How do Telstra and Aussie Broadband compare?

Australia's leading telco Telstra has developed an oddly specicfic beef with NBN provider Aussie Broadband. Perhaps Telstra is threatened by Aussie's generally positive standing with its customers. Maybe this David was simply eating too much of Goliath's market share. Who is to say? Whatever the reason for this rivalry, we've pulled out the facts for anyone looking to compare Aussie Broadband and Telstra.  

Telstra has long maintained the most comprehensive mobile network in Australia so for coverage, Telstra’s premium mobile pricing has been justified. But coverage is a lot less relevant in the NBN market.

If you can connect to the NBN, your provider options are expansive. Some providers promise faster typical evening speeds on average but the difference in service is less significant on the NBN than it is on a mobile network. But Telstra still tends to charge a premium for its NBN.

For example, Telstra’s cheapest NBN plan costs $85. That gets you Standard NBN 25 speeds and unlimited data (plus a few extra perks.)

Aussie Broadband offers flexible speed and data options with a much cheaper starting point than Telstra, thanks to its classic unlimited NBN 12 plan for people who just need the bare minimum. 

Aussie Broadband is also one of the few providers to offer discounted deals on data caps, saving you from paying for unlimited if you don't need it. 

The proof is in the plan widget. Take a look below at some of the very cheapest Aussie Broadband and Telstra NBN plans and you'll notice a list of options that skew towards Aussie. 

Technically speaking, both providers offer no-contract plans exclusively. But there’s a catch.

Telstra might like to claim it has no cancellation fees but when you’re not given the option to refuse a modem, then forced to pay for it when you cancel, it does start to feel like a cancellation fee.

Aussie Broadband, on the other hand, has no hidden fees. Unless you do decide to opt for its recommended modem, you will only ever be asked to pay the monthly connection fee. And if you do want a modem, you pay for it upfront on your first or next bill.

The better deal depends on your circumstances. Ultimately, the fact that Telstra lets you pay the modem off over time could be a good thing but at the same time, you should be able to bring your own modem if you want to. 

If speed is your main concern, choosing between Aussie Broadband and Telstra is much of a muchness. Telstra may consistently get the lead in the ACCC's broadband speed testing reports, but Aussie Broadband also offers better upload speeds for cheaper. 

Take, for example, Aussie Broadband's Casual 25/10 plan. It's a lot cheaper than Telstra's NBN 25 plan but offers double the upload speed, a metric that's becoming more and more important with an increasing number of Australians working from home.