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Harbour ISP NBN and ADSL broadband plans compared

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Get reliable and high speed Internet connectivity through a Harbour ISP NBN fibre, fixed wireless or satellite connection.

How does Harbour ISP compare?
Harbour ISP fixed-line NBN plans
Harbour ISP fixed wireless NBN plans
Harbour ISP satellite NBN plans
Harbour ISP ADSL plans
Why should you consider Harbour ISP?

Regional Australia is a big focus for Harbour ISP. Founded in 2005 in the mid-west town of Mudgee NSW, the broadband provider became the first in Australia to supply satellite Internet over the NBN. Harbour ISP's rural coverage has only grown since, with the provider offering an extensive suite of fixed-line, fixed-wireless and satellite NBN plans as well as traditional ADSL broadband plans across Australia.

These plans support month-to-month, 12-month and 24-month contracts and can be bundled with a home phone service delivered using either voice over IP (VoIP) or the traditional landline network.

Harbour ISP also offers fibre broadband services delivered over non-NBN networks. These currently include Opticomm, OPENetworks and LBNCo fibre services and are only available in select areas of Australia — most commonly in new housing estates and other modern multi-dwelling properties. Because access to these services is still so limited, you'll need to check with Harbour ISP to determine your eligibility for them.

Harbour ISP fixed-line NBN plans

For fixed-line NBN connections, Harbour ISP provides Internet services using fibre to the premises (FTTP), fibre to the node (FTTN) and fibre to the building (FTTB) technologies. Plans for these services support all four standard tiers of NBN speeds, from Basic (nbn12) all the way up to Premium (nbn100). However, if you're an FTTN or FTTB customer, you'll need to confirm with Harbour ISP whether you're able to receive speeds above Standard (nbn25).

Harbour ISP's fixed-line NBN plans come with one of two monthly data caps, with the size of those caps dependent on the connection speed. This gives you eight plans to choose from:

Basic plans

  • Basic 250GB, which includes a 12Mbps connection and 250GB of monthly data for $49 a month
  • Basic Unlimited, which includes a 12Mbps connection and unlimited monthly data for $59 a month

Standard plans

  • Standard 250GB, which includes a 25Mbps connection and 250GB of monthly data for $59 a month
  • Standard Unlimited, which includes a 25Mbps connection and unlimited monthly data for $69 a month

Standard Plus plans

  • Standard Plus 500GB, which includes a 50Mbps connection and 500GB of monthly data for $69 a month
  • Standard Plus Unlimited, which includes a 50Mbps connection and unlimited monthly data for $79 a month

Premium plans

  • Premium 500GB, which includes a 100Mbps connection and 500GB of monthly data for $89 a month
  • Premium Unlimited, which includes a 100Mbps connection and unlimited monthly data for $99 a month

Due to factors like congestion and cable quality, the connection speeds used to categorise NBN plans don't reflect the actual speeds you'll see in practice. As such, Harbour ISP provides the following guide for typical download speeds its users will receive during the peak hours of 7:00PM to 11:00PM:

  • Basic plans: 9.5Mbps typical evening speeds
  • Standard plans: 16.4Mbps typical evening speeds
  • Standard Plus plans: 37.4Mbps typical evening speeds
  • Premium plans: 64.6Mbps typical evening speeds

Along with the regular monthly cost, there are a few one-off set-up charges to be aware of with Harbour ISP's fixed-line NBN plans. These are determined by your chosen contract: sign up for 24 months and you won't have to pay any set-up fees at all, plus Harbour ISP will throw in a free Netgear modem-router. On a 12-month contract, you'll have to pay extra for a modem-router, while on a month-to-month contract you'll need to cover both the cost of a modem-router and a $99 set-up fee.

However, in return, both the 12-month and 24-month contracts carry an early termination charge if you choose to cancel your service before the completion of its full term. This fee can be as much as $350, but may be less depending on how long you've already spent on-contract.

