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Compare NBN business plans

Get speedy NBN for your business so you can work seamlessly without interruptions.

Sam Baran
Sam Baran

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Residential broadband plans are all well and good for individuals, but they rarely suit the needs of a company with multiple employees. So long as you have a valid Australian Business Number (ABN), you can purchase Internet plans from providers specifically designed for businesses like yours.

NBN business plans can come with a range of handy features such as:

  • Dedicated support teams
  • Security software
  • Backup networks
  • Extra web storage

With 10+ business NBN providers to choose from, you can use our comparison table below to find the best Internet plan for your business needs.

Aussie Broadband Essential Business NBN 100/40

from Aussie Broadband
Promoted
  • $109/month for unlimited data
  • Fast 86Mbps typical evening speed
  • No lock-in contract
  • $0 setup fee with choice of BYO modem
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Compare business Internet plans here

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More than just a comparison

Our content is written to help you understand what you're buying and how it all works. We believe in providing you with useful information so you aren't left comparing plans based solely on price.

If you need a hand with figuring out which business Internet plan is right for you, check out the rest of the page where we'll break down the features of NBN business plans and how they could benefit your workplace.

What's in this guide?

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What are business Internet plans?

Business Internet plans are intended for people who run and operate a small business. These days, it's important for most businesses to have a fast, reliable connection to do whatever needs to be done, be it trading online or lodging employee paysheets.

When connections fail, a business can suffer badly and many people can be affected compared to a private individual. This is where business Internet plans come in. Unlike traditional home broadband plans, business Internet plans are designed to prioritise speed and reliability above all else, ensuring that you won't have to suffer a choppy connection during a crucial video conference or constant drop-outs as you're trying to upload an important file to your clients across the globe.

Another big draw of a business NBN plan is the availability of a dedicated support team to help out if you encounter any issues or problems.

Why choose an NBN plan for your business?

While most of us will know about the NBN as a way to connect to the Internet at home, it's important to understand why and how having a specific NBN plan for your business can lead to positive outcomes.

The NBN provides an Internet connection that is much faster and more reliable than the old ADSL connections that many Aussies are used to. For business purposes, this matters. If you've ever found yourself frustrated at slow Internet and wondering how much productivity it's costing you, you'll understand the opportunities to be had with faster connections.

Here are a couple of ways that having a business NBN plan can make your workplace a better, more productive environment:

  • Engage customers better. A faster Internet connection can greatly improve the experience of your customers thanks to how much more work you're able to create and get done. It gives you the ability to make your site much more immersive with better features, higher quality images, more videos and whatever else you need. If you want to use more videos or high-resolution images as marketing material, it's quicker and easier to send them out with a fast NBN connection.
  • Bolster productivity. Higher speeds naturally mean less downtime and more productivity, but they also help remove obstacles for remote, overseas or at-home workers. This allows them to engage as easily and readily as if they were in the same office.
  • More flexible data access with cloud services. Cloud-based services provide access to important information and materials no matter where someone is or what device they have with them. The biggest caveat with cloud services is the speed of uploading and downloading files, so a zippy NBN connection can be the key to unlocking the potential of the cloud.
  • Save money and time. Having a faster, higher-quality Internet connection can help your bottom line in a number of ways including the time and money spent on travel. Your business might also be able to conduct meetings via video conferencing, engaging with customers and suppliers from around the world with all the efficiency benefits of face-to-face communication. The NBN goes a long way to removing the barriers and costs of distance.

Benefits of signing up to a business Internet plan - improved performance plus greater support equals increased efficiency

What are the key features of NBN business plans?

In some ways, a business NBN plan isn't too different from what you might purchase as a regular residential customer. However, there's a big difference in terms of the extra features companies offer when you purchase one.

Here's what some of the top providers of NBN business plans have on offer:

Telstra

  • 4G mobile back-up. No matter how much Telstra may try, sometimes the NBN network will go down due to technical faults. When this happens, it provides free 4G back-up on its mobile network until your fixed-line connection is restored.
  • Premium support. You'll have access to a 24/7 dedicated concierge support service for any problems you might have. In addition to only having to deal with a single support contact to solve your problem, any hardware you order as a replacement before 1pm will arrive the next business day.
  • Phone lines. You'll automatically get one fixed business phone line with unlimited calls to Australian landlines. You can add up to nine extra lines, as well as purchase a business calling pack to give unlimited calls to mobiles and select international destinations.

