KEY POINTS
- The Home Standard (NBN 50) speed tier offers maximum 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload speeds.
- NBN 50 plans are available from a wide range of NBN providers and are the most popular speed tier.
- NBN 50 plans are typically priced around $70 per month and up.
It can be tough choosing the right NBN plan with several speed tiers to choose from. However, not all speed tiers are created equal and their capabilities all vary depending on what they’re useful for.
NBN 50 is one of the most popular internet speed tiers available in Australia, but what exactly can you expect to get for your money? In this guide we’ll compare NBN 50 plans and find out what NBN 50 speed is most useful for.
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Compare the best NBN 50 plans and providers
Choosing the best NBN 50 plans will largely depend on what you’re looking for from your provider, and most likely, the cost of the plan. Prices tend to range from around $70 to $90 per month, but you’ll also want to consider the plan’s inclusions alongside its price.
A good way to compare NBN 50 plans is to look at the typical evening speed available as an idea of how the plan will stack up in the busy evening period. You might also want to consider any extras, whether you can BYO modem or buy a modem, plan length and more, to see which provider ticks all the boxes.
If you’re still unsure, you can see what other Aussies think of their NBN provider by checking our Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customer ratings for NBN providers.
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, 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.
How fast is an NBN 50 plan?
The NBN 50 speed tier — also known as the Home Standard speed — yields maximum download speeds of up to 50Mbps (megabits per second) and 20Mbps upload. Download speed applies to data you receive from the internet – such as browsing the web, streaming videos and more. Uploads refer to the things you send to the internet, including posting pictures and videos to social media like Instagram or YouTube, uploading files to cloud storage and making video calls.
NBN 50 is the most popular NBN speed tier in the country and offers a good standard experience for most of your internet needs. It typically suits households of two to four people with moderate to heavy internet usage.
NBN Co recommends NBN 50 speeds for online gaming, video calls and to stream videos in 4K on one to two devices simultaneously, along with other basic usage. Assuming your plan is running at its potential speed, you should be able to download a 10GB file within 28 to 65 minutes, depending on your NBN technology type, and upload a 1GB file in nine to 34 minutes.
It’s important to note that NBN 50 may be the fastest speed available to your home if you have a certain NBN connection type, such as Fibre to the Node (FTTN), Fibre to the Curb (FTTB) or Fibre to the Building (FTTB) fixed-line connections.
NBN 50 typical evening speeds
If you’ve shopped around for an NBN plan, you may have noticed telcos citing ‘typical evening speeds’ in their advertising. Providers have generally moved away from advertising the top maximum speed, instead listing more realistic speeds – ones you can expect in the busy evening peak between 7pm and 11pm, when more people are home using the internet, streaming, browsing and more. Keep in mind that these typical evening speeds are advertised speeds only and your individual experience may vary. Typically, you can expect NBN 50 plans from most providers will list a typical evening speed somewhere between 40Mbps to 50Mbps.
NBN offers you might like
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 $65.00) Typical evening speed of 100Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$65.00 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $68.90) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$68.90 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 100Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$79.99 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.
Compare cheap NBN 50 plans
With well over 100 NBN providers out there, it can be hard to pinpoint what the cheapest NBN 50 plan is. Typically, the cheapest NBN 50 plans on the market are priced at $70 per month or less.
Some providers also regularly offer discounts on plan fees, so you might be able to score a good deal if you sign up at the right time. However this discount may only be for the first six months or so that you stay connected, so it helps to also look at the standard plan pricing when comparing.
You can use our free internet comparison tool to compare a range of cheap NBN 50 plans.
The following table shows a selection of published cheap NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard 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 a referral partner.
Is an NBN 50 plan right for me?
NBN 50 plans are arguably the most popular because the speed tier strikes a good balance between price and performance. It’s available from a wide range of providers, works with a range of NBN connection types and has become the most popular speed tier in Australia as a result.
However, before signing up to an NBN 50 plan, you’ll need to look at your household’s internet usage. If you’re in a small household or just an occasional internet browser without much use for streaming, you could get by with a cheaper and slower plan. Alternatively, if you’re a heavy data user, with a lot of intensive applications such as uploading videos, gaming, and downloading large files, chances are you want the next step up – just be prepared to pay for it.
Think about how you and others in your household tend to use the internet, along with how many of you — or how many devices — are usually connected at once. Keep in mind that if you sign up to a monthly NBN 50 plan, you may be able to easily cancel your plan or switch to a different speed if the plan or speed isn’t working for you. Just keep an eye out for any exit or cancellation fees or modem costs if you don’t BYO modem.
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