3 new changes to get these Aussies cheaper, better internet

Regional Australians still struggle to get affordable, reliable internet but choices are finally improving thanks to three recent developments:

• Telstra has launched Starlink plans at a lower price and speed than Starlink itself.

• A NBN fixed wireless trial is achieving speeds 1.5 times faster in peak periods.

• Satellite NBN has been split into three tiers, making it more affordable.

Telstra’s Starlink plan offers lower speeds at 50mbps versus 100mbps but a lower price too at $125 versus $139 a month. Starlink is Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, which uses around 550 LowEarth Orbit satellites to give better speeds and latency than other satellite internet.

Internet affordability and reliability could improve for some Aussies after Telstra picked up Starlink's connection. (Source: AP) (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

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A two-week Whistleout review of Starlink found its speeds and latency were often as good as 5G, but it was inconsistent and had as many as 19 micro-outages per day.

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Starlink is generally considered superior to other options for regional Australians, albeit more expensive - especially with a $600 upfront hardware cost.

Fixed Wireless Plus NBN plans, which start around $60/month, are however getting faster - with a trial giving speeds up to 90mbps, which is about 1.5 times what they currently get.

All homes in the Fixed Wireless NBN footprint will be able to access these speeds by the middle of 2024, and the footprint is being extended to another 120,000 homes.

Satellite NBN has also become more affordable with Sky Muster Plus plans splitting into 3 tiers late last year: entry, mid and high. Mid plans start around $70/month for 50mbps.

How much do these internet plans cost?

Internet option	Starting Price
Starlink	From $125
Satellite NBN	From $70
Fixed Wireless	From $60

Source: Whistleout

There’s a way to go - all three options still have regular outages and speeds that vary wildly - but the situation is improving... slowly.