Optus

  • Optus Business Care. As an Optus customer, you'll have access to 24/7 support in the form of a live chat feature. If you bundle multiple services with Optus, you may get a dedicated customer support representative assigned to you.
  • Optus Business Builder. These are a special set of mobile phone plans for businesses with 6-150 employees. They're designed to help you save when you need multiple mobile plans on multiple devices for all of your employees. Or, you can choose from a set of SIM-only plans if you're interested in bringing your own devices.
  • Mobile broadband. In addition to fixed-line connections, Optus also has a set of business-focused mobile broadband plans for small businesses. You may potentially gain access to its growing high-speed 5G network.

iiNet

  • Upload speed booster. This lets you choose to double the upload speed on your NBN plan. It is especially useful if your business relies on a lot of syncing software or file transfers, using platforms like Dropbox or Google Drive.
  • Priority support. All business plans come with a priority support number that they can call at any time to get help with any issues or concerns they may have.
  • Call inclusions. Each plan comes with pay-as-you-go calls on a voice-over-IP line, though the highest tier plan includes unlimited calls to Australian mobiles and landlines. You can add international calls to 20 destinations from $10 a month.

TPG

  • Dedicated business support. TPG has a dedicated business support team that's available 24/7, all year long.
  • Priority support. All business plans come with a priority support number that they can call at any time to get help with any issues or concerns they may have.
  • High-speed broadband. Businesses get access to TPG's 400Mbps and up speed plans, provided they have the infrastructure to support it.

How to compare business NBN plans

Every business's Internet needs will vary. Digital startups that engage with customers only online will have very different needs to a brick-and-mortar store looking to expand its digital presence.

Having a thorough understanding of what you actually need for your business's broadband connection is a critical first step before you sign up. There are a number of factors you should take into consideration when choosing your broadband plan.

  • Cost. With a business plan, you can really pay as much as you want for a connection. Make sure you don't go overboard if your company only has a couple of employees.
  • Data. While all business broadband plans tend to have unlimited data to support a multi-employee company, it's important to check what speed you'll have access to. Do your employees need NBN100 speeds for what they do, or could you get away with NBN50?
  • Security. When a business gets hacked, a whole lot of people can be affected. Some business plans come with extra security in the form of anti-spam software or applications to prevent Distributed Denial of Service (DDOS) attacks.
  • Phone line. Almost all business plans offer some form of phone line, but what calls you can make and how many phone lines you get depends on the plan. Figure out how many lines you're likely to need and who you'll be calling.
  • Upload bandwidth. With a heap of employees collaborating and sharing files, uploads are way more prevalent in a business than in most home environments. See if you need a plan that offers extra upload bandwidth.
  • Email and web storage. Determine whether you want to have internal company emails and see how many your plan offers. Some plans include a web storage feature for hosting company websites or files.
  • Backup network. A broadband backup service can be a lifesaver for businesses that rely on being online all the time. In the event your fixed broadband service is disrupted, ISPs like Telstra will switch you automatically to their mobile broadband network to keep you connected while the outage is resolved. As soon as your fixed broadband service is available again, you'll be switched right back.
  • Extra account fees. It's also worth looking at the various fees different ISPs charge on top of your standard monthly bill. When you first sign up for a business Internet plan, you'll likely have to pay a one-off activation fee to get your service switched on. Additionally, if you need assistance setting up your modem or your place of business requires cabling work to support your new Internet service, you'll have to cover the cost of having a technician come out and take care of it.

What speed do I need for my business NBN plan?

You should consider both the download and the upload speeds when looking at plans, since you're likely to need to upload files while you work.

  • Download: The speed at which you can receive inbound traffic, such as download files or streaming a video
  • Upload: The speed of your outgoing traffic, such as sending emails or transferring files to a remote location. Upload speed is typically a lot more important for businesses than it is for residential plans since you'll often need to send large files to clients, off-site employees and other businesses. Depending on your specific business needs, you may even want to prioritise upload speed over download speed.
NBN tierMaximum theoretical speedsBusiness type
Basic I (NBN 12)
  • 12Mbps download and 1Mbps upload
For businesses with basic phone and Internet usage
Basic II (NBN 25)
  • 25Mbps download and 5Mbps upload
For small businesses requiring an upgrade in speed from the standard plan offering but also wanting to manage costs
Standard (NBN 50)
  • 50Mbps download and 20Mbps upload
For small businesses with high definition streaming needs, uploading and downloading large files
Fast (NBN 100)
  • 100Mbps down and 40Mbps up
Ideal for small-to-medium businesses with several employees accessing the Internet simultaneously
Superfast (NBN 250)
  • 250Mbps down and 25Mbps up
Best for medium businesses with many employees accessing the Internet at the same time.
Ultrafast (NBN 1000)
  • 1000Mbps down and 50Mbps up
Great for medium-larger businesses with all employees using the Internet at the same time.

