The National Broadband Network in Australia has been moving countrywide steadily. Australians now have a choice of different technologies – ADSL, HFC, FTTB, FTTC, FTTN, and FTTP. They began with four speeds but now offers seven tiers – NBN12, NBN25, NBN50, two sub-options of NBN100, NBN250, and NBN1000. Each internet service provider can choose the speed tier they want to offer. Belong is one of Australia’s internet service providers who offer affordable NBN plans. They offer three tiers of internet speed under a simple pricing structure. Below, we compare Belong NBN plans with other networks. These networks are considered the fastest NBN providers in Australia.
Belong NBN Plans
There are three Belong NBN plans offered: Starter, Standard, and Premium.
- Belong Starter NBN plan costs $55.00 to $60.00 monthly with a typical evening speed of 30 Mbps at the NBN25 tier.
- Belong Standard NBN plan costs $65.00 to $70.00 monthly with a typical evening speed of 40 Mbps at the NBN50 tier.
- Belong Premium NBN plan costs $95.00 monthly with a typical evening speed of 80 Mbps at the NBN100 tier.
All Belong NBN plans offer unlimited data usage. You can opt to sign up for a 12-month contract to get a free WiFi modem or pay the modem for $60.00 if you choose a no lock-in plan. Being under the Telstra flagship, its 3G network covers 98% while its 4G network covers 97% of the Australian territories. The standard time frame to activate a Belong NBN plan is one to five business days after the application. New subscribers are charged on the first day of the following month. So, they’ll get the rest of the billing cycle free on the month of activation. What’s better is that a new Belong NBN subscriber will get a free Belong mobile SIM loaded with an $80.00 credit.
Aussie Broadband and Belong
Aussie Broadband Pty Ltd is a private corporation founded in 2008 in regional Victoria. The network currently offers four NBN plans:
- Basic for $59.00 per month with a typical evening speed of 11 Mbps;
- Everyday for $79.00 per month with a typical evening speed of 43 Mbps;
- Family for $99.00 per month with a typical evening speed of 83 Mbps;
- Family Entertainment for $109.00 per month with a typical evening speed of 83 Mbps plus Fetch movies, TV, and video streaming.
Aussie Broadband is also the first Australian telco to offer an NBN1000 plan for $149.00. But only 7% of Australian internet connections can allow it. It’s because a 1000 internet speed only works with special HFC installations. If you compare Belong NBN plans to Aussie Broadband NBN plans, Belong NBN plans are a lot cheaper with almost close or similar internet speeds.
Tangerine and Belong
Established in 2013, Tangerine is one of Australia’s most popular small NBN provider. It was owned by the Virgin Group founders Andrew and Richard Branson. The network offers three NBN plan:
- Standard for $59.90 per month with a typical evening speed of 21 Mbps;
- XL Boost for $69.90 per month with a typical evening speed of 42 Mbps;
- XXL Boost for $89.90 per month with a typical evening speed of 83 Mbps.
Being a small internet service provider, Tangerine rented Telstra’s network infrastructure. When you compare Belong NBN plans to them, they have similar internet speeds and price ranges. But Belong has a better edge since they are a Telstra-owned company. Since Tangerine is a small player in the Australian internet market transferring their NBN connection is somewhat challenging. They don’t have designated moving services.
Superloop and Belong
Superloop was founded by the Australian technology entrepreneur, Bevan Slattery, in 2014. It’s an independent NBN and wireless internet provider. Superloop’s robust network allows physical connection to every POI. They also own domestic fibres and sub-sea cables, so they don’t outsource their infrastructure. There are 11 Superloop NBN plans with data allowance limits and unlimited data usage.
- Under a 500GB Data Allowance, Superloop offers a 44 Mbps NBN plan for $73.95 and two 90 Mbps for $69.95 to $74.95 per month.
- Under a 3TB Data Allowance, the network offers a 250 Mbps for $139.00 monthly.
- With unlimited data usage, Superloop offers monthly plans for 22.2 Mbps at $64.95, 44.4 Mbps at $78.95, 90 Mbps at $89.95, 215 Mbps at $129.00, 180 Mbps at $219.00, 250 Mbps at $149.00.
When you compare Belong NBN plans with Superloop offerings, the latter is somewhat costly both for data allowance limits and unlimited data usage plans. There are also reports of unreliable connectivity. Since Superloop’s infrastructure is new, it seems challenging to provide reliable internet speed to the influx of Australian subscribers.
TPG and Belong
David Teoh, an Australian businessman from Malaysia, founded TPG in 1986. Total Peripherals Group originally sells OEM computers. In 2008, it transformed as an internet and mobile service provider by merging with SP Telemedia Limited. Last July 2020, they merge with Vodafone as TPG Telecom Unlimited. This makes them the second-largest telecommunications company in Australia. There are 3 NBN plans with unlimited data usage that TPG offers:
- Basic for $59.99 per month with a typical evening speed of 11.2 Mbps;
- Standard Plus for $69.99 per month with a typical evening speed of 46 Mbps;
- Premium Plan for $89.99 per month with a typical evening speed of 80.1 Mbps.
If you compare Belong NBN plans with TPG, Belong still offers a much cheaper alternative at faster internet speeds. Sadly, TPG receives a lot of negative reviews when it comes to internet connection reliability and speed. They also have poor customer service and technical support ratings.
The Bottom Line
Households who want a good internet speed for a low-cost monthly fee should consider Belong NBN plans. With the other networks, Belong NBN plans are a lot cheaper. They offer the fastest typical evening speed among the NBN tiers. Being a budget Telstra, subscribers can take advantage of the largest telecommunication network in Australia.
