Compare Standard Plus NBN Plans

6 February 2019

Find the ideal Standard Plus NBN plan by comparing more than 200 options from dozens of providers.

Broadband Offer

TPG NBN50 Bundle Unlimited

NBN Connection
$10/month extra to get unlimited local, national and mobile calls

$69.99

Monthly

Min. Total Cost of $199.94

Promotion

Unlimited

Data

43 Mbps

Typical peak evening speed

Need to know more about Standard Plus NBN plans first?

Standard Plus NBN plans can deliver high speeds, even for large households with relatively extensive Internet needs.

This tier is well suited for home offices, self-employed workers and small businesses, although the limited upload speed means some of these businesses might need to look at faster plans, depending on the nature of their work.

Is a Standard Plus connection the right speed for me?

NBN usage quiz

It can be hard to know which NBN plan to choose. We've designed a simple NBN usage quiz designed to deliver a personalised comparison of NBN plans that cater to your needs.

This speed tier may be ideal in the following situations:

Large families or households with relatively extensive Internet needs, such as several people streaming videos or streaming and downloading at the same time.
Households where Internet usage varies enough that network speeds sometimes get frustratingly slow, especially during peak times.
Households that stream a lot of high quality video or engage in other heavy-duty Internet activity.
Business or homes that find Standard NBN plans to be inadequate and higher speeds to be worth the extra cost.
Small businesses, home workers or other businesses that require reliable download speeds but don’t particularly need fast uploads.

Standard Plus NBN plans are theoretically capable of download speeds of 50Mbps, but that's not a speed you're likely to see in practice. Numerous factors impact real-world Internet speeds, which is why NBN providers are now advertising the typical speeds users can expect during the peak evening hours of 7:00PM to 11:00PM. Those speeds offer a more accurate guideline of how fast a particular NBN plan will be.
Some of the factors that influence NBN speeds may be internal and manageable by making changes to your home environment. Other factors are external and beyond your control.
Internal factors
- Wi-Fi interference. A thick wall (or floor) between the source of your wireless signal and your device might impact speeds or connectivity, as can the distance between the two devices. Wireless signal extenders can help with this as can simply moving the equipment around until it works better.
- Simultaneous usage. The total speed of your NBN plan must be shared between all users accessing it simultaneously. While one person alone might find it difficult to consume the entire bandwidth of a Standard Plus connection, several people might be able to do it easily, especially when simultaneously using the Internet on multiple devices such as streaming a show on TV while downloading something on a computer.
- Device problems. Your modem might be aging and out of date, in which case it might not be capable of using your Standard Plus connection to its fullest extent. Or the problem might be with the device you are using to stream Internet content. The device might be infected with malware or a virus, or it could be too old or not functioning properly.
- Building wiring. Aging or corroded in-premises wiring can also limit the speed of your plan. The likelihood of this impacting your speeds increases the faster your plan is.
External factors
- Type of connection. The NBN uses different technologies in different locations, and which technology you get can affect your network speed. With a fibre to the node (FTTN) connection, for instance, your distance from the node can affect your Internet speed. These factors generally affect the maximum speeds your home is capable of receiving, so it can be more relevant for Premium (nbn100) plans than for Standard Plus plans.
- Local congestion. Network congestion in your area is exactly what it sounds like. Many people in your area are using the Internet all at once, and the traffic slows down as it gets more crowded.
- Provider congestion. Congestion can also occur on the provider’s end, where many people are trying to access their website or content all at once.

Download speeds are how quickly you can get content from elsewhere into your home, such as when downloading a game or streaming TV. Upload speeds are how quickly you can send information out of your network to elsewhere, such as when sending an email or uploading a video to YouTube.

When you look at each NBN speed tier, it’s frequently listed with two numbers. Standard Plus plans, for example, are often written as 50/20Mbps. This specifies a plan with a maximum download speed of 50Mbps and a maximum upload speed of 20Mbps. This can be misleading, though, as the likelihood of an NBN connection delivering its maximum speeds differs from provider to provider. That's why NBN providers must now advertise the typical speeds customers can expect during the peak hours of 7:00PM to 11:00PM. This makes it possible to more accurately compare the speeds of different NBN providers, allowing you to make a more informed buying decision.

