What are Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customer Awards?

Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Awards recognise companies with the most satisfied customers overall based on consumer surveys.

How many people do we survey for our NBN provider ratings?

Canstar surveyed 4,388 Australians with a current NBN service for their feedback on NBN providers they’ve been signed up to. Respondents had to have an active NBN account in their name and pay the bills. Market research company PureProfile manages the survey on Canstar’s behalf.

How do we rate NBN providers?

Survey respondents are asked to rate their satisfaction with their NBN provider from zero to 10, with zero meaning extremely dissatisfied and 10 meaning extremely satisfied. NBN provider satisfaction is rated on the following criteria: Overall satisfaction: measures consumer satisfaction with an NBN provider as an individual score, NOT the combined total of all criteria. Speed and reliability: the internet service was fast enough for the speed tier (and expected typical evening speeds) and performance was adequate with minimal service dropouts, disruptions, etc. Value for money: the cost for the plan was reasonably priced for the quality of service and performance provided. Customer service: the NBN provider had multiple service options for customers and was relatively easy to get in contact with. Bill and cost clarity: the bill supplied by the NBN provider was easy to understand. Ease of setup: the sign up process was rather simple and quick.

How do we work out the winner?

The winning brand receives the highest overall rating once all the scores from each category are combined and averaged.

What other awards does Canstar give?

Canstar also gives Star Ratings to top performing financial products, and Outstanding Value Awards to providers with a range of high-performing products. Canstar’s Innovation Excellence Awards also showcase products and services that break new ground when it comes to helping customers.

Does Canstar rate other products?

Canstar rates products and services over a range of consumer categories, in addition to financial services. Explore Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers awards here.

What do Aussies think about their NBN service?

According to Canstar’s 2025 research, Aussies rate cost and data allowance as the equal most important features of an NBN plan. Download speeds are the second most important feature, followed by the inclusion of a modem. The response indicates a shift alongside cost of living pressures, especially compared to our 2024 ratings where cost was considered the second most important feature. Highlighting that NBN prices are front of mind for households, a quarter of those surveyed had signed up to the cheapest NBN plan they could, while 20% were enticed to sign up to their plan because of a special offer/incentive. For 18% of respondents, they chose to sign up to the plan with the fastest speeds available. Even with NBN costs rising and a highly competitive market, brand loyalty still seems hard to shake for Aussies, with the average time spent with an NBN provider now at nine years. However, if you’re unhappy with your current NBN provider, or you’re hoping to get a better deal elsewhere, it always helps to compare plans and providers to find the best option for your needs. Switching NBN plans doesn’t have to be a complicated or daunting process, and you might get better value for money with a different plan. You can use our free NBN comparison tool to compare a range of NBN providers and plans.

How to compare NBN providers and plans

There are around 150 NBN providers offering internet services across Australia, so it can be a complicated market to navigate. While you might be tempted to go with an NBN plan from your phone plan provider, or a familiar name, comparing a wider range of plans and providers could help you save money (and find a plan better suited to your household’s needs). Consider the following when comparing providers and plans. Speed There are several different speed tiers available, however not all providers will offer every speed. Understanding which NBN speed you need is important: it ensures you’re not suffering speeds that are too slow for your usage, or that you’re not paying too much for a speed that you don’t need. The most popular speed tier is NBN 50. This may also be one of the fastest speeds available to you depending on the NBN connection type at your address. In order to sign up to a faster plan, you may need a Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connection, but it’s always best to check with the provider if you’re unsure. Cost You should compare a range of plans on your chosen speed tier to see how much providers generally charge for these services. If you have a set budget, you might prefer to look at providers that fit within your price range. Likewise, if you’re looking to save some money on your plan fees, you might prefer to look at providers which offer discounts. According to our survey results, the average internet bill Aussies pay for their NBN plan is around $85 per month (about a $9 increase from 2024), which is around what you can expect to pay for some NBN 50 plans. Cheaper plans will typically cost less, while faster NBN plans will cost closer to $100 per month and up. Modems, entertainment add-ons and more Some NBN providers will offer extras beyond a simple plan, sometimes with an additional cost. A common add-on is a modem, which could be offered for an upfront cost or with fees waived if you stay connected for a set amount of time. Some providers also offer the option to bundle internet with a home phone line (and call packs), entertainment inclusions and more. If you’re after a plan with any of these extras, it could be worth shopping around to see what’s on offer.

Which NBN provider has the best customer service?

According to 2025 research conducted by Canstar, the best NBN provider for customer service is Aussie Broadband. While Aussie Broadband took out second place in our 2025 Most Satisfied Customers award for NBN Providers, it was the top-rated brand when it came to customer service and the only provider to score five stars in this category (which it did for the third year in a row).

