Tara Donnelly

Tara Donnelly is Canstar Blue’s Utilities Editor, leading the team that focuses on energy, telecommunications and consumer technology, across news, reviews and how-tos. Tara has spent more than a decade covering these topics in Australia, the US and Canada, which means she’s written about countless product launches and industry changes, including the rise of 5G, Australia’s ongoing NBN rollout, the recent years of energy price volatility and the rise of renewable energy sources. Tara also has long experience in writing within the comparison industry, giving her great insights into the information consumers want when determining which plan or device will best meet their needs, while time spent in the financial sector before turning her talent to content lets her crunch the numbers on price with ease. Tara leads the coverage of Canstar Blue’s ratings and awards for the internet and phone sectors and is an expert at advising consumers on how to use comparison tools to find the best power, internet or phone deal. Her expertise has seen her appear in national media including 9 News, 7 News, Sunrise, the ABC and The Sydney Morning Herald. Tara has a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Canberra and is passionate about simplifying complex subjects so consumers aren’t just informed, they’re connected and confident.



Car representing fast speeds

Compare the best NBN 1000 plans

Posted by March 11th 2024

For high intensity users, large households or anyone who just wants the fastest internet speeds the NBN has to offer, NBN 1000 — or Gigabit NBN — offers a super fast performance, but often with …


Compare the best NBN 100 plans

Posted by March 11th 2024

The Premium NBN 100 speed tier is the fastest of what’s available on the NBN and is suitable for larger households and intensive users.


Compare the best NBN 50 plans

Posted by July 16th 2024

The Standard Plus speed tier is the second-fastest on the fixed line NBN, yielding speeds up to 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload.


Happy couple using laptop at home

NBN Co’s new plan to boost your internet speed for FREE

Posted by March 5th 2024

NBN Co has unveiled plans to offer even more value to customers jumping on its free fibre upgrade program. The company is proposing to boost download speeds by up to five times faster on selected …


Blue LPG gas cylinders

Residential LPG gas bottle sizes explained

Posted by December 3rd 2024

If you don’t have natural gas available at your address, you may be considering using LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) instead. But before you jump on LPG, you’ll need to understand the different sizes of gas …


Close-up of hands using orange mobile phone

Tangerine hacked: Personal info of 230,000 customers exposed

Posted by February 22nd 2024

Tangerine is the latest Aussie telco to suffer a major data breach, after the personal details of 232,000 customers were stolen by hackers.  Tangerine said in a statement that the hack occurred February 18, with management …


Choose mobile number image of sim cards

How to choose your mobile phone number in Australia

Posted by October 2nd 2024

Rather than having to memorise some random new number, or put up with porting your current number, some providers allow you to choose your own mobile phone number, with varying degrees of customisation. However, four …


How to change NBN providers

Posted by April 3rd 2024

The completion of the NBN rollout means most Australians might already be on an NBN plan. But with so many plans on offer, it can be hard to choose which provider is right for you, …


Four people holding and looking at mobile phones against yellow background

How do I port my mobile number?

Posted by October 2nd 2024

When done right, porting your mobile number should take no longer than an hour. But an hour can turn into days. Get the full lowdown at Canstar Blue.