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Unhappy with your existing Internet plan or simply think there's something better out there? While there are plenty of benefits to changing your plan, including saving money and getting a faster connection, many Australians just stick with what they have.
But switching NBN providers is a lot easier than you might think. To help you out, we've put together an easy five-step guide that should make your transition as painless as possible.
There are a couple things to check before you cut ties with your current provider:
Once you've gone through this checklist, you're ready to start finding a better NBN plan and provider.
With all of the NBN plans and providers currently on the market, it can feel pretty overwhelming to actually make a choice. A good approach is to focus on your reasons for switching. Do you want:
A better deal?
Not all NBN plans are created equal. Even if two plans are offering the same speed for the same price, there will still be something that separates them. One provider may have a faster typical speed, offer entertainment features like a Fetch bundle, or have something else to attract you.
A cheaper price?
In some cases, you can get the same NBN speed tier for a lower price. Keep in mind that this could require a trade-off in terms of data limits, or you may have to sacrifice typical evening speeds. You can also save some money by searching for a plan that doesn't require you to buy a new modem or pay activation/set-up fees.
Better service?
Although it can be somewhat difficult to evaluate the trustworthiness or service quality of a particular provider, it's not impossible. Advice from friends can help, or online reviews on sites like TrustPilot or Product Review. Always use common sense and caution with online reviews. Some reviewers may have been offered a financial incentive or they could be Internet trolls.
Higher speed?
The same speed tier can deliver very different speeds depending on your provider. If you're interested in getting the fastest connection possible, consider selecting a provider that rates highly on the ACCC's broadband performance tests. You might not even have to pay more than what you're currently paying.
One thing to note here is to make sure that your property can support the speeds that you're after. The connection technology you have will determine the speeds that you can access. It's important that you aren't trying to buy a plan with higher speeds than your connection can handle.
Luckily, we can help with that. By inputting your address into our Broadband Plan Finder™, we'll sort out which NBN technology matches your property, so you can easily compare NBN plans that are available to you.
You can adjust the filters to whatever speed, data limit or price you're looking for.
This step is only necessary if you've got any accounts or services tied to your current NBN provider. If you don't, feel free to skip to step 3 - too easy!
Once you've confirmed these transfers, you can safely give your current NBN provider notice that you're leaving.
Giving your current NBN provider at least 30 days notice helps make the transition as smooth as possible. This allows you to sort out any bills, charges and outstanding payments, and it prevents you from getting charged for an extra month that you don't need. Beyond that, switching should be automatic.
While you could just sign up to a new provider without giving your old NBN provider any notice, that could put you at risk on paying for two Internet bills. Your new NBN provider may not automatically cancel your old NBN connection on your behalf, so it's always best to call up your current provider yourself to make sure it's been organised. That way, you'll avoid having to pay for two connections, and have the peace of mind that you've settled everything before leaving.
In most cases, your existing NBN router should function fine with your new plan. By choosing a plan that doesn't force you to purchase new hardware, you can save quite a bit of money.
However, there are some instances in which you may need to purchase new hardware:
If you're bringing your own modem across to a new provider, you will most likely need to configure your current modem with your new provider's details. Don't worry, this sounds harder than it really is. Your new provider will usually send you instructions with the new settings after you've signed up. Alternatively, you can call up the technical support number and a representative should be able to walk you through the process.
The end is here! Now you're ready to sign up to the plan you decided on in step 1. Go ahead and complete the sign-up process with your new NBN provider. If you want to know how long the service transfer will take, ask your new provider, or alternatively, they may give you a rough estimate in your welcome email.
Once you've successfully switched NBN providers and have checked that your Internet connection is up and running, it might be a good idea to double-check with your old provider that your service has been cancelled or will be cancelled soon, just to ensure you're not paying for an Internet connection that you're no longer using.
If you're unsure whether your modem is locked to your NBN provider, make sure to contact your current provider's customer service team and ask them to check your modem details for you.
Thousands of Australians still don’t have access to the NBN, but there are fast speed Internet alternatives available.
Read more…Internet speeds in Australia are at an all-time high this year thanks to measures taken by NBN Co during the pandemic.
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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.
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How I want to use a different internet provider with my iiNet modem but only has iiNet or sister companies in the set up wizard. How else do I configure please?
Hi Lana,
Thank you for reaching out.
The set up wizard will not allow you to choose other providers aside from iiNet and its sister company. You may need to do manual configuration. You have to contact your incoming NBN provider to assist you with manual configuration of your iiNet modem that will match with their settings.
Hope this helps! 😊
Kind Regards,
Mai