Internet Bills: What’s the Australian Average?

Have you ever checked your internet bill and wondered if you’re getting the most value for your money? It’s likely that you’re not alone in this concern.

As humans, we all strive to get the best possible deal, and one effective way to achieve this is by comparing your internet bill to those of others across the country.

So, let’s analyse the average internet bill across Australia and see how your expenses compare to the norm (well, whatever the norm is with the constantly rising cost of living!)

Check out our article on the average electricity bill across Australia here and our article on the average gas bill across Australia here!

Australian Average

According to Canstar Blue’s Average Internet Bill article, these are the average quarterly and annual internet bills across Australia, showcasing the average per state.

As of April 2023, the Australian average internet bill is $219 / quarterly or $876 / year:

Internet Charges & Plans Explained

Internet charges are a bit different compared to their other utility counterparts in electricity and gas, as the rates aren’t as clear-cut as the rest.

This is due to the introduction of NBN, Australia’s broadband network that is now installed across 91% of homes and businesses across Australia as of Feb 2023. Due to this national fixed-line network, most internet plans are similar across the states, with an annual average of around $20 being the difference between the highest and lowest averages by state and territory.

Instead, the average monthly cost of an internet connection depends on how fast you want your Wi-Fi download speeds to be. This can be sorted by NBN speed tiers, which will pop up as the usual plans you’ll see provided by internet service providers. These tiers can mean the difference between having a high-speed internet connection with a hefty price tag and struggling to watch Netflix with poor internet access!

NBN Speed Tiers

When looking at the cost of internet, you’ll often be met with a question surrounding what tier plan you’re on with your home internet provider.

These tier plans are pretty straightforward and can be simple to spot what you’re paying for, as they’re often in the name of the plan itself! These plans are numbered by the output of Mbps (megabits per second) that your download speeds will reach (excluding upload speeds), so a plan for NBN 12 will output 12Mbps.

For more information on the available NBN speed plans, please see below the active NBN plans with unlimited data you can purchase, along with their quarterly and annual average.

As seen above, NBN 25 and NBN 50 are the more popular choices for Australian households, as their average prices correlate with the average for each state.

The prices can also vary depending on the internet package you can get with your bundled plan, with can include additional phone service with a data cap, tv services, home phone bundles, streaming service deals and any other entertainment extras. These extras can add on an extra $10 easily per month.

Checking Your Internet Bill

Thankfully, when it comes to checking your internet bill, the process is a lot more simple than checking one for your energy consumption.

Due to the NBN, internet plans are typically set at a base rate, with more and more providers handing out deals with unlimited data for their home modem and router. Due to this, the cost of your home internet will stay the same each monthly internet bill.

If you’ve bundled a cell phone with the costs, then your phone bill may differ, as these plans typically have a data limit, so if you exceed your data allowance, you many pay more than what the monthly fee usually tallies up to be.

Should there be any issues with your current bill or if you’re just wanting to check how your bill is stacking up against your fellow Aussies, here’s an example of what a typical Telstra internet bill looks like so you can see exactly where your costs are listed.

Is it Time to Change Internet Providers?

After checking your internet bill and comparing it to the national average, it can be a bit of a deterrent realising you’re paying more for less than your neighbours. There are plenty of internet retailers and NBN plans that the internet market offers, and it’s important to find the right fit for you suited to the best internet deal you can find (you might just want faster speeds!)

Luckily, MyConnect can help. If you need help switching over and connecting to a new internet plan, give us a call at 1300 854 478 or connect online using our sign-up form here!

Need more info on how a utility connection company can help you make the switch? Check out this post here.

Joshua Chadwick

SEM COORDINATOR