Now that the NBN (National Broadband Network) has been rolled out to most of the country, it has vastly changed the landscape of internet in Australia. The NBN is an Australian owned and operated fixed-line broadband network, which sells network access and bandwidth to internet providers which then sell plans to the public. This means that rather than relying on providers to roll out networks, the NBN has broadened the competition with a ready-made network, ultimately giving consumers more choice for which internet provider to go with.
However, despite the huge range of choice on offer, the internet market is still dominated by a handful of providers. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the biggest internet providers in the NBN market, and what you can expect from these providers when it comes plans and prices.
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NBN offers you might like
Want an NBN plan from one of the big players? Or maybe you prefer a small company? Check out some of the providers and plans available in the table below.
The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners..
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $63.90) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$63.90 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $65) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$65 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $69) Typical evening speed of 98Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$69 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
Unlimited Home Standard (NBN 50) Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans
The table below shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Who are the biggest internet providers in Australia?
You might not be surprised to find out that Telstra (which also owns Belong), currently has the largest market share when it comes to NBN customers. With just over 40% of the NBN market share, Telstra is the biggest internet company in Australia. Telstra also has the largest mobile network in the country, is listed on the S&P/ASX 20 index as a publicly traded company, and is a household name when it comes to telecommunications.
The second biggest internet provider is the TPG Telecom. TPG is already a well-known name when it comes to home internet plans in Australia, and is the parent company to several other well-known internet providers, including Vodafone and iiNet.
Coming in at third place is Optus, with Vocus Group (Dodo and iPrimus) coming in at fourth. All the other smaller internet providers make up the fifth market share percentage and although this share is larger than what Optus and Vocus have, this is divided between a large number of other NBN providers.
To break it down, here are the largest internet providers — specifically for NBN — from the September 2023 quarter as reported in November 2023 according to the ACCC’s NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report, listed by percentage of market share:
- Telstra — 40.9% market share
- TPG Group (TPG, Vodafone, iiNet, Internode, etc) — 21.3% market share
- Optus — 12.9% market share
- Vocus Group (Dodo, iPrimus) — 8.2% market share
- Other providers — 16.7% market share
Source: ACCC NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report published September 2023 (Note: the above numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding).
Only a couple years ago, Telstra’s market share was closer to 50%, and all of the other big providers had larger market share than what is listed above. With each of these reports released by the ACCC, we’re seeing an increasing drop in customers signed up to the bigger NBN providers.
The drop in market share for the bigger providers is largely due to a trend of Aussies switching to smaller and lesser known NBN providers — most notably, Aussie Broadband, Superloop and Southern Phone, according to the ACCC.
Are the biggest internet providers Australian-owned?
There is a lot of competition when it comes to NBN providers, with some of these companies owned and operated in Australia, and others foreign-owned. Out of the largest NBN providers (Telstra, TPG Telecom, Optus and Vocus Group), here are the countries of ownership for these providers:
- Telstra — partly Australian owned
- TPG Telecom (TPG, Vodafone, iiNet, Internode, etc) — partly Australian owned
- Optus — Singaporean owned
- Dodo & iPrimus — Australian owned
Do the biggest internet providers in Australia have the best internet deals?
Taking a look at the market share, it’s clear that a large number of Australian customers have chosen to sign up to only a small selection of NBN providers, which makes those the biggest internet providers in AUstralia. However, there are plenty of telcos to choose from, and it’s important to remember that NBN plans can be very different from provider to provider.
Finding the best internet deal doesn’t always mean you have to go with the most well-known and largest internet providers. Choosing a great NBN plan depends on what you want for your home internet. Price isn’t the only difference between NBN plans — contract length, included modems, and entertainment and bundle options can help determine which NBN plan is best for you. You might also choose your provider based on the NBN speed tier options available.
Related: What are the fastest internet plans in Australia?
NBN plans from the largest internet providers
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans from Telstra, Optus, TPG Telecom and Vocus Group providers on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our internet comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
NBN plans from smaller providers
If you’re not quite sold on a NBN plan from some of the largest internet providers, you can still find great value NBN plans from those smaller companies. You might find that one of these providers has the best internet plan for you.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) plans from a range of other providers on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
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