Phone and internet bundles used to be super common - these days they're still available, but they're rare. Lots of internet providers will offer an option to bundle a phone line, but very few have NBN plans that automatically include phone calls - Telstra key among them.
For the most part, providers will instead offer you the option to add a call pack to your NBN plan if you want to get a landline to make phone calls. Expect to pay around $5 to $20 extra a month on top of your NBN plan if you'd like a landline.
The landline phone options with NBN plans generally fall under these categories:
This list contains all the NBN providers on Finder that offer either a specific home phone and internet bundle or the option to add on a call pack each month.
Do people still use landline phones?
Landlines are becoming a thing of the past. Our consumer sentiment tracker found only 52% of Aussies have a landline phone, and only 17% of people regularly use one.
The best home phone and internet bundle will differ person-to-person depending on what their needs are.
Call packs and call rates can vary greatly and could have any combination of local, national, mobile or international calls included. Make sure you check what's offered and if it meets your requirements.
In most cases, a home phone and internet bundle will include the following:
I must be one of the few Aussies that have gone back to having a landline bundled with their internet. I set it up partly for novelty, but it's actually been really useful to call home if someone's mobile is on silent. It was a bit of a pain to setup - most phone lines only operate through VOIP nowadays, so I needed to get a dedicated box to convert the rotary pulse dial to a touch tone signal that my modem would understand. It was fun and worth it though.— Tim Bennett, insurance and utilities publisher
Honestly? Most Aussies don't need a home phone anymore. Mobile phones have all but replaced the functionality of home phones, and are with us most of the day. It's probably more likely that you'll bundle a mobile phone with your NBN than a home phone these days.
The old argument used to go that landlines were important in emergencies, because they'd still work in a blackout. However, that hasn't been the case for ages. Home phone don't use the plain old copper lines anymore, they connect via the internet through your modem, so if there's no power, there's no home phone. Also, cordless phones never worked without power.
NBN battery backups do exist, which can get you through a couple of hours without power, but beyond that you'll be in the dark. All that to say, mobile phones are a better way to access both phone and internet services in an emergency.
If you are currently using a landline phone a lot, or really feel like it would make your life better, go for it. Otherwise, you probably don't need one.
Aside from bundling your home phone and your NBN plan, you could consider other ways to bundle your internet to potentially save money and be with the one provider for multiple services.
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I would like to know how I can have access to unlimited national calls via my landline as I make regular calls to a couple of friends interstate. Regrettably, the friend owns a very old phone. So we chat with each other via our respective landlines. However, after I have finished my chat, which can be around 2-3 hours, I get an email from the provider the next day, informing me that I have exceeded my limit and have depleted the balance in my account which has to be topped up. How do I access a plan that offers me the internet as well as unlimited national calls, rather than get hit by these charges which costs up to $20/- in one go. I am on an internet-cum landline monthly plan (most probably a basic plan) and would like to change so I have access to unlimited national calls. I am not a high user of the internet or the mobile. I use my phone for emergencies or chats to family via what’s app. Can you pl suggest some deals that would suit my needs so I limit these unnecessary expenses in the high cost of living times?
Thanks.
Hi Lori, hope you’re well. This depends on what type of internet plan you have. Are you connected to NBN? Providers such as TPG, Aussie Broadband, Tangerine, iPrimus and iiNet give you the option to add on unlimited international calls for around $5 to $10 a month. You can sign up to any of their cheapest internet plans and add unlimited landline calls. Separately, you can compare moobile plans to find the cheapest one that matches your need for data: https://www.finder.com.au/mobile-plans. Hope this helps!