All Harbour ISP's capped plans employ shaping if you exhaust your monthly limit before it resets. Instead of charging you excess usage fees, you'll have your Internet speed slowed to 256kbps for the remainder of your current billing period.

For information on the extras Harbour ISP offers with its NBN plans, click here.

Harbour ISP fixed wireless NBN plans

For Aussies living outside the wired NBN rollout, Harbour ISP has fixed-wireless plans capable of offering Basic and Standard NBN speeds. Sporting either a 250GB or unlimited data cap, these plans are as follows:

Basic plans

  • Basic Fixed Wireless 250GB, which includes a 12Mbps connection and 250GB of monthly data for $49 a month
  • Basic Fixed Wireless Unlimited, which includes a 12Mbps connection and unlimited data for $59 a month

Standard plans

  • Standard Fixed Wireless 250GB, which includes a 25Mbps connection and 250GB of monthly data for $59 a month
  • Standard Fixed Wireless Unlimited, which includes a 25Mbps connection and unlimited monthly data for $69 a month

Like its fixed-line plans, Harbour ISP's fixed wireless plans are subject to a number of factors that prevent Internet speeds from achieving their theoretical maximums. Harbour ISP advises that users on its Basic plans can expect to receive typical download speeds of 9.5Mbps during the peak hours of 7:00PM to 11:00PM, while users on Standard plans will typically see 16.4Mbps during that same period.

Though monthly pricing remains the same whether you sign up for a month-to-month, 12-month or 24-month contract, the upfront costs do not. Opting for the freedom of a month-to-month contract will tack on a $99 set-up fee, and you'll need to pay extra if you require a new modem on both month-to-month and 12-month contracts. 24-month contracts, meanwhile, include a modem-router for free.

However, be aware that signing up for a fixed-term contract means dealing with an early termination fee if you decide to cancel your service before the full term has elapsed. On both 12-month and 24-month contracts, this can be as much as $350 depending on how long you have left in your contract.

You won't have to worry about any excess usage fees with Harbour ISP, at least. Blow through the 250GB of monthly data included with Harbour ISP's capped fixed wireless plans and you'll simply have your Internet speed reduced to 256kbps for the rest of your current billing cycle.

For more information on the extras Harbour ISP offers with its fixed wireless plans, click here.

Harbour ISP satellite NBN plans

Aussies living in the rural and regional areas of the country where fixed-line and fixed-wireless Internet isn't feasible have plenty of options for high-speed broadband with Harbour ISP's satellite NBN plans. Delivered via the Sky Muster satellite network, these plans support both Basic and Standard speeds and feature two data caps: one for the peak hours of 7:00AM to 1:00AM and one for the off-peak hours of 1:00AM to 7:00AM.

On the Basic (12Mbps) connection, these are the satellite plans Harbour ISP offers:

  • LTS 30, which includes 10GB on-peak/20GB off-peak data for $35 a month
  • LTS 70, which includes 30GB on-peak/40GB off-peak data for $40 a month
  • LTS 115, which includes 45GB on-peak/70GB off-peak data for $45 a month
  • LTS 190, which includes 70GB on-peak/120GB off-peak data for $70 a month
  • BLAST OFF, which includes 100GB on-peak/140GB off-peak data for $89 a month
  • ROCKET, which includes 150GB on-peak/150GB off-peak data for $130 a month

All of the above plans can be upgraded to a Standard (25Mbps) connection for $5 extra a month.

Harbour ISP charges no set-up fees for its satellite plans, regardless of your chosen contract length. However, if you sign up for a 24-month contract, you'll get a free modem-router included with your service. Bear in mind that fixed-term contracts come with hefty penalty fees for terminating your service early: cancel your 12- or 24-month contract before it's complete and you could be in the red for as much as $350.

While Harbour ISP's satellite plans are all capped, you won't be caught out with any steep excess usage charges should you shoot through your monthly data limit. You'll just be stuck with a reduced Internet speed of 128kbps until the end of your current billing cycle.

