Activ8me broadband | Satellite and NBN plans

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The A–Z of Activ8me’s NBN broadband plans for metropolitan and regional users.

How does Activ8me compare?
Activ8me satellite plans
Activ8me fixed wireless NBN plans
Activ8me fixed-line NBN plans

Getting good Internet access in the rural regions of Australia isn't easy. The logistical challenges involved in supplying high-speed broadband services to areas where even water is tough to come by requires both specialised infrastructure and expertise, two things that Activ8me aims to provide with its NBN plans.

To deliver on this promise, Activ8me provides Sky Muster satellite plans along with the usual fixed-line and fixed wireless NBN plans. With over 25,000 Sky Muster connections serviced across Australia, Activ8me is currently the country's largest supplier of NBN satellite services, a fitting title given the provider's decade of experience in satellite broadband.

Where you live will dictate which of Activ8me's broadband services you'll have access to. Regardless of whether it's Sky Muster satellite or fixed-line NBN, all Activ8me plans are available on both no-lock-in, month-to-month contracts as well as 12-month contracts.

Activ8me satellite NBN plans

As the foremost supplier of Sky Muster satellite services in Australia, Activ8me offers a range of plans suitable for users with both hearty Internet appetites as well as those who only need basic access to the web. By default, all plans offer maximum speeds of 12Mbps download and 1Mbps upload, but this can be upgraded to 25Mbps download and 5Mbps upload by purchasing the "SONIC" speed boost for an extra $5 a month.

Data caps on all of Activ8me's Sky Muster plans are split into peak-time data and off-peak data. Peak time is defined as 7am to 1am in the local time zone, while off-peak is from 1am to 7am.

Here are the plans Activ8me offers through Sky Muster:

Sky Muster 90GB. Includes 15GB of peak-time data and 75GB of off-peak data for $34.95 a month.
Sky Muster 120GB. Includes 45GB of peak-time data and 75GB of off-peak data for $39.95 a month.
Sky Muster 150GB. Includes 60GB of peak-time data and 90GB of off-peak data for $49.95 a month.
Sky Muster 170GB. Includes 70GB of peak-time data and 100GB of off-peak data for $64.95 a month.
Sky Muster 190GB. Includes 90GB of peak-time data and 100GB of off-peak data for $89.95 a month.
Sky Muster 260GB. Includes 110GB of peak-time data and 150GB of off-peak data for $114.95 a month.
Sky Muster 300GB. Includes 150GB of peak-time data and 150GB of off-peak data for $124.95 a month.

If you exceed either your peak-time or off-peak data caps at any point, your Internet speed will be slowed to 128Kbps download and 128Kbps upload for the remainder of your billing period.

Activ8me charges no set-up fees for its Sky Muster plans, regardless of whether you sign up on a month-to-month contract or a 12-month contract. If you sign up for 12 months and decide to cancel your service early, however, you'll have to pay an early termination charge of $250.

Should you require a new Wi-Fi router with your Sky Muster service, Activ8me will sell you one for $99 if you're signing up on a month-to-month contract, or $44.95 if you're signing up for a 12-month contract.

Activ8me fixed wireless NBN plans

Satellite isn't the only solution for Aussies living outside the reach of fixed-line broadband. Depending on where you live, you may be eligible for a fixed wireless connection instead. Fixed wireless technology operates on a point-to-point basis, with an antenna installed on your roof communicating with a wireless tower located nearby. Because fixed wireless connections are "fixed", as the name suggests, they tend to be more stable than satellite connections, with more reliable speeds and less susceptibility to adverse weather conditions.

Activ8me's fixed wireless plans are split into four tiers based on their monthly data caps:

Fixed Wireless 100GB. Includes 100GB of data for $39.95 a month.
Fixed Wireless 250GB. Includes 250GB of data for $49.95 a month.
Fixed Wireless 500GB. Includes 500GB of data for $54.95 a month.
Fixed Wireless Unlimited. Includes unlimited data for $59.95 a month.

At the prices stated above, each of Activ8me's fixed wireless plans clocks in at 12Mbps download/1Mbps upload, but this can be upgraded to 25Mbps download/5Mbps upload for an extra $10 a month. If you live in an area serviced by fixed-line fibre, you may also be eligible to upgrade to speeds of 50/20Mbps, though you'll need to contact Activ8me directly to determine your eligibility.

Activ8me also offers an optional Voice over IP (VoIP) phone service with its fixed wireless plans. For $5 a month, the Basic Call Pack gets you 11c/min local calls, 17c/min national calls and 25c/min mobile calls. For $10 a month you will get unlimited local and national calls along with 25c/min mobile calls, while $20 a month will get you unlimited local, national and mobile calls within Australia.

Set-up fees on Activ8me's fixed wireless plans differ depending on your contract length. On a month-to-month contract you'll be looking at a $99 set-up fee plus a $99 router charge if you need a new Wi-Fi router. Sign up for a 12-month contract and those prices will be reduced to $49.95 and $44.95 respectively. Be warned, though, that cancelling a 12-month contract before the full year is up will set you back $250 in early termination fees.

If you use up your monthly data allowance on any of Activ8me's fixed wireless plans, your Internet speed will drop to 256Kbps for the rest of the current billing period.

Activ8me fixed-line NBN plans

Despite its focus on rural and regional broadband services, Activ8me also offers traditional fixed-line NBN services over fibre to the premises (FTTP), fibre to the node (FTTN) and fibre to the building (FTTB) connections. These plans are split into four data tiers:

Fibre broadband 100GB. Includes 100GB of data for $39.95 a month.
Fibre broadband 250GB. Includes 250GB of data for $49.95 a month.
Fibre broadband 500GB. Includes 500GB of data for $54.95 a month.
Fibre broadband Unlimited. Includes unlimited data for $59.95 a month.