Who are the biggest internet providers in Australia?

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) regularly monitors the NBN wholesale market, including which providers have the largest market share. By customer numbers, Telstra is the largest NBN provider in Australia, followed by TPG, Optus, Vocus, Aussie Broadband, Superloop then the remaining providers. The following numbers are taken from the ACCC’s NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report in the September 2025 quarter, published in December 2025. Telstra (including Belong): 36.5% market share TPG Group (including TPG, Vodafone, iiNet): 18.1% market share Optus (including Amaysim): 12.4% market share Vocus Group (Dodo and iPrimus): 9.2% market share Aussie Broadband (including Buddy Telco): 8.4% market share Superloop (including Exetel): 6.7% market share Other providers: 7.0% market share Note: the above numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

What are the best small NBN providers?

The NBN market might be dominated by the big providers with recognisable names: however, thanks to the combination of a single widespread, high-speed network and affordable wholesale prices, smaller operators no longer need to piggyback on infrastructure belonging to a few big companies. This has also seen the big providers like Telstra, TPG and Optus drop in NBN market share over the years, while smaller providers like Aussie Broadband and Superloop have seen their market share grow. Although there is no single ‘best’ smaller NBN provider, including these smaller providers with less recognisable names when you compare plans could help you find better value for money than what’s on offer from the bigger names.

Are all NBN providers the same?

Every NBN provider is different — while bigger names like Telstra and Optus can offer perks and bonuses like entertainment extras, smaller providers might keep it simpler, but with more competitive prices. Some providers might also cater to certain users, which is reflected in the plans and extras offered (such as NBN plans for seniors, or plans and speeds catered to online gaming). However, as every provider is essentially operating on the same network, the general overall performance of an NBN plan should be similar between providers.

Best NBN Providers

Written by

Emma BradstockSenior Telco writer

Edited by

Grace KinrossResearcher

26 Jun, 2025

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Most Satisfied Customers

Making its first appearance in our Most Satisfied Customer NBN Provider ratings, Southern Phone took out top spot, scoring five stars for overall satisfaction, speed and reliability, bill and cost clarity, and ease of setup.

About Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers NBN Providers Awards

Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers Awards showcase the NBN providers with the happiest customers across Australia. We ask customers to rate their satisfaction with their current NBN provider by overall satisfaction, as well as other criteria including speed and reliability, value for money, customer service, bill and cost clarity and ease of setup.

Numbers crunched by Canstar’s researchers

4,388 customers surveyed
33 providers assessed
19 providers shortlisted
One award winner

Read our methodology

The best NBN providers

The brands rated are listed below in order of best overall satisfaction.

1. Southern Phone

Southern Phone took out top spot in its first appearance in our Most Satisfied Customers NBN provider ratings, scoring five stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction, speed and reliability, billing and cost clarity and ease of setup. It scored four stars for value for money and customer service.

Perhaps known more for its postpaid SIM-only plans — which had previously won our Postpaid Phone Plans Most Satisfied Customer ratings in 2019 — Southern Phone offers a range of NBN plans starting on the NBN 25 speed tier and going up to NBN 1000, with the option to add a modem on to your plan. Southern Phone was also crowned the 2025 Canstar Outstanding Value winner for its fast-speed NBN plans.

2. Aussie Broadband

Previous winner Aussie Broadband dropped into second place, scoring four stars for overall satisfaction, value for money, bill and cost clarity, and ease of setup. However, it scored five stars for speed and reliability and was the only brand to score five stars for customer service.

Aussie Broadband’s NBN plans are available across the full suite of NBN speed tiers on offer. While discounts are often available, its plan prices are slightly more expensive than some of its top competitors. However, its Australian-based customer support could be a drawcard if this is a top priority for you. In addition to NBN plans, you can also sign up to Opticomm plans, SIM-only postpaid plans and mobile broadband plans.

3. Flip

Another brand making its debut in our NBN provider ratings, Flip scored four stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction, speed and reliability and customer service. It was also the only brand to score five stars for value for money.

Flip is typically one of the cheapest NBN providers on the market and frequently offers discounts on plans. It offers a range of speed tiers and while it was previously one of the few providers to offer NBN 12, this speed is now only available as part of its range of seniors NBN plans.

4. Superloop

After its debut in our 2024 ratings, Superloop dropped from second into fourth place with a respectable four-star sweep across all categories, including overall satisfaction and value for money.

Superloop is another challenger brand, growing its NBN market share in the past few years. It offers a wide range of speed tiers, starting at NBN 25 and going up to NBN 2000 speeds. Prices are fairly competitive, especially if you’re looking at faster plans. Superloop also regularly offers discounts to new customers, so it’s worth keeping an eye out to see what’s on offer.