For information on the extras Harbour ISP offers with its satellite NBN plans, click here.

Harbour ISP ADSL plans

Harbour ISP's ADSL plans come in two forms: On-Net and Off-Net. On-Net plans are delivered via Harbour ISP's preferred carrier network and are the cheaper of the two options, but you must live within service range of that carrier network to be eligible for them. Otherwise, Harbour ISP's Off-Net plans use Telstra's ADSL network and carry a fairly steep premium.

Three ADSL packages are available for both On-Net and Off-Net customers, all of which come with unlimited monthly data:

On-Net plans

  • Standalone ADSL2+, which does not include line rental and costs $49 a month
    ADSL2+ with Phone Line Rental, which includes pay-as-you-go calls and costs $69 a month
  • ADSL2+ with Phone Line Rental Plus, which includes unlimited standard local, national and Australian mobile calls and costs $119 a month

Off-Net plans

  • Standalone ADSL2+, which does not include line rental and costs $69 a month
    ADSL2+ with Phone Line Rental, which includes pay-as-you-go calls and costs $89 a month
  • ADSL2+ with Phone Line Rental Plus, which includes unlimited standard local, national and Australian mobile calls and costs $149 a month

Depending on your chosen contract period, you may also have to pay an upfront activation fee with Harbour ISP's ADSL plans. This, too, costs more on Off-Net plans than on On-Net plans. For month-to-month contracts, the activation fee is $99 when On-Net and $165 when Off-Net. 12-month contracts reduce this to $59 On-Net and $89 Off-Net. 24-month contracts on both On-Net and Off-Net plans come with no activation fees.

To use your ADSL service, you'll need a compatible modem. If you don't already have one kicking around your house, Harbour ISP will sell you a basic modem-router for $99, with more expensive options available if you so desire. Sign up for a 24-month contract, though, and Harbour ISP will throw that basic modem-router in for free.

Before signing up for the long term, just note that you'll have to pay out an early termination charge if you want to cancel your service prior to its original end date. This charge is based on how long you have left on your contract, but can be as much as $350.

For information on the extras Harbour ISP offers with its ADSL plans, click here.

Harbour ISP extras

Harbour ISP offers two types of phone service with its broadband plans: a traditional landline service and a voice over IP (VoIP) service. The landline service is only available in conjunction with Harbour ISP's ADSL plans, while the VoIP service can be bundled with any of its NBN plans.

For the VoIP service, two options are available. $10 extra a month will get you the basic service with unlimited local and national calls plus 1,000 minutes to 12 select countries, while $20 extra a month will couple all that with unlimited calls to Australian mobiles.

Along with its Internet services, Harbour ISP has a wide range of hardware up for purchase. If you don't already have a suitable modem, you can choose from a selection of modem-routers with varying capabilities and prices ranging from $69 up to $320, depending on your networking needs.

If you spring for a VoIP phone service to complement your NBN plan, you also have the option of purchasing a phone adaptor for connecting your existing landline handset to your modem, or you can pick up a completely new VoIP-ready handset for $99 or more depending on the model.

Should you be looking to host your own website or video game server, Harbour ISP can set you up with a static IP address on any of its NBN plans for an extra $10 a month.

Harbour ISP also lets you bundle its mobile plans with your broadband service, combining the two into a single bill. You can read more about Harbour ISP's mobile plans here.

How does Harbour ISP compare?

There's no shortage of broadband plans to pick from with Harbour ISP, but how do they all stack up? Let's take a look.

How do Harbour ISP's fixed-line NBN plans compare?
How do Harbour ISP's fixed-wireless NBN plans compare?
How do Harbour ISP's satellite NBN plans compare?
How do Harbour ISP's ADSL plans compare?

How do Harbour ISP's fixed-line NBN plans compare?

Harbour ISP is a middle-of-the-road contender in the fixed-line NBN space. While it's not the cheapest provider around, it's far from the most expensive, and it's worth considering if your data needs are relatively humble.