Activ8me's fixed-line plans offer a maximum speed of 12Mbps download and 1Mbps upload by default, but you can boost this by purchasing an optional speed pack. For $10 extra a month you get a 25Mbps connection, $20 extra a month will get you a 50Mbps connection and $30 extra a month will score you a 100Mbps connection.

If you're looking to retain your home phone after switching to the NBN, Activ8me also offers a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone service for purchase with its NBN plans. The basic pay-as-you-go service will set you back $5 extra a month and features rates of 11c/min for local calls, 17c/min for national calls and 25c/min for mobile calls. For $10 extra a month you will get unlimited local and national calls, while $20 extra a month will couple that with unlimited mobile calls too.

Activ8me doesn’t charge excess usage fees if you use up all your monthly data. Instead, your Internet speed will simply be slowed to 256Kbps for the rest of the current billing cycle.

When first signing up for one of Activ8me's NBN plans, you'll have to pay a one-off set-up fee of $99 if you're on a month-to-month contract or $49.95 if you're on a 12-month contract. Should you also need a new Wi-Fi router you can purchase one from Activ8me for $99 on a month-to-month contract or $44.95 on a 12-month contract. Those discounts for signing up on a 12-month contract come with a caveat, though: cancel your plan before the full year is up and you'll have to pay an early termination fee of $250.

How does Activ8me compare?

Activ8me didn't become the biggest provider of Sky Muster satellite services in Australia by sheer luck, so it's no surprise that its satellite plans are some of the most competitive around. The rest of its broadband plans, however, aren't quite so attractive.

Since Activ8me charges the same monthly price for both month-to-month and 12-month contracts, the month-to-month option almost always represents the better deal. As such, we've focused on comparing month-to-month plans in the analyses below.

How do Activ8me's satellite plans compare?
How do Activ8me's fixed wireless plans compare?
How do Activ8me's fixed-line plans compare?

How do Activ8me's satellite plans compare?

Starting at the more affordable end of satellite Internet pricing, it's readily apparent why Activ8me has risen above the pack. Its $39.95 120GB Sky Muster plan, for example, packs more data than most of its competitors $45+ plans, making it immediately the more attractive option.

That said, Activ8me isn't miles ahead of providers like IPSTAR and SkyMesh at this price point. Beyond the monthly fee, all three charge no set-up fees, no excess usage fees and offer a speed boost upgrade to 25Mbps for $5 extra a month.

The only area where Activ8me relinquishes its lead is in the division of on-peak/off-peak hours. Here, Clear's Sky Muster plan affords the slightly longer off-peak hours of 11pm to 7am, which could be a significant selling point if you're a night owl looking to make the most of the more generous off-peak data caps.

Competition heats up at the mid-tier of Sky Muster plans. Activ8me no longer has the price advantage here, with its $64.95 170GB plan beaten in pure value terms by IPSTAR's $65 175GB offering. Night owls might also want to look elsewhere, as SkyMesh's $54.95 plan packs a hefty 140GB of off-peak data at a cheaper rate than Activ8me's plan and its 100GB of off-peak data.

The already small pool of satellite providers shrinks even further at the top tier of Sky Muster plans. Despite the reduced competition, though, Activ8me surrenders its price advantage to Reachnet and its $115 300GB plan, which offers the same on-peak and off-peak data caps at a monthly rate $10 cheaper than Activ8me's.

How do Activ8me's fixed wireless plans compare?

While it doesn't have the same advantage it does in the satellite market, Activ8me stacks up quite favourably with its fixed wireless NBN plans. Looking at the budget offerings currently available, Activ8me's 100GB fixed wireless plan is one of the cheapest around, with other providers like Southern Phone and NuSkope charging $5 or $10 more per month for the same inclusions:

The story is a little different once you hit the higher tier of unlimited fixed wireless plans. Here, Activ8me's $59.95 plan can't hold up against Flip TV's cheaper $49 unlimited plan. Spintel bundles in a pay-as-you-go phone service with its $54.95 plan, too, giving it a leg up over Activ8me's offering.

How do Activ8me's fixed-line NBN plans compare?

Even though its focus is on providing satellite and fixed wireless connections to rural Aussies, Activ8me doesn't fare too poorly with its fixed-line NBN plans either. This is especially true at the casual-usage tier, where Activ8me's $39.95 100GB plan stands alongside Exetel's similarly-priced offering as some of the cheapest on the market:

Once you move on to unlimited data plans, however, Activ8me is quickly overtaken by plans from Flip TV, Buzz and Spintel, all of which clock in cheaper on both the monthly rate and the minimum upfront cost, though Spintel only beats Activ8me on the latter if you require a new modem along with your plan.

Spintel also bundles in a pay-as-you-go phone service at no extra cost with its plans, saving you $5 a month on Activ8me's offering.

While the above plans all include the basic 12Mbps NBN connection, speed upgrades across all providers are relatively consistent. Typically, $10 extra a month will get you 25Mbps, $20 extra will get 50Mbps and $30 extra will get you 100Mbps.

Why should you consider Activ8me?

Activ8me positions itself as the Internet provider for rural Australia, and it does a good job of living up to this claim with its satellite and fixed wireless plans. Aussies living outside the reach of the NBN cable network benefit from Activ8me's budget pricing, with some of the cheapest satellite and fixed wireless plans currently available in Australia.

Satellite customers also enjoy $0 set-up fees, making the buy-in to try Activ8me's plans even easier. With seven different data tiers on its satellite plans too, there's more chance of finding the right plan to suit your specific needs. Best of all, Activ8me have been providing satellite broadband services for over a decade now, so if you encounter any issues, odds are that Activ8me's customer support team will know how to solve them.