Telstra offers a full range of nbn speed tiers from nbn25 up to nbn1000, plus 5G Home Internet, nbn Fixed Wireless and Satellite Home Internet. Exetel takes a different approach: instead of multiple speed tiers, it sells a single nbn500 plan at a fixed $80/mth, with two optional in-app features — Warp Speed, which temporarily boosts the connection to nbn1000-equivalent speeds for $1/day, and Hibernate, which temporarily reduces the connection and discounts the bill by $1/day. Exetel's One Plan is only available on nbn Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) or Hybrid Fibre Coaxial (HFC) connections; it isn't available over Fibre to the Node (FTTN) or Fibre to the Curb (FTTC) copper-based connections without an nbn fibre upgrade first.
- At the nbn500 tier, both providers have a plan on file. Telstra's price ($99/mth) is its regular listed price with no current promo; Exetel's $80/mth is also its regular, non-promotional price.
- Telstra has plans on file at nbn25, nbn100, nbn750 and nbn1000; we don't have an Exetel plan on file at any of these tiers.
- Exetel doesn't offer multiple speed tiers. Instead, its single plan can be temporarily boosted to 1000/100 Mbps via Warp Speed ($1/day) or temporarily reduced via Hibernate (saves $1/day).
- Exetel's plan requires an nbn FTTP or HFC connection; it isn't available on FTTN/FTTC copper-based connections without a fibre upgrade. Telstra's nbn plans aren't restricted this way in our data.
- All Telstra and Exetel plans included in this comparison are listed at their regular price with no current promo.
- Telstra offers 5G Home Internet, nbn Fixed Wireless and Satellite Home Internet; we don't have equivalent Exetel products on file in any of these categories.
nbn Plans Compared
Exetel has one plan on file, matched at the nbn500 tier. At the other tiers shown, we don't have an equivalent Exetel plan.
| Speed tier | Telstra | Exetel |
|---|---|---|
| nbn25 | Basic nbn Plan — $89/mth Typical speed: 25/4 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database |
| nbn100 | Premium 100Mbps nbn Plan — $99/mth Typical speed: 100/17 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database |
| nbn500 | Premium 500Mbps nbn Plan — $99/mth Typical speed: 500/40 Mbps |
One Plan 500/50 — $80/mthNo current promo Typical speed: 500/40 Mbps Requires nbn FTTP or HFC connection |
| nbn750 | Ultimate nbn Plan — $119/mth Typical speed: 750/40 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database. Exetel's nbn500 plan can be temporarily boosted to a 1000/100 Mbps connection via Warp Speed — see below. |
| nbn1000 | Ultrafast nbn Plan — $129/mth Typical speed: 875/80 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database. Exetel's nbn500 plan can be temporarily boosted to a 1000/100 Mbps connection via Warp Speed — see below. |
At the nbn500 tier, Telstra's regular price is $99/mth and Exetel's regular price is $80/mth. Both are listed at their regular price with no current promo. Typical download speed is listed the same for both providers (500 Mbps), with Exetel's typical upload (40 Mbps) matching Telstra's. We don't have an Exetel plan on file at nbn25, nbn100, nbn750 or nbn1000.
Exetel sells one nbn plan rather than separate speed tiers. Instead, its app lets customers temporarily change the speed of that one connection for a per-day fee or discount:
- Warp Speed temporarily increases the connection to 1000/100 Mbps (typical evening speed 860/85 Mbps) for $1 per day. It's billed for however many days it's switched on — for example, turning it on for 4 days adds $4 to that month's bill on top of the standard $80/mth.
- Hibernate temporarily reduces the connection to around 25/10 Mbps (typical evening speed 25/8.5 Mbps) and discounts the bill by $1 per day it's switched on — for example, turning it on for 2 days reduces that month's bill by $2 from the standard $80/mth.
- Both are toggled on and off in the Exetel app, and don't require a plan change or contract commitment.
Telstra doesn't offer an equivalent per-day speed toggle on any plan in our database; a Telstra customer wanting a different speed tier needs to change plans.
5G Home Internet
| Tier | Telstra | Exetel |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Basic 5G Internet — $70/mth 1000GB data · typical speed 23/5 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database |
| Essential | Essential 5G Internet — $80/mth 1000GB data · typical speed 47/21 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database |
| Premium | Premium 5G Internet — $95/mth 1000GB data · typical speed 632/98 Mbps |
No plan at this tier in our database |
Fixed Wireless & Satellite: Check With Exetel Whether They Offer These
We don't have a distinct nbn Fixed Wireless product or a satellite home internet product on file for Exetel — check with Exetel directly to confirm whether they offer these. Telstra offers both:
| Plan | Regular price | Typical speed | Data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic nbn Fixed Wireless Plan | $89/mth | 23/3 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Premium nbn Fixed Wireless Plan | $99/mth | 183/14 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Ultimate nbn Fixed Wireless Plan | $119/mth | 298/20 Mbps | Unlimited |
| Satellite Home Internet | $125/mth | 50/10 Mbps | Unlimited |
The supplied data doesn't specify which addresses or coverage areas these plans are suited to. Check availability at your address directly with Telstra.
