Highlights
- Many Internet connection types offered
- Australia-based customer support
We’re reader-supported and may be paid when you visit links to partner sites. We don’t compare all products in the market, but we’re working on it!
Southern Phone has been providing broadband connections – to regional Australia in particular – for a long time. It continues to do so after being bought out by AGL at the end of 2019. No matter what kind of connection you're after, Southern Phone probably provides it.
Highlights
Southern Phone offers fixed-line connections covering Standard, Turbo and Max speed tiers on Internet only, month-to-month plans. On the other hand, if you're looking to add call credits onto your plan, Southern Phone also offers 24-month NBN bundles that run on NBN12, NBN25 and NBN50.
Southern Phone's regular NBN plans are offered on a month-to-month basis, with no lock-in contracts.
You can either bring your own modem or purchase one from Southern Phone for $149.
Southern Phone also has a range of NBN phone bundles, only available on a 24-month contract. These include a modem automatically.
Finally, Southern Phone has a "triple bundle" which includes NBN, a home phone line and a mobile plan.
Southern Phone is a huge provider of Internet services to regional Australia and was bought out by AGL at the end of 2019. It has satellite, NBN and mobile broadband services on offer.
Here's what you get with Southern Phone:
You can bring your own modem to any of Southern Phone's plans. Otherwise, you can get Southern Phone's recommended modem for $149.
Southern Phone's customer support centre is located in regional Australia.
Southern Phone offers below-average plans for average prices.
While Southern Phone's plans cost about the Finder average price for their tier, their typical evening speeds are well below the ACCC industry averages and many other comparably priced plans on the market. There's very little to recommend a Southern Phone plan over any other.
When it comes to non-NBN plans, watch out for lengthy contracts with fairly steep exit fees if you want to leave or switch early.
To show you how Southern Phone lines up against its competition, we've placed its NBN50 plan up against similar ones from TPG and Dodo.
Provider | Typical evening speed | Price | Extra features |
---|---|---|---|
Southern Phone | 38Mbps | $75 per month + $149 modem fee (no BYO) | None |
Dodo | 41Mbps | $70 per month ($60 for first 6 months) + $120 set-up fee (no contract) | Fetch TV for $25 per month |
TPG | 48Mbps | $69.99 per month + $99.95 set-up fee (no contract) | None |
Southern Phone's plan costs $5 more per month than either Dodo or TPG, and has a comparable set-up fee unless you bring your own modem.
The typical speed for Southern Phone's plan is far below the ACCC industry average (47.3Mbps), and lower than either of its competitors. There's very little reason to pick Southern Phone over other providers.
To manage your account and deal with billing, you can log into your account via the web portal on Southern Phone's site.
Southern Phone's customer service line is open 8am to 8pm, Monday to Sunday. There is also a live chat feature on the Southern Phone website.
Southern Phone doesn't have a dedicated technical support line. Instead, you can reach them by the methods outlined for customer service.
Sky Muster Plus plans let you do most online activities except video streaming and VPN services without being metered, meaning you can surf the Internet to your heart's content.
Southern Phone sells Sky Muster Plus plans, which only count video streaming and VPN activity against your monthly data allowance. Speeds are usually capped at 25Mbps, and data is split into peak (7am-1am) and off-peak (1am-7am) periods.
If you exceed your data limit, you'll automatically get extra data, charged at 1.1c per MB ($11 per 1GB). Southern Phone does not provide a modem, only the mobile broadband SIM.
Southern Phone offers up to 100GB of data per month on 12 month contracts. Grab a SIM and get connected.
Southern Phone's mobile broadband plans use the Optus 4G network (covering 98.5% of Australians), and come exclusively on a 12 month contract.
Each plan comes in the form of a SIM card you insert into your device. If you cancel before 12 months pass, you'll be charged an early termination fee based on the plan.
Picture: GettyImages Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com
Sam Baran is a writer for Finder, covering topics across the tech, telco and utilities sectors. They enjoy decrypting technical jargon and helping people compare complex products easily. When they aren't writing, you'll find Sam's head buried in a book or working on their latest short story. Sam has a Bachelor of Advanced Science from the University of Sydney.
If the wired life has got you down, Southern Phone mobile broadband plans can help pick you back up.
Good internet is hard to come by in regional Australia, and Southern Phone ADSL plans can help to change that with plans to suit most customers' needs.
