moose NBN
|
Moose NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn 50/20 Premium
All Fixed Line nbn®
$59.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $83.80/mth
Min. cost $59.80
Link not supplied
|
$59.80/mth
for first 6 mths, then $83.80/mth
Min. cost $59.80
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Tangerine Telecom
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$64.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
$64.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $89.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
|
#5
|
Flip
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
All Fixed Line nbn®
$68/mth
for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth
Min. cost $68
|
$68/mth
for first 6 mths then $84.90/mth
Min. cost $68
|
And here’s a look at a few of the cheapest business NBN 50 plans:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Value 50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$70/mth
for first 6 months, then $95/mth
Min. cost $70
|
$70/mth
for first 6 months, then $95/mth
Min. cost $70
|
|
|
#2
|
Exetel
|
Exetel
All Fixed Line nbn®
Home Business nbn50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
Link not supplied
|
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Vodafone Business
|
Vodafone Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Essential+ nbn® Business Plan
All Fixed Line nbn®
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
Link not supplied
|
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business nbn® Starter
All Fixed Line nbn®
$97/mth
Min. cost $97
Link not supplied
|
$97/mth
Min. cost $97
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#5
|
Telstra Business
|
Telstra Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Essential Internet Only
All Fixed Line nbn®
$110/mth
+ $99 Upfront
Min. cost $209
Link not supplied
|
$110/mth
+ $99 Upfront
Min. cost $209
|
Link not supplied
|
There are also additional business-specific perks that come with the extra monthly cost (more on these below), which helps to add to the overall value.
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Data allowances
Data allowances start out with business NBN plans having a slight edge. All of the business NBN 25 plans in our comparison engine have unlimited data, whereas there are a couple of custom Aussie Broadband residential NBN 25 plans that have data limits.
That same Aussie Broadband disclaimer applies for NBN 50 plans, except iiNet also offers a couple of data-capped business NBN 50 plans. All other residential and business NBN plans in our comparison engine have unlimited data.
Unlimited data is well and truly the trend when you get to NBN 100 plans, with iiNet and Aussie Broadband offering data-capped plans for business and residential options, respectively. For offices and homes that can sign up to NBN 250 or NBN 1000 plans, data caps are a rarity across business and residential NBN plans. The only exception is for the Superloop residential NBN 500 plan, which has a 3TB data cap.
Long story short, unlimited data is the norm, so there’s not much of a difference whether you opt for a business or residential NBN plan in this regard.
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Special perks
The add-ons for residential and business NBN plans are quite different. Residential plans have access to plan bundle discounts, bundled streaming services (e.g. Fetch TV and Optus Sport), or points for reward programs (e.g. Qantas Points with Kogan). NBN providers like Tangerine, Moose Mobile, Mate and Vodafone offer limited-time trials with money-back guarantees (Vodafone offers this for business customers, too).
The other big perk costs extra and it’s for gaming-related residential NBN plans that have access to features like traffic prioritisation, custom routing, and static IP addresses. Offering a static IP address is a popular inclusion among business NBN plans, too.
You can see a selection of residential NBN 100 plans below that have some of these extras:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Tangerine Telecom
|
Tangerine Telecom
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Speedy NBN 100/20
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
$67.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth
Min. cost $67.90
|
$67.90/mth
for first 6 mths, then $92.90/mth
Min. cost $67.90
|
|
|
#2
|
Kogan Internet
|
Kogan Internet
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Gold Unlimited
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
$69.90/mth
for first 12 mths, then $85.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
$69.90/mth
for first 12 mths, then $85.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
And below is a handful of business NBN 100 plans in terms of extras:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Business Fast 100/20
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
$79/mth
for first 6 months, then $99/mth
Min. cost $79
|
$79/mth
for first 6 months, then $99/mth
Min. cost $79
|
|
|
#2
|
Vodafone Business
|
Vodafone Business
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
Home Fast nbn® Business Plan
FTTN, FTTB, FTTC
$99/mth
Min. cost $99
Link not supplied
|
$99/mth
Min. cost $99
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business nbn® Essential
All Fixed Line nbn®
$109/mth
Min. cost $109
Link not supplied
|
$109/mth
Min. cost $109
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#4
|
More
|
More
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Fast NBN
All Fixed Line nbn®
$115/mth
Min. cost $115
Link not supplied
|
$115/mth
Min. cost $115
|
Link not supplied
|
For something speedier, check out some residential NBN 250 plans below:
This product is no longer available
And you can see business NBN 250 plans below:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
FTTP
Business nbn® Pro
FTTP
$109/mth
Min. cost $109
Link not supplied
|
$109/mth
Min. cost $109
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
FTTP, HFC
Business Superfast Plus 250/100 with Bronze eSLA
FTTP, HFC
$114/mth
Min. cost $114
|
$114/mth
Min. cost $114
|
|
|
#3
|
More
|
More
FTTP, HFC
Business Superfast NBN
FTTP, HFC
$125/mth
Min. cost $125
Link not supplied
|
$125/mth
Min. cost $125
|
Link not supplied
|
If you’re after business extras with your NBN plan, it’s likely that inclusions such as a static IP address, an included phone line (sometimes with calls), and dedicated support channels are more valuable than residential perks.
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Modems and phones
One way that a lot of residential NBN providers keep costs low is by offering a mix of BYO modem and/or phone plans that cost extra. For business NBN plans, NBN-compatible modems are more common, though you may have to opt for a contract to have one included. Similarly, phone plans tend to be included as default, which may start as PAYG but can also include (or be upgraded to include) national calls.
Below is a handful of business NBN plans that include a modem and phone plan:
Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Value 50/20
All Fixed Line nbn®
$70/mth
+ $180 Upfront
for first 6 months, then $95/mth
Min. cost $250
|
$70/mth
+ $180 Upfront
for first 6 months, then $95/mth
Min. cost $250
|
|
|
#2
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business nbn® Starter
All Fixed Line nbn®
$97/mth
Min. cost $97
Link not supplied
|
$97/mth
Min. cost $97
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Telstra Business
|
Telstra Business
All Fixed Line nbn®
Business Essential nbn
All Fixed Line nbn®
$125/mth
+ $99 Upfront
Min. cost $224
Link not supplied
|
$125/mth
+ $99 Upfront
Min. cost $224
|
Link not supplied
|
And here’s a look at popular residential NBN plans that come with a modem and phone line:
Popular Broadband Plans
|
#1
|
Vodafone Business
|
Vodafone Business
|
100%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#2
|
Optus Business
|
Optus Business
|
62%
|
Link not supplied
|
|
#3
|
Aussie Broadband
|
Aussie Broadband
|
14%
|
|
|
#4
|
Telstra Business
|
Telstra Business
|
3%
|
Link not supplied
|
Business NBN vs. residential NBN: Support differences
The best form of support for residential NBN plans is offered seven days a week. For business NBN plans, priority support from a dedicated team is the gold standard. Providers like Aussie Broadband offer Australian support staff across residential and business plans, but Southern Phone, Mate, Superloop, and Origin Broadband also offer this support perk for residential plans.
Nathan Lawrence
Freelance Contributor
Find a better internet plan
Thousands of internet plans unpacked. All the facts. No surprises.
Checking prices and plans