For a more in-depth breakdown, take a look at our guide to NBN speeds.

Mobile broadband plans for business

A fixed-line business plan may be the only workable solution for large-scale businesses. However, if you operate a small business with only a few employees or you can't get a reliable fixed-line connection, you may want to consider a mobile broadband solution instead. Some providers, like Optus, offer mobile broadband specifically designed for small businesses.

You can compare mobile broadband plans for businesses below

Frequently asked questions about NBN business plans

Which NBN technology is right for my business?

Depending on where you're situated, the NBN will arrive at your business in a different way. It is important to note that you can't choose which type of NBN connection you will receive – this is determined by the infrastructure available at your address.The main NBN technologies are:
  • FTTP (Fibre to the Premises): Fibre optic cable running right to your office. The advantage of FTTP is that it allows for the highest possible speeds.
  • FTTN (Fibre to the Node): Fibre optic cable running to a nearby node and from there using the existing copper network to cover the distance to your place of business. The speeds of FTTN can be variable and lower than advertised speeds depending on your specific location and the distance that needs to be covered over copper wire.
  • FTTB (Fibre to the Building): Fibre optics running to the base of a shared building – typically the basement – before switching over to the copper network for the remaining distance to your office. In most cases, FTTB should offer speeds approaching FTTP and better than FTTN.
  • HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coaxial): Uses the existing pay TV (eg Foxtel) or cable network to cover the distance to your premises from a nearby fibre node. This typically results in a faster connection than FTTN.
  • FTTC (Fibre to the Curb): A cross between FTTP and FTTN in both price and quality. It uses fibre optic cables to connect to a distribution point closer to your premises than an FTTN node before making the switch to copper.
  • Fixed wireless: Intended for areas where installing fibre-optic cables is not feasible or is cost-prohibitive. An estimated 4% of Australians will end up with fixed wireless NBN. Fixed wireless uses line-of-sight transmission towers to deliver wireless Internet to the premises in a way that performs significantly better than copper over longer distances.
  • Satellite: For some rural and remote addresses, a satellite connection is the only way to receive the NBN. In this case, a satellite dish is installed on the premises, typically on the roof. Satellite is the slowest type of NBN connection available, but because it's generally reserved for the most remote regions of the country, it still amounts to a significant upgrade over the broadband connections previously available.

It's important to know what kind of NBN technology you'll receive because this determines what your speed limits will be. FTTP is generally the fastest, with all of the others having technical bottlenecks which may prevent you from achieving the speeds advertised by the fastest plans. Any technology that uses the existing copper network, for instance, can be significantly impacted by factors like the age, quality and condition of the copper cables.

That said, in most cases the NBN should still be significantly faster than the old ADSL network.

Can I upgrade from one NBN technology to another?

If your business is located within an FTTN, HFC or other non-FTTP area, you can request for NBN Co to replace the existing infrastructure with fresh fibre cables. This is known as the NBN's Technology Choice program. This will allow you to sign up for the highest-speed FTTP connections, but bear in mind that this process is not cheap.

Depending on the size and nature of the infrastructure upgrade, you may be slogged thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. Not only that, the process itself can take a long time to complete. Most importantly, only the owner of the premises can submit an upgrade request to NBN Co, so if you're leasing your office, you'll need to convince your landlord to agree to the plan before it can go ahead.

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2 Responses

  1. Default Gravatar
    amyFebruary 10, 2018

    we run a small business from home, we already have the NBN box & everything but I want to know who is the best for Value & we want to keep our home number & fax number (for the business) but we also want our mobiles & Ipad & my kids phones (limited for the kids) all on the same plan. does anyone do that?

    Reply
    • Default Gravatar
      JoelFebruary 17, 2018

      Hi Amy,

      Thanks for leaving a question on finder.

      While we cannot recommend a single provider, you may compare different broadband bundle plans on this page and see which one meets your needs. Simply enter your address and set the filters to your desired data, speed, provider, etc.

      If you need anything else, please send us a message anytime.

      Cheers,
      Joel

      Reply
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