Find out our expert picks for the best NBN plans this month.
See what Finder users are loving with our top 10 Internet providers.
We've rounded up the fastest Internet providers and plans around.
Grab a cheap deal with these NBN plans for under $50/month.
Our goal is to create the best possible product, and your thoughts, ideas and suggestions play a major role in helping us identify opportunities to improve.
finder.com.au is one of Australia's leading comparison websites. We compare from a wide set of banks, insurers and product issuers. We value our editorial independence and follow editorial guidelines.
finder.com.au has access to track details from the product issuers listed on our sites. Although we provide information on the products offered by a wide range of issuers, we don't cover every available product or service.
Please note that the information published on our site should not be construed as personal advice and does not consider your personal needs and circumstances. While our site will provide you with factual information and general advice to help you make better decisions, it isn't a substitute for professional advice. You should consider whether the products or services featured on our site are appropriate for your needs. If you're unsure about anything, seek professional advice before you apply for any product or commit to any plan.
Products marked as 'Promoted' or 'Advertisement' are prominently displayed either as a result of a commercial advertising arrangement or to highlight a particular product, provider or feature. Finder may receive remuneration from the Provider if you click on the related link, purchase or enquire about the product. Finder's decision to show a 'promoted' product is neither a recommendation that the product is appropriate for you nor an indication that the product is the best in its category. We encourage you to use the tools and information we provide to compare your options.
Where our site links to particular products or displays 'Go to site' buttons, we may receive a commission, referral fee or payment when you click on those buttons or apply for a product. You can learn more about how we make money here.
When products are grouped in a table or list, the order in which they are initially sorted may be influenced by a range of factors including price, fees and discounts; commercial partnerships; product features; and brand popularity. We provide tools so you can sort and filter these lists to highlight features that matter to you.
We try to take an open and transparent approach and provide a broad-based comparison service. However, you should be aware that while we are an independently owned service, our comparison service does not include all providers or all products available in the market.
Some product issuers may provide products or offer services through multiple brands, associated companies or different labelling arrangements. This can make it difficult for consumers to compare alternatives or identify the companies behind the products. However, we aim to provide information to enable consumers to understand these issues.
Providing or obtaining an estimated insurance quote through us does not guarantee you can get the insurance. Acceptance by insurance companies is based on things like occupation, health and lifestyle. By providing you with the ability to apply for a credit card or loan, we are not guaranteeing that your application will be approved. Your application for credit products is subject to the Provider's terms and conditions as well as their application and lending criteria.
Please read our website terms of use and privacy policy for more information about our services and our approach to privacy.
I was offered a plan of $96 per month with unlimited texts on mobile and calls. I have just now received a monthly account for $176. Also I cannot connect the landline phone since receiving the new modum but have been charged for a long distance phone call. I have tried to contact Southern Phone without success.
Hi Betty,
Thanks for leaving a message on our page. Sorry to hear you haven’t had success contacting Southern. I’d be glad to check your July account for you however Finder doesn’t have this kind of access. It would be best to contact Southern Phone’s billing department directly to investigate the charges on your account. Also, since you are experiencing technical difficulties with your new modem, when you speak to Southern, request for a home service technician and inquire about the costs.
Sorry I couldn’t be of further help. Hope this helps and find a solution to this soon.
Cheers,
Nikki
do i have to change to nbn or can i stay with my adsl bundle including mobiles
Hi David,
Thanks for your inquiry.
Unfortunately, All ADSL, ADSL2 and ADSL2+ internet services from all providers will be disconnected.
Moving to the nbn™ network is not automatic and the following services will be permanently disconnected if you do not arrange to move them to the nbn™ network before the advised date.
We suggest you prepare before calling your preferred provider so you can discuss all your requirements before ordering your services and booking an installation. Your service provider will be able to advise you, discuss the options and the range of competitive nbn™ plans that they have to offer. After notification that you can switch to the nbn™ network, you will have 18 months to move your services to the new network before the existing network is switched off. We will send you reminders, but we highly recommend switching well before your disconnection date as it may take time to process your order.
Hope this information helped.
Cheers,
Arnold
Does Southern Phone have technicians come out to set up a service?
Hi Ronbee,
Thanks for your question.
Yes, Southern Phone have technicians who will set-up the services. However, please note that customers are required to pay a $59 setup fee.
Cheers,
Anndy