Optus took out top spot in our 2024 Small Business NBN Providers ratings, scoring five stars across all categories, including value for money, client service and overall satisfaction.
Our ratings compare a range of NBN providers that offer business services, based on customer satisfaction as rated by Australians.
Canstar Blue surveyed 350 Australians with a current business NBN service for their feedback on NBN providers they’ve been signed up to. Respondents had to have a current fixed-line service account for a business and that business pays the bills.
Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their business NBN provider from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. Business NBN provider satisfaction is rated on the following criteria:
The winning brand is the brand that receives the highest Overall satisfaction rating. All the scores from the Overall satisfaction criteria are then combined and averaged to determine the overall winner.
To qualify in the ratings results, brands must have received a minimum of 30 responses to be included. Therefore, not all NBN providers offering business services will be compared in this survey. Brands rated in this survey are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.
Find more information on our Most Satisfied Customers ratings.
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Winning our small business NBN providers ratings for the first time since 2020, Optus had a perfect five-star score across all categories, including overall satisfaction, network performance and value for money.
Optus offers a wider range of NBN speeds for its business plans, with NBN 50, 100, 250 and 1000 speed tiers available (actual speeds experienced may differ). You’ll then have the option to choose from a basic plan (which includes a modem) or its Business Internet Professional plan which, in addition to the modem, includes services like a WiFi booster and WiFi security.
Despite being the only other provider that qualified for our ratings, Telstra still scored an impressive result, with four stars for overall satisfaction and in most other categories except for network performance, where it scored five stars.
Telstra’s business plans are fairly straightforward, with one plan offering NBN 50 speeds and another plan with NBN 100 speeds. Both plans include a modem with 4G mobile backup during outages, unlimited calls to standard Australian landlines and mobile, unlimited data and advanced cyber security.
The above mentioned providers aren’t the only telcos offering NBN plans for businesses. If you’re looking for an internet plan to service your business, here’s a list of other providers offering NBN business plans:
Having a fast and reliable NBN service is an essential part of running a business these days, with 50% of our survey respondents stating that fast internet is crucial to their business. With 15% claiming to regularly suffer from slow or unreliable internet and a quarter claiming that an internet outage affected their business, finding a quality and reliable service is a must.
When you’re looking at business NBN services, it’s important to ensure you’re choosing a plan that will best suit your needs.
Much like your home internet service, having the right speed tier is essential to choosing the best NBN plan for your business. You should have an idea of how your business will use the internet, such as for video conferencing along with downloading and uploading large files, in addition to how many people will be using the internet. This will give you an idea of which speed tier will suit your business needs the best.
You’ll also want to consider if you need any extras or add-ons to your internet services. This could include a modem, call packs and/or landline phones, internet security, dedicated customer service and more.
Not all providers will offer these services, and some may offer more add-ons and extras than others. Consider how important these services are to your business and compare providers to find the deal that will get you the best value for your money.
Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for over five years, with a dedication to providing Aussies with all the information they need to make better purchasing decisions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University and has a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media.
Meet the Editorial Team
Samantha Howse is Canstar Blue’s Consumer Research Specialist, coordinating the consumer research program behind our customer satisfaction awards across Canstar and Canstar Blue in Australia and New Zealand. Sam has earned a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Griffith University and, with seven years in market research and 2 years in marketing, she is experienced in survey design, implementation and analysis, coupled with an understanding of marketing principles and best practice.
Meet the Research TeamCanstar Blue surveyed over 2,000 Australian small to medium-sized business owners or key decision-makers (i.e. the key decision-maker for the business) across a range of categories to measure and track customer satisfaction, via ISO 26362 accredited research panels managed by Qualtrics. The outcomes reported are the results from customers within the survey group who currently have a business broadband plan and the business pays the bills – in this case, 350 people.
Brands must have received at least 30 responses to be included. Results are comparative and it should be noted that brands receiving three stars have still achieved a satisfaction measure of at least six out of 10. Not all brands available in the market have been compared in this survey. The ratings table is first sorted by star ratings and then by mean overall satisfaction. A rated brand may receive a ‘N/A’ (Not Applicable) rating if it does not receive the minimum number of responses for that criteria.
Here are past winners of Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customers – Business NBN Providers ratings:
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Australia’s Best-Rated Business NBN Providers & Plans - March 22nd
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