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Compare ADSL and ADSL2+ broadband plans

ADSL2+ broadband delivers Internet services over your phone line.

ADSL broadband is for people who can't yet access high-speed fibre or satellite services (e.g. National Broadband Network or NBN). It uses the copper telephone networks that have existed for decades in Australia.


Data allowances are the comparison point to watch for here. Many providers offer affordable unlimited plans, but if you're a light user you can save with a capped plan.

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Alex Kidman is a multi-award-winning consumer technology journalist and the Tech & Telco Editor at finder.com.au. He's been writing about consumer technology topics for more than two decades.

Info last updated 26 November 2018.

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How does ADSL work?

Data usage tool

It can be hard to know which NBN plan to choose. We've designed a simple data usage tool designed to estimate how much data you'll need on average each month.

ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) internet services work by sending data signals along the existing copper infrastructure that has been used for telephony services for decades now. Those copper lines have more bandwidth than is needed just for telephone calls, and it’s those additional frequencies that are used for both ADSL and ADSL2+ connections.

The "A" in ADSL/2+ stands for Asymmetrical, because the ratio between download speeds and upload speeds on ADSL connections is always tilted towards downloads. That does largely follow the patterns of most Internet users, because you tend to consume more than you create.

ADSL/ADSL2+ has some significant limitations, including the quality of the copper lines between your home and the exchange that handles your Internet traffic; this is quite variable however depending on the life of the copper and its maintenance cycle. A more fixed and pressing problem for ADSL/2+ connections is the question of distance from that exchange. It can vary depending on line quality, but as a rough rule of thumb, ADSL services won’t work at all beyond around 5km from an exchange, and the further out you go within the limit, the lower the available connection speeds will drop. That distance can be tricky to calculate exactly from the consumer end, because it’s not a straight line, but instead also hinges on the lengths and quality of copper between your home and the exchange.

ADSL broadband relies on having a connection point at a telephone exchange within that 5km distance from the exchange as well. In some cases you may find that ADSL provisioning cannot take place due to a lack of connection points at a given exchange.

Because ADSL uses different parts of the available copper bandwidth, you do not have to run a regular landline service and pay line rental fees for that service if you don’t use a landline phone regularly. These kinds of services disable access to voice frequencies to deliver a product most frequently referred to as "Naked" DSL.

How fast is ADSL?

ADSL connections in Australia are divided between connections that use the older ADSL standard, although these are becoming increasingly rare, and the faster ADSL2+ standard.

For the distance and quality related reasons above, ADSL/2+ speeds are always marketed as being "up to" approximations, because the distance between you and the exchange and then the ongoing issues of network congestion and end points on the Internet can radically affect your speeds. In typical terms, ADSL maxes out at around 8Mbps download and 384Kbps upload, while ADSL2+ connections can deliver download speeds of up to 24Mbps and upload speeds of up to 3Mbps. As noted, in effective real world use you’re unlikely to see anywhere near those speeds unless you’re very close to your exchange point.

Finally, it’s worth noting that if you access your ADSL/ADSL2+ connection via Wi-Fi, you’re likely to suffer a small speed penalty relative to the same connection used via a fixed Ethernet cable.

Where is ADSL available?

ADSL services are available across Australia wherever you’re within radius of an exchange; most ISPs will request your address as a primary step to ascertain ADSL availability in your region. Most notably if you are in an area where fixed line (FTTP, FTTN or FTTB) NBN is installed you will find the copper decommissioned over time, meaning that ADSL services will no longer be available.

How can I compare ADSL plans?

Speed

The speed of an ADSL/ADSL2+ plan is somewhat outside the control of your ISP or your own hardware due to the distance and line quality limitations of ADSL itself, as described above. One area however where you can compare speeds is for plans with a quota that drop down to "shaping" once your quota is exhausted. The precise speed offered as a top is usually a fraction of your normal ADSL speed, and that you can compare between ISPs

Cost

ADSL plans are the most widespread in use in Australia while much of the country awaits the rollout of the NBN. As such, price competition is strong, with many ADSL providers offering bundles that include line rental or unlimited data provisions.

Will I need a new modem for ADSL?

With DSL connections, whether they’re ADSL or ADSL2+ making up the majority of fixed line broadband connections in Australia, the odds are pretty good that your existing modem will work with ADSL services. That being said, if you jump up from ADSL to ADSL2+, you’ll need an ADSL2+ compliant modem or modem router to take advantage of the additional speed on offer. That’s only likely to be an issue if you’ve owned your existing modem for a very long period of time; any new ADSL modem router sold in Australia now will be fully ADSL2+ compliant.

If you’re transitioning from a fixed line HFC cable service to ADSL you will however need a new modem to connect to ADSL services, as the modems supplied by Optus and Telstra for their HFC products are not ADSL compliant. Check with your ISP if they bundle a modem in with a service, as many do if you want to save a little money, although be aware that the modems and routers provided by ISPs are generally simple units, so if you want the fastest Wi-Fi performance you may find it a little lacking if you go down the bundled freebie route.

What other extras should I look for?

