Best NBN Providers

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

Canstar surveyed 3,163 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.

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:

• 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.
• Billing transparency: the bill supplied by the NBN provider was easy to understand.
• 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.
• Ease of setup: signing up to the plan and setting up the service was rather simple and quick.

The Most Satisfied Customers Awards identify which categories have the most influence on customer satisfaction and weights them accordingly.

The brand with the highest indexed score is awarded the Canstar Most Satisfied Customers Award for that category.

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.

Canstar rates products and services over a range of consumer categories, in addition to financial services.

Explore Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers awards here.

Of the Australians surveyed by Canstar for our 2026 ratings:

• The average price paid for an NBN plan is around $85 per month.
• 25% of respondents were on the NBN 100/NBN 500 speed tier (note that NBN speed tier changes came into effect in September 2025, which changed the speed for customers with eligible connections), while 23% had their plan on the NBN 50 speed tier. 
• 28% of our survey respondents didn’t know what NBN speed tier they had. 
• As for connection types, 40% of our survey respondents had a FTTP connection, followed by 11% with FTTN (many of which could be eligible for the NBN free fibre upgrade), while 26% were unsure.
• The top five most important features for choosing an NBN plan were: reliable and consistent internet connection, fast download and upload speeds, good customer service and technical support, quick and hassle-free installation or setup, and a modem/router included or easy to use.
• 30% of respondents said that the availability of rewards, discounts or loyalty benefits would have improved their experience with their internet provider.
• A reliable internet connection has positively influenced the experience that 604of those surveyed had with their NBN provider.
• Despite cost of living pressures, and widespread NBN price increases over the past 12 months, 88% of survey respondents hadn’t made any changes to how much they pay for their internet service.

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.

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.

According to 2026 research conducted by Canstar, the best NBN provider for customer service is Aussie Broadband, which customers also rated it highly for in 2025. Exetel also performed strongly in this category. Customer service was the second most important factor for customers when choosing an NBN provider.

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 December 2025 quarter, published in March 2026. 

• Telstra (including Belong): 36% market share
• TPG Group (including TPG, Vodafone, iiNet): 17.9% market share
• Optus (including Amaysim): 12.3% market share
• Vocus Group (Dodo and iPrimus): 10% market share
• Aussie Broadband: 8.8% market share
• Superloop (including Exetel): 7.5% market share
• Other providers: 7.5% market share

Note: the above numbers may not add up to 100% due to rounding.

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.

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). 

For the most part, as every provider is essentially operating on the same network (NBN), the general overall performance of an NBN plan should be similar between providers. However, as the NBN stops at the Point of Interconnect (POI) and your provider’s network takes over after that point, there might be slight differences between providers, which can also impact how your internet connects to the rest of the world. Your provider could either own and operate its network infrastructure (such as Telstra, Optus, Vocus, Aussie Broadband and Superloop) or it will use a network from another provider.