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Well, look what the cat dragged. It’s the season of deals, and in a surprising twist, Australia’s largest telco, Telstra, has joined the discount fun.
From now until November 2, 2026Telstra is cutting up to AU$240 off its NBN plans during the first six months of service. The telco, which owns 35.2% of Australia’s wholesale NBN market share, is synonymous with premium prices, plans and benefits, so these savings are pretty valuable (and rare, if I’m honest).
The most tempting deal is Telstra’s NBN 500 plan, at AU$69p/m for the first six months. You’ll save a handsome AU$180 before the price rises to AU$99p/m ongoing, and it costs the same as Telstra’s current offerings on the NBN 50 and NBN 100 tiers. This means that if you have an FTTP or HFC connection at home, you can get up to 10x faster internet for the same price as Telstra’s slow 50Mbps plan.
The only catch? You must BYO modem to sign up for the Telstra NBN 500 plan. If you want to add Telstra’s Smart Modem 4 to your plan, you’ll need to pay AU$360 up front. You can choose a version of the same plan that includes the price of the modem, but at AU$79p/m (for 6 months, then AU$113p/m ongoing).
That’s not the biggest deal breaker though – we typically suggest BYO modems, especially if you want to shop around for a better NBN deal once the introductory offer is over – but, Telstra’s ongoing price is high.
Compared to the other 30+ NBN 500 providers I monitor, Telstra’s ongoing price is AU$2.50 more than the average AU$96.43 monthly cost. Especially when up against budget providers that offer the same no-frills internet-only service, there are some ISPs that offer a better deal in the long run.
For example, Exetel’s NBN 500 plan is just AU$80p/m ongoing, with no introductory offer or increase in sight. The plan doesn’t include a modem or other fancy perks, but it’s AU$36 cheaper in the first year and AU$228 in the second, putting AU$264 back in your pocket to go towards a new modem or mesh Wi-Fi system.
But no matter how you slice it or slice it, if you’re ready and willing to join Australia’s biggest telco, this is a great opportunity to do just that. Not in the market for an NBN 500 plan? You can check out Telstra’s other NBN deals below.
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