Its Basic 250GB month-to-month plan, for instance, works out cheaper than Teleron's 200GB plan over the first 12 months thanks to its lower set-up fees – plus you get that extra 50GB of data every month. It's also cheaper than both Southern Phone's 200GB plan and MyNetFone's 200GB plan, though MyNetFone's offering comes with a pay-as-you-go VoIP phone service bundled in which could justify the additional cost if you're after the full telecommunications package.

Harbour ISP can't quite compete with Exetel, though. The latter offers a 500GB plan at an almost identical price, making it a compelling alternative that's hard to overlook.

It's a little tougher to make the case for Harbour ISP's unlimited fixed-line plans. Providers like Flip TV, Spintel and Exetel charge less per month and less upfront for their equivalent plans, making them cheaper over the short and long terms. And if you're vying for the cheapest possible short-term expense, Mate Communicate doesn't charge any set-up fees at all plus it's currently offering discounted monthly rates for the first six months of your service.

If you're itching for something faster than a Basic NBN plan, here's what Harbour ISP charges to upgrade to a higher speed compared to the competition:

Harbour ISP Spintel Teleron Flip TV Hello Broadband Exetel MyNetFone
25Mbps $10 extra N/A $10 extra $10 extra $10 extra N/A $10 extra
50Mbps $30 extra $10 extra $20 extra $30 extra $25 extra $5 extra $20 extra
100Mbps $40 extra $25 extra $30 extra N/A $49.05 extra $35 extra $30 extra

As you can see, higher-speed plans work out even cheaper with providers like Spintel, Exetel and MyNetFone.

How do Harbour ISP's fixed-wireless NBN plans compare?

With many providers pricing their fixed-wireless NBN plans the same as their fixed-line NBN plans – Harbour ISP included – the outcome is more or less identical for both. Harbour ISP is again worth a look if your Internet usage is fairly tame – if, say, you don't stream more than 10 hours of Netflix a week. Its 250GB fixed wireless plan is slightly cheaper than Teleron's in the short term, while it lines up with other dedicated fixed wireless plans from Clear and Activ8me. Exetel's similarly priced 500GB plan takes the cake again, though, getting you more GBs to play with every month.

It's déjà vu with Harbour ISP's unlimited fixed wireless plan. While it does charge slightly less for a new modem than it does on its fixed-line NBN plans, Harbour ISP still trails behind Flip TV and Spintel – especially with Spintel throwing a pay-as-you-go phone service in at no extra cost.

Since Harbour ISP charges the industry-standard $10 extra a month to upgrade its Basic fixed-wireless plans to the faster Standard connection, the above comparisons hold true at the higher speed, too.

How do Harbour ISP's satellite NBN plans compare?

Satellite broadband is a specialised market, and only a handful of Australian Internet providers offer NBN plans delivered using the technology. Harbour ISP does a solid job of hanging with the best of these providers, especially with its higher-capped plans.

That said, its entry-level 10GB on-peak/20GB off-peak plan isn't quite up to snuff with the competition. For the same monthly price, Reachnet offers double the on-peak data with its 20GB/30GB plan, while Ant Communications charges less per month for a hefty 100GB of off-peak data – handy if you're more of a night owl.

Harbour ISP stacks up more favourably at higher data caps. Its 45GB on-peak/70GB off-peak plan is one of the better value-for-money options at this price point, delivering more data than similarly priced plans from IPSTAR and Reachnet. SkyMesh's competing plan does represent a compelling alternative with its 140GB of off-peak data, but steep upfront modem costs mean it ends up considerably more expensive over the short term than Harbour ISP's plan.

If you're hungry for as much data as satellite NBN can offer, Harbour ISP's ROCKET plan is a decent way to get it. It's not as cheap as equivalent plans from Reachnet or IPSTAR, but it's significantly less expensive than SkyMesh and Clear's offerings.