5. Belong

Belong has made a significant jump up from our 2024 ratings — where it placed last — up to fifth spot, scoring four stars in all categories including overall satisfaction.

A subsidiary of Telstra, Belong offers a simple range of NBN plans with its slowest on the NBN 25 speed tier and its fastest on the NBN 1000 speed tier, with prices typically cheaper than those offered by its parent company. You’ll have the option to BYO modem or add a modem at checkout, and all internet plans include a Belong SIM card loaded with $80 of credit.

6. Tangerine

Tangerine came in sixth place, jumping up from 14th spot in our 2024 ratings. It scored four stars across all categories, including overall satisfaction, customer service and value for money.

Tangerine offers a wide range of speeds, starting at NBN 25 and going up to NBN 1000 speeds. The telco is known to regularly offer discounts on plan fees for new customers, although its plans are priced fairly average.

7. Dodo

Dodo made the jump up to seventh place, improving on its 10th place in our 2024 ratings. It scored four stars in most categories, including overall satisfaction and speed and reliability, however it scored three stars for ease of setup.

Dodo offers a simple selection of NBN plans, starting at a slower speed-capped plan with up to 25Mbps download speeds and going up to the NBN 1000 speed tier. You’ll also have the option to add a Dodo energy plan to your internet service and potentially earn a bundle discount.

8. iiNet

Taking out eighth spot is iiNet, which scored four stars across the board, including overall satisfaction, value for money, and bill and cost clarity.

A provider under the TPG Telecom umbrella, iiNet has been a big name in the internet space for many years. It offers a wide range of NBN plans, starting at NBN 12 speeds and going up to the ultra-fast NBN 1000. iiNet also offers non-NBN internet plans including its own fibre network, 5G home internet and home wireless broadband.

9. iPrimus

iPrimus took out ninth place in our ratings with four stars in every category, including overall satisfaction and value for money.

iPrimus, which is part of the Vocus Communications umbrella company along with Dodo, offers a simple selection of NBN plans. Options start at NBN 50 speeds and go up to NBN 1000.

10. Exetel

Rounding out our top 10 is Exetel, which scored four stars in all categories including overall satisfaction, speed and reliability and ease of setup.

Exetel, which is owned by fellow NBN provider Superloop, offers just one NBN plan — the One Plan — with super-fast NBN speeds of 500/40Mbps, which is only available to households with an FTTP or HFC NBN connection type. It had previously offered a wider range of NBN speeds along with other non-NBN fibre internet plans.

Other NBN providers

The remaining NBN providers that were included in our 2025 ratings for Most Satisfied Customers for NBN Providers included:

Vodafone
SpinTel
Telstra
MATE
TPG
More
Optus
Foxtel
Origin

Vodafone and SpinTel both received four stars in all categories, including overall satisfaction, while Telstra scored mostly four stars, except for value for money where it scored three stars. MATE also scored four stars in most categories except speed and reliability, where it scored three stars. Other providers on the list scored three stars in most categories, while Origin was the only brand to score two stars, which it did for value for money.

Of course, with the sheer number of NBN providers in operation, there are far more providers than those that have been included in our ratings. You can use our NBN plan comparison tool to compare more NBN plans and providers.

Past NBN provider winners

Here are past winners of Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers – NBN Providers ratings:

2024: Aussie Broadband
2023: Aussie Broadband
2022: Origin
2021: MATE
2020: Aussie Broadband
2019: Aussie Broadband
2018: Internode
2017: iiNet
2016: TPG

FAQs about Canstar's NBN Providers Award

Meet our internet experts

Emma BradstockSenior Telco writer

Emma Bradstock has been an authority on consumer phone, internet, technology and streaming markets in Australia for more than six years, having written more than 300 articles for Canstar. Emma covers a range of topics — from NBN speeds and technology to the latest release phones — and strives to help readers find the right phone and internet plans for their needs. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Media from Macquarie University, has more than a decade of professional writing experience in print and digital media, and contributed to Canstar’s Highly Commended award for Best Consumer Technology Coverage in 2024. You can follow Emma on LinkedIn.

Grace KinrossResearcher

Grace is in the final semester of her Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) degree at The University of Queensland, majoring in Business Analytics and Marketing. Her studies have equipped her with strong capabilities in data analysis and consumer research. Grace began her journey with Canstar in early 2025 as a casual research assistant and has since progressed into her current role, where she oversees the consumer research ratings across a wide range of product and service categories. She is responsible for survey design and consumer data analysis, and enjoys her focus on uncovering insights that inform Canstar’s ratings and awards and help support consumers to make more informed decisions.