Big changes are coming to the National Broadband Network (NBN). In less than two months, NBN Co\u2019s planning to officially roll out some massive speed increases across the network \u2013 for free. This means there’ll be a handful of new plans, led by a 500Mbps \u2018sweet spot\u2019 tier that will offer 5x the speeds of today\u2019s 100Mbps plans for around the same price.<\/p>\n
While that news on its own is obviously pretty intriguing for anyone who cares about their internet speed, what\u2019s even more exciting is that some Australian internet providers aren\u2019t waiting for NBN Co to throw the switch \u2013 and that now includes TechRadar-favourite provider SpinTel, which has rolled out its 500Mbps NBN 500 plan<\/a> way ahead of NBN Co\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve been waiting for NBN 500 plans to arrive, you can now jump the queue and take advantage of the increased download speeds right now \u2013 and probably for much less than you\u2019d expect.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Cost is low-low-low-low<\/p>\n You\u2019d be forgiven for thinking increased speeds would mean an increase in cost, but SpinTel knows a thing or two about providing exceptional value. We rate the telco highly here at TechRadar, and regularly recommend its low-cost plans.<\/p>\n We can confidently shower praise once again, as SpinTel\u2019s new Home Turbo NBN plan has arrived costing just AU$74 a month for the first six months \u2013 that\u2019s cheaper than many NBN 25 plans which only offer 1\/20th the speed, and a good deal cheaper than some other NBN 500 plans that have launched early.<\/p>\n When the initial six-month period ends, the plan reverts to a regular ongoing cost of AU$84.95 a month which, again, is still cheaper than what some providers charge for 25Mbps plans. Great value? Tick.<\/p>\n What’s more, the introductory cost is only AU$1 more each month than SpinTel’s own NBN 100 plan, while the ongoing cost is AU$2 cheaper each month. If your home connects via a fibre to the curb (FTTC) or fibre to the node (FTTN) connection, this pricing structure highlights the positive impact signing up for NBN Co’s free fibre upgrade can have.<\/p>\n SpinTel is a TechRadar preferred partner (What does that mean?<\/a>)<\/p>\n Why do I need the speed? <\/p>\n Take a moment to think about the number of connected devices you currently have at home and it\u2019ll probably be much higher than you realise. The average Australian household has approximately 21 devices needing internet access, a number that is only expected to continue growing.<\/p>\n Then consider how many of these require a fast, stable connection to perform at their best \u2013 4K<\/a> TV and movie streaming, high-definition video calls for work, online gaming or large game file downloads \u2013 and suddenly the idea of SpinTel\u2019s 500Mbps NBN plan becomes less of \u2018nice to have\u2019 feature and more of a necessity.<\/p>\n The advantage of SpinTel\u2019s Home Turbo plan isn\u2019t just about the faster download speeds, but the bandwidth that comes with it. The extra headroom enables more devices to work at their full potential simultaneously, resulting in a consistent and lag-free experience for the whole family.<\/p>\n How do I upgrade?<\/p>\n In order to take advantage of SpinTel\u2019s NBN 500 plan, you\u2019ll first need to make sure you have a fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) or hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) NBN connection at home. If you\u2019re not entirely sure what you have, you can type your address into SpinTel\u2019s website<\/a> to find out.<\/p>\n If you do have the connection, you can go right ahead and get connected. If you don\u2019t, then you may be able to partake in NBN Co\u2019s free fibre upgrade program<\/a>, which will involve a technician attending your premises to install the necessary equipment. Once that\u2019s in, you\u2019re primed and ready with a future-proof connection for seriously fast download speeds.<\/p>\n