Compare Telstra cable plans
Cable Internet can be hard to come by in Australia. Telstra is one of the few options available, so compare their plans to find the right one for you.
What you need to know about Telstra's cable plans
Founded over 40 years ago, Telstra has more broadband experience than most other Australian telcos combined. It's no surprise, then, that its range of broadband plans are some of the most versatile on the market, with Foxtel pack-ins, network security suites, remote hotspot access, and many other features available alongside its core Internet service.
Telstra's rich history also positions it as one of the few telcos offering cable Internet in Australia. With faster speeds than ADSL, cable is the next best thing to fibre for Aussies still waiting for the NBN rollout to reach their area. Like the NBN, though, your access to cable services will depend on the network infrastructure available where you live.
To cater to the unpredictability of the modern world, Telstra offers its cable plans on both 24-month and month-to-month contracts. Picking the more flexible month-to-month contract means you won't get hit with any early termination fees if you decide to cancel your plan, but you'll face a steeper monthly bill and you'll have to pony up a Casual Plan Fee at the start of your contract.
If you're hungry for entertainment, Telstra offers 24-month cable bundles with your choice of Foxtel or Telstra's own Telstra TV streaming service packed in.
What are the different Telstra cable plans?
Telstra gives you plenty of options when it comes to its cable plans. If Internet is all you're after, the basic M and L cable packages come with 500GB and 1000GB of data a month respectively, with both plans supporting speeds up to 30/1Mbps. Your actual speed will depend on a number of environmental factors like distance to your local exchange and the number of other users accessing the connection at the same time. If 30/1Mbps isn’t fast enough, you can purchase a Speed Boost package for $20 extra a month to soup your connection up to 100/2Mbps.
The standard M and L packages include pay-as-you-go calls, but if you're a heavy phone user, you can pay extra to bundle in unlimited local and national calls each month. If you spend a lot of time making overseas calls, the XL bundle includes unlimited international calls to home phones in 35 countries and unlimited calls to mobile phones in 17 of those countries, along with unlimited local, national, and mobile calls within Australia.
On the entertainment front, Telstra's Best Bundle Ever packs in 1000GB of data, unlimited local and national calls, and a Telstra TV set-top box, giving you access to a number of different streaming and on-demand video services right on your TV. If Foxtel's more your style, you can upgrade the L and XL packages with a Foxtel Entertainment Package along with three months of either the Sports HD Package or the Drama and Movies Package.
How much do Telstra's cable plans cost?
Being the biggest name in the broadband business, Telstra charges a pretty penny for its Internet services. At the bare minimum, you'll be looking at $80 a month for the 500GB M cable plan on a 24-month contract. Upgrade your data cap to 1000GB with the L package, and you'll be looking at $95 a month. On a month-to-month contract, those prices will increase to $95 a month and $115 a month respectively.
Telstra's phone and cable bundles start at $90 a month for the M package and go all the way up to $140 a month for the XL bundle. The Best Bundle Ever with Telstra TV will set you back $99 a month, while the L and XL Foxtel bundles go for $120 and $140 a month respectively.
For both 24-month and month-to-month contracts, all plans come with an activation fee of $89 as well as a $168 mandatory Home Network Gateway, which is Telstra's proprietary modem. Month-to-month contracts also get stung with a $120 Casual Plan Fee, while 24-month contracts will incur an early termination fee of up to $360 if you choose to cancel your plan before the two years are up.
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