For everyday household use, upload speeds generally aren't as important as download speeds. However, in some cases, such as for a home business that needs to send high quality pictures or videos over the Internet, plan suitability may be determined by the upload speeds as well as the download speeds.

What are my alternatives?

Tier	Typical evening download speed	Typical evening upload speed
Basic	9Mbps	0.8Mbps
Standard	20Mbps	4Mbps
Standard Plus	40Mbps	15Mbps
Premium	80Mbps	30Mbps

If you’re switching to an NBN plan, then you may need new hardware. If you’re switching between NBN plans, then your existing hardware might be fine, although not necessarily ideal.
There are two main pieces of Internet hardware to think about: your modem and your router. Bear in mind that sometimes a single device can perform the functions of both a modem and a router, reducing the amount of physical hardware you need to purchase.
- Your modem. This is the hardware that translates the NBN connection into a usable form. If you want to use your existing ADSL modem, it will need to have dual ADSL and NBN capability – if not, you'll need to purchase a new one. Your NBN provider will generally be able to arrange this as well as provide modem troubleshooting and support if necessary.
- Your router. This is the hardware that allows your devices to share your Internet connection. You typically won't need to upgrade it for the NBN, but if it’s an older model, then an upgrade might be necessary in order to ensure your devices receive the best speeds possible.

Jonathan Choi

Jonathan Choi was a training and development manager at Finder.

Was this content helpful to you? No Yes

How to speed up your FTTN NBN connection Compare Standard NBN plans

The latest broadband offers on finder

When will you get the NBN?

Find out when the NBN is coming to your area with our tracker.

More info...

Save 77% on a 3 year deal with NordVPN

Get 3 years of super fast and secure NordVPN for $99.

More info...

Boost your business

Grow your small business and compare the best broadband plans for SMEs

More info...

Compare mobile broadband plans

Need to stay connected on the go? Find fast and cheap plans.

More info...

Ask an Expert

Click here to cancel reply.

Display Name

Your Email (will not be published)

Your Question

Subscribe to the Finder newsletter for the latest money tips and tricks

Notify me via email when there is a reply

Finder only provides general advice and factual information, so consider your own circumstances, or seek advice before you decide to act on our content. By submitting a question, you're accepting our Terms of Use, Disclaimer & Privacy Policy and Privacy & Cookies Policy.

Find out which mobile plan is best for you

Find the best phone for you with our phone reviews

Find the right broadband plan for you

Find a better NBN plan to suit your needs

Find out about new content on Stan & Netflix

Check out what's out this month on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Broadband Plans

Broadband Guides

NBN

NBN Providers

Compare Standard Plus NBN Plans

Find the ideal Standard Plus NBN plan by comparing more than 200 options from dozens of providers.

TPG NBN50 Bundle Unlimited

$69.99

Unlimited

43 Mbps

Standard Plus NBN plans can deliver high speeds, even for large households with relatively extensive Internet needs.

Is a Standard Plus connection the right speed for me?

Internal factors

External factors

What are my alternatives?

Jonathan Choi

Related Posts

The latest broadband offers on finder

When will you get the NBN?

Save 77% on a 3 year deal with NordVPN

Boost your business

Compare mobile broadband plans

Ask an Expert

Broadband Plans

Broadband Guides

NBN

NBN Providers

Get exclusive tech offers and guides

Compare Standard Plus NBN Plans

Find the ideal Standard Plus NBN plan by comparing more than 200 options from dozens of providers.

TPG NBN50 Bundle Unlimited

$69.99

Unlimited

43 Mbps

Standard Plus NBN plans can deliver high speeds, even for large households with relatively extensive Internet needs.

Is a Standard Plus connection the right speed for me?

Will I get 50Mbps all the time?

What's the difference between upload and download speeds?

Do I need to get new hardware to receive Standard Plus NBN speeds?

How do I switch to the NBN?

Related Posts

The latest broadband offers on finder

Ask an Expert

Important information about this website