Connection Requirements, Support & Mobile
Telstra
- Choice of internet-only, or internet bundled with a modem and/or a home phone line.
- Earn Telstra Plus reward points on eligible internet products and services.
- Support via multilingual phone/chat lines, live chat, phone, in-store, and the National Relay Service (NRS).
- Online self-service for account management and troubleshooting.
Exetel
- The One Plan requires an nbn FTTP or HFC connection. It isn't available on FTTN/FTTC copper-based connections without an nbn fibre upgrade first.
- We don't have a current nbn+mobile bundle discount on file for Exetel.
- Exetel also sells a separate prepaid mobile eSIM plan, which isn't an internet plan and isn't included in the pricing comparison on this page.
- Support via live chat (daily, 9am–9pm AEST/AEDT), phone, the Exetel app, and the Exetel Support Centre: support.exetel.com.au.
Typical Speeds
Telstra's typical speed figures in this comparison are measured during the busy period of 7pm–11pm. Exetel's typical evening speed figures for Warp Speed and Hibernate are also evening measurements, per the figures supplied for those features; the measurement window for Exetel's standard nbn500 typical speed wasn't separately supplied.
Differences by Feature
Telstra's regular price is $99/mth. Exetel's regular price is $80/mth. Both are listed at their regular price with no current promo.
Telstra offers separate plans at nbn25, nbn100, nbn500, nbn750 and nbn1000. Exetel sells one nbn500 plan with two optional per-day speed features, Warp Speed and Hibernate.
Exetel's plan requires an nbn FTTP or HFC connection. We don't have a similar restriction on file for Telstra's nbn plans.
Telstra offers 5G Home Internet, nbn Fixed Wireless and Satellite Home Internet in our database. We don't have equivalent Exetel products on file in any of these categories.
Telstra's 5G Home Internet plans included here list a 1000GB monthly data allowance; speed is capped after 1000GB is used. We don't have an equivalent Exetel product on file.
Telstra offers multilingual phone/chat, live chat, phone, in-store and NRS support. Exetel offers live chat, phone, an app, and a self-service Support Centre.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is Telstra or Exetel internet cheaper?
- At the nbn500 tier, the only tier where both providers have a plan on file, Telstra's regular price is $99/mth and Exetel's regular price is $80/mth. Both are listed at their regular price with no current promo.
- Why does Exetel only have one internet plan?
- Exetel currently sells a single home nbn plan, the One Plan 500/50, rather than a range of speed tiers. Customers who want a different speed can use the optional Warp Speed or Hibernate features described above instead of switching plans.
- What is Exetel's Warp Speed?
- Warp Speed is an optional feature, activated in the Exetel app, that temporarily increases the connection to 1000/100 Mbps (typical evening speed 860/85 Mbps) for $1 per day it's switched on.
- What is Exetel's Hibernate?
- Hibernate is an optional feature, activated in the Exetel app, that temporarily reduces the connection to around 25/10 Mbps (typical evening speed 25/8.5 Mbps) and discounts the bill by $1 per day it's switched on.
- Can I get Exetel's plan on any nbn connection?
- No. Exetel's One Plan requires an nbn FTTP or HFC connection. It isn't available on FTTN or FTTC copper-based connections unless the address is upgraded to nbn fibre first.
- Does Telstra 5G Home Internet have unlimited data?
- No. Telstra's 5G Home Internet plans (Basic, Essential, Premium) included in this comparison list a 1000GB monthly data allowance rather than unlimited data; speed is capped after 1000GB is used. More information: Telstra's 5G Home Internet page.
- Does either provider offer nbn Fixed Wireless or Satellite?
- In our database, only Telstra has a dedicated satellite home internet plan and a distinct nbn Fixed Wireless range on file. This page is based on a snapshot of our plan data and may not include every plan a provider offers, so it's worth checking directly with Exetel if this matters to you.
- Do Telstra or Exetel offer mobile plans?
- Telstra sells prepaid mobile broadband plans, and Exetel sells a separate prepaid mobile eSIM plan. Neither provider's mobile products are included in this internet plan comparison.
Telstra also sells prepaid "Upfront Data" mobile broadband plans (from $33/mth for 30GB) which aren't included in this comparison, as we don't have an equivalent Exetel home-internet product in that category. Exetel also sells a separate prepaid mobile eSIM plan, which isn't included in this comparison either.