Buddy Telco internet review

Our verdict: Buddy Telco provides fast, reliable internet speeds at budget-friendly prices. The trade-off is limited customer service.

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Chris Jager

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Buddy Telco is no longer offering internet plans. Existing customers will be migrated to Tangerine between 23-25 March 2026. Please treat the information on this page as historical context only.

Buddy Telco: Our verdict

Buddy Telco is a relatively new name in the Australian broadband market, offering fixed-line NBN plans with a focus on simplicity and affordability.

The company is a budget offshoot of Aussie Broadband, winner of the 2026 Finder Broadband Customer Satisfaction Awards.

Buddy Telco leverages the same network infrastructure while stripping away premium features to keep costs low.

Customers can expect reliable speeds, particularly on higher-tier plans, but should be aware of the provider's limited customer support options. The service is entirely digital, with no phone-based support, relying instead on live chat and self-service tools.

For those seeking a no-frills internet provider with solid performance, Buddy Telco is a highly competitive choice.

Pros

  • Access to Aussie Broadband's network for cheaper
  • Affordable ultra fast internet plans

Cons

  • No telephone-based customer support
  • Limited support hours (Monday to Friday, 11am–7pm AEST)

What's included with Buddy Telco's NBN plans?

Buddy Telco plans keep things simple by design. There are no add-ons available, such as discounted Foxtel or home phone plan bundles. Instead, you just pick a plan and that's it.

All Buddy Telco plans are bring-your-own (BYO) modem. You can also choose to add one or more Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi routers to your plan for an added fee. (There are options to buy it outright or pay it off over 12 months, plus shipping.)

If you add one or more routers to your plan, Buddy Telco will bundle it with eero Secure, a software package valued at $5 per month. This adds a suite of in-built tools to your network, including threat protection, parental controls and ad blocking.

How does Buddy Telco rate on performance?

Buddy Telco delivers strong speeds for the price, particularly on its higher-tier plans.

Typical evening speeds refer to the average download speeds that an NBN provider can reliably deliver during peak usage hours (usually between 7 pm and 11 pm.)

Buddy Telco's typical evening speeds are solid, with the NBN 100 and NBN 50 plans averaging 99Mbps and 49Mbps, respectively. Its NBN 1000 plan averages 875Mbps - a fair bit below 1000Mbps but still very fast indeed.

Advertised speeds are one thing, but how does Buddy Telco perform in the real world?

The ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia program compares internet providers' advertised speeds to results it measures itself.

Buddy Telco launched after the ACCC's most recent report and therefore isn't included. However, Aussie Broadband (which uses the same network) achieved 103.4% of advertised speeds during busy hours. This means it performed slightly faster than its advertised speed on average.

  • Good to know: A plan's maximum speed is the fastest a particular speed tier can go. For example, 100Mbps is the max speed for NBN 100 plans.

How does Buddy Telco rate for customer service?

Buddy Telco provides Australia-based customer support from Perth. However, it relies on digital-only support to keep prices low. Here's how you can get in touch:

  • Live Chat Support: Available Monday to Friday, 11am–7pm AEST
  • Self-Service Tools: Customers can troubleshoot issues and self-report faults via the Buddy Telco app

There is no over-the-phone tech support and office hours are limited to Monday-Friday. This means you're limited to live chat on weekdays and self-serve chatbots on weekends if you run into any problems.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman covers complaints data from phone and internet customers. Having launched in mid-2024, Buddy Telco does not feature in its 2023-2024 annual report.

You can see how its parent company, Aussie Broadband, fared below.

  • 1.6% of all complaints, which was the seventh highest of all providers.
  • Saw a -0.6% decrease in complaints compared to the previous year's report.

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Chris Jager is a seasoned journalist with over 15 years of experience in the Australian tech industry. He has contributed his expertise to top tech publications like PC World, Gizmodo, Business Insider, and Lifehacker Australia, where he also served as editor for five years. Chris holds a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Western Sydney and is widely regarded as a trusted voice in the tech space. See full bio

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Chris has written 53 Finder guides across topics including:
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