The range of bundling with DSL services can be quite wide, especially if you’re prepared to sign up for a two year contract. On the hardware side over time this has encompassed everything from games consoles to included smartphones, but deals vary widely.

The other extra if you’re looking at a plan with a strict data quota is whether or not your ISP has quota-free provisions for certain sites or types of content. Again this varies by ISP and affiliation, but as an example Telstra makes most of its own services (streaming NRL/AFL, BigPond Movies) quota free for its customers, while iiNet and Optus offer Netflix content quota-free. Some ISPs offer access to specific gaming servers as part of a package, while others will include additional online services such as web space or additional email inboxes with some plans.

finder.com.au Month to month ADSL plans

Broadband plan Included data Monthly cost
Spintel Urban Unlimited Unlimited $29.99
Exetel 100GB ADSL2+ 100GB $29.99
Buzz ADSL Metro Unlimited Unlimited $39.00
MyNetFone ADSL2+ Standard 1000GB $59.95
Tellnet Unlimited Metro ADSL2+ Unlimited $69.90
Exetel Unlimited ADSL2+ Unlimited $49.99

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8 Responses

  1. Default Gravatar
    EmilFebruary 3, 2018

    Dear friends.
    I beg you to answer me. Now I use my home phone with Telstra, and the internet ADSL2 + with Belong (and i am happy with ADSL 2+). I have been notified that Telstra will soon shut down my line and that I have to go to NBN (NBN is very expensive for my retirees monthly payments, and the providers do not give any guarantee that the speed of the Internet will be better for NBN than this current speed that I have with ADSL2 +). I’ve heard that if Telstra switches off my phone (because I do not want to have a home phone anymore), I can still use my home line and have Internet ADSL 2+ with my current Belong provider. I ask you to reply if possible to continue with my Internet provider (Belong), when Telstra switches off my home phone and tell me how to do it. In advance I thank you for your response and help. Thank you ! Emil

    Reply
    • finder Customer Care
      RenchFebruary 14, 2018Staff

      Hi Emil,

      Thank you for your inquiry.

      Just to give you a little background about NBN, once it becomes available in your area, your existing telecommunications networks will be replaced and upgraded. The upgrade to the National Broadband Network is actually compulsory once it’s available and installed. This is the reason why Telstra have to shutdown your phone line. 

As for your internet connection with Belong, in time, it will still be switched to NBN. ADSL/2+ services delivered over the network will be switched off 18 months after the area goes live for NBN. Though you would receive warning from your provider and from nbn before the disconnection. I would suggest that you contact Belong if you still want to get services from them for your new NBN connection or discuss options available to you before your line and ADSL gets disconnected.

      Meanwhile, you may like to read this article about how to switch to NBN and find this useful.

      Best regards,
      Rench

      Reply
  2. Default Gravatar
    January 2, 2018

    hi. im a little confused when it comes to this sort of stuff. iam currently living in a townhouse in a complex of 14. iam wanting to get home internet connection but am so confused on what to do and who to go with. i dont have a home phone line connection and never have since i have lived here, but there is a power point input in the kitchen wich has a phone line point, wich im gathering is where you would plug in a modem or phone connection right? so does that mean i can just plug a modem into that input and it will work or do i need to call up and pay for a phone line connection?? and then what is Naked adsl and would that be what i needed to go for?? arrrgh im so confused, can someone please help me or give me any sort of info and help on what my best options to go for would be? thankyou!!

    Reply
    • Default Gravatar
      ArnoldJanuary 4, 2018

      Hi Kellie,

      Thanks for your inquiry

      If you really don’t need a home phone, naked DSL offers a solution to this situation. Rather than charging you for a phone service you’re not going to use, a naked DSL service strips out the telephone component and dedicates your copper phone line to Internet traffic. While this won’t result in any increases in Internet speed since ADSL and phone data operate at different frequencies, it will save you money by not having to pay twice for a single copper line.

      You may compare your options for naked DSL on this page. If you have already chosen a provider, you may directly call them to apply or you may visit their website.

      Hope this information helps

      Cheers,
      Arnold

      Reply
  3. Default Gravatar
    CarolJuly 4, 2017

    Do the companies accept our modem if we have one? I have a Sagemcom (no idea about the model, because there are so many numbers and codes at its bottom). I’m quoting ADSL for now. Cheers!

    Reply
    • Default Gravatar
      JonathanJuly 4, 2017

      Hi Carol!

      Usually, internet providers allow you to use your own modem as it is a self-installation process. Now, if it is not working, you may call your current provider (not the provider who previously owns your modem), to see if there is incompatibility and see if they can fix it or you need to buy a new one.

      Hope this helps.

      Cheers,
      Jonathan

      Reply
  4. Default Gravatar
    MalcolmMay 16, 2016

    I live in Mernda. Have been waiting for 12months to recieve a port at the exchange so I can get a phone line at my house.
    Any idea how I can push this along or how far away NBN is from being installed in my area.
    Slowing beginning to boil with frustration.
    Thanks

    Reply
    • finder Customer Care
      BrodieMay 23, 2016Staff

      Hi Malcolm,

      Sounds frustrating. I would recommend entering your full address in our NBN tracker.

      Cheers,
      Brodie

      Reply
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