Searching for the best unlimited NBN plans isn't as simple as you’d think, since you’ll find that the majority of the best NBN providers include unlimited data as standard with their plans. What this means is that you’ve essentially got to sift through the sea of NBN providers to find the best NBN plan for your needs.
Even if you don’t think you’ll use a huge amount of data each month, having unlimited data on your NBN plan at home will help you avoid any extra charges or slower download speeds if you were to exceed your monthly data cap.
For us here at Tom’s Guide, the best unlimited NBN plans are those that offer the full download speed of their respective speed tier, for the lowest monthly price. We’ve also factored in if any NBN providers include any extra perks, such as free subscriptions, to determine which truly are the best.
If you know which speed tier you're after, simply click the quick links below to jump straight to that section.
Best Unlimited NBN 25 Plan
Most Australian homes connected to a fixed line NBN connection should be able to achieve speeds of at least 50Mbps. But some Australian NBN users will get by perfectly on a 25Mbps plan. Particularly good for single person households, NBN 25 plans tend to be among the most affordable.
Best Unlimited NBN 50 Plan
The NBN 50 speed tier accounts for nearly half of all active NBN plans in Australia. The 50Mbps option is more than capable of allowing multiple users to stream and download at the same time, and considering only certain NBN connection types are capable of supporting the faster NBN 100 speed tier and beyond, NBN 50 is the one to go for.
We’ve picked out a few options for the best unlimited NBN 50 plan, including those that are cheap and one that we think offers the best overall value.
Best Unlimited NBN 100 Plan
NBN 100 plans offer theoretical maximum download speeds of 100Mbps, and is the fastest achievable tier for all NBN connection types. The NBN Co is keen to get more Australians connected to 100Mbps NBN plans, and as a result, is still in the process of rolling out a free fibre upgrade program.
You'll find that not all NBN providers advertise the maximum 100Mbps download speeds during the busier evening hours, but most do come close. Of the ones that do come close, they can also be more affordable, and you may decide that the cost saving outweighs losing out on a few megabytes.
Best Unlimited NBN 250 Plan
Through our partnership with WhistleOut, we can determine there are only four NBN providers that offer the full 250Mbps download speeds on an NBN 250 plan: Telstra, Swoop, Origin and Southern Phone. However, these NBN plans are either incredibly expensive, the provider(s) have negative reviews or there are just better value alternatives, such as the plan from Superloop we've mentioned below.
Best Unlimited NBN 1000 Plan
Despite NBN making 1Gbps speeds available on the NBN 1000 speed tier, you’re unlikely to be able to get the full gigabit download speeds from your NBN provider. Through our WhistleOut partnership, we’ve determined that Superloop is the best option, striking a good balance between performance and value.
NBN FAQ
What is the NBN?
The NBN (National Broadband Network) is Australia’s national infrastructure for phone and internet services. A government initiative, it was first proposed in 2007 and as of 2020, NBN Co. had completed 90% of the rollout. NBN services are now available to virtually all Australians, although not all can access a fixed-line service. For those who can't, a fixed-wireless service, which uses towers emitting 4G signals should be available, or satellite internet services.
Which NBN speed is best for me?
NBN offers six main speed tiers for consumer connections. There are official names for these (ranging from ‘Basic 1’ to ‘Ultrafast’) but most providers refer to them as a number, relating to the expected download speed. The speed of internet service you can achieve at your property is determined by the physical connection type you have.
The six main NBN speed tiers available are:
NBN 12 (Basic 1): 12Mbps download | 1Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 1 user | NBN 12 is best suited for a single-person household. Even then, the 12Mbps maximum download speed is only going to be good for browsing the internet, sending emails and watching video content in up to 1080p quality. If you want to stream 4K video content (or to multiple devices simultaneously) on services like Netflix, then NBN 12 likely won't be fast enough.
NBN 25 (Basic II): 25Mbps download | 5Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 1-2 users | With NBN 25, up to two people can comfortably browse the internet at the same time and stream a range of music and video content in up to 1080p quality. You may be able to watch 4K streaming video, but only on a single device at a time.
NBN 50 (Standard): 50Mbps download | 20Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 2-4 users | The most popular NBN speed tier, NBN 50 is designed to allow up to four users to browse, stream and download content with ease. NBN 50 is also a good speed tier for people needing to use video chat a lot at home. NBN 50 is the most popular NBN plan in Australia.
NBN 100 (Fast): 100Mbps download | 20Mbps upload | All NBN connection types | 5+ users | Well suited to 4K video streaming and allowing for multiple users to be online at the same time. While all NBN connection types are theoretically capable of achieving 100Mbps speeds, those with FTTN connection types may struggle, depending on the distance of the premises from the node.
NBN 250 (Superfast): 250Mbps download | 25Mbps upload | FTTP, HFC connections | 5+ users | Incredibly fast internet speeds that allows multiple users to stream 4K video content and download large files at the same time.
NBN 1000 (Ultrafast): 1000Mbps download | 50Mbps upload | FTTP, HFC connection | 5+ users | Currently the fastest possible NBN speed tier, although very few telcos actually achieve the full 1000Mbps download speeds, especially during the evening.
What does 'typical evening speed' mean?
You'll see the term 'typical evening speed' advertised against all NBN plans (we've mentioned it a lot in this article, too). This refers to the average download speed you can expect to realistically achieve during the identified peak evening hours of 7pm - 11pm.
Different NBN providers may advertise different typical evening speeds, so be sure to keep an eye out for this figure when searching for a new plan. On speed tiers ranging up to NBN 100, the typical evening speed figure is less important than it used to be, since most will deliver the full amount.
The speeds realistically achievable in Australia have improved in recent years, and you'll now find some internet service providers will advertise the maximum possible speed of the NBN tier you're on. In some cases, your evening speed could actually exceed the theoretical maximum limit of your tier.
