Best NBN 250 plans: the cheapest, fastest and best overall options

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Best NBN 250 plans

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If you're one of the many Aussie gamers, streamers or remote workers, you're likely looking for an NBN plan that'll skyrocket your internet needs. Thankfully, having a 'superfast' NBN 250 plan will be just the thing to keep your connection secure and stable.

With most plans advertising a theoretical maximum of 250Mbps during the busy evening hours, finding the best NBN plan that suits your internet needs is no easy task. If you have the right connection type to support a superfast plan (i.e. FTTP or HFC connections), we've noticed a significant drop in the prices of NBN 250 plans, making them a cost-effective choice compared to an average NBN 100 plan.

Some NBN providers may reach only 240Mbps, while others reach a maximum of 200Mbps during busy evening hours. With such big discrepancies in potential speeds you can achieve, shopping around and understanding the plan that you’re signing up for is beyond paramount. If you find a plan advertising typical evening speeds of around 240Mbps, we'd recommend it, as a 10Mbps difference is unlikely to have as much of a real-world effect as a 50Mbps difference between 250Mbps and 200Mbps.

Currently, five telcos advertise the maximum 250Mbps speeds during busy evening hours — Superloop, AGL, Swoop, Southern Phone and Telstra — and other telcos like Optus average around 240Mbps during peak hours.

We’ve taken speed differences, hidden fees and more into consideration, as we round up the best NBN 250 plans currently available below. If you’re looking for more ways to save on your monthly internet bill, you can check out our cheap NBN plans guide too.

Best NBN 250 plans

Best overall NBN 250 plan

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Exetel | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$83.99p/m (for 6 months, then AU$98.99p/m)

Exetel's superfast plan takes the cake this month as our top NBN 250 pick, as you'll save AU$90 over the first six months, before the price increases. Whilst this plan takes a drop in typical evening speed by advertising 220Mbps, it does come with Exetel's Speed Boost Days feature, which lets you temporarily increase the speed to the telco's next tier of 500Mbps. (The telco previously offered an NBN 1000 tier).

All FTTP and some HFC connections can support this connection, so make sure you know your type before you sign the dotted line.

Total minimum cost: AU$83.95 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,097.88 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,187.88

Best fast NBN 250 plan

Superloop | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$85p/m (for 6 months, then AU$99p/m)

Superloop has been one of our top providers as of late, mainly due to its affordability, high speeds and Speed Boost feature. It also happens to be the second cheapest provider all round over the first 12 months and one of the most affordable options to offer the full 250Mbps speeds during the busier evening hours.

The telco does offer customers five Speed Boost days per month, which allows you to amplify your internet to the next speed tier of NBN 1000 and you can bank a total of 30 days. (Superloop currently advertises typical evening speeds of 811Mbps on the NBN 1000 tier).

Total minimum cost: AU$85 | Total cost for first 12 months: AU$1,104| Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,188

Cheapest NBN 250 plan

Spintel | NBN 250 | Unlimited data | No lock-in contract | AU$79p/m (for 6 months, then AU$89.95p/m)

Advertising 211Mbps during the peak evening hours, this Spintel deal slashes AU$65.70 off over the first six months—before the price increases to AU$89.95. We've highlighted this deal before, as this plan costs the same as an average NBN 100 plan, which is pretty impressive.

The telco has also received some great reviews online, with customers praising the easy installation and friendly support representatives.

Total minimum cost: AU$79 | Total cost of first 12 months: AU$1,013.70 | Yearly cost after discount: AU$1,079.40

NBN 250 FAQ

How fast is NBN 250?

NBN 250 plans offer a maximum download speed of 250Mbps. However, only four telcos in Australia currently advertise this maximum speed: Telstra, AGL, Swoop, and Southern Phone. All other NBN providers in Australia advertise a range of speeds, from 196Mbps up to 245Mbps, so it’s always good to shop around to find the right balance of speed to monthly cost that works for you.

Can I get NBN 250?

Not everyone in Australia will be able to sign up to an NBN 250 plan. In order to access the superfast speeds, you will need to have either a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) connection type at your property.

However, you will need to pay close attention to which connection(s) each individual internet service provider supports, as some will only support a 250Mbps NBN 250 plan on an FTTP connection and not HFC.

How much is an NBN 250 plan?

The cost of NBN 250 plans varies rather dramatically. The cheapest NBN 250 plan, as we mentioned further up this page, comes from Flip, with prices starting at AU$84 p/m. But, the major telcos such as Aussie Broadband and Telstra charge AU$129 and AU$135 per month, respectively, for their NBN 250 plans, after any introductory discounts.

The average monthly cost of an NBN 250 plan, from our research, comes out to AU$113.33 per month.

Lucy Scotting is a digital content writer for Tom’s Guide in Australia, primarily covering NBN and internet-related news. Lucy started her career writing for HR and staffing industry publications, with articles covering emerging tech, business and finance. In her spare time, Lucy can be found watching sci-fi movies, working on her dystopian fiction novel or hanging out with her dog, Fletcher.

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