Australians pay $84 a month for their internet. Why so expensive, and what can be done to lower the cost?
Australians are paying an average of $84 per month for internet access on the NBN – and in a cost-of-living crisis, questions are being raised about why cheaper internet is not available for people on lower incomes.What could be done to lower NBN pricing plans, and can we learn from overseas?According to the latest report, about 8.6m of the 12.5m premises able to connect to the NBN are now using the service in Australia.Consumer advocacy group Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (Accan’s) latest survey conducted by Essential, of 1,065 people, found Australians are paying $84 per month on average for their home internet connection, with 31% paying between $81 and $100, 30% paying between $61 and $80, 20% paying over $100, and just 13% paying $60 or under (with the rest unsure).
The survey also found 74% of those who use less than 50GB per month are still paying over $60 per month, with an average bill of $71.These figures include not just NBN connections but other services that compete with the NBN, such as TPG’s services, as well as 5G home internet which has been offered at rates lower than prices people pay in the NBN.The survey found 18% would be prepared to pay more for higher speeds, while 68% said the price being paid was adequate for the speeds they get.Lower speeds would be acceptable for a reduced cost, 14% of respondents said.The NBN is a government-owned company with billions invested in rolling out the network over the past 15 years.
Successive governments have argued that NBN should make a return on taxpayer investment, and wholesale prices are set to a level for NBN to achieve a rate of return.That pricing model, when adding on the retailer costs, has meant that prices – particularly for higher speed plans – are higher than some argue they should be.Of those who responded to the survey, 69% supported a concessional broadband offering, with 34% strongly supportive and 35% somewhat supportive.“Too many Australians are forced to choose between staying connected and paying for essentials like food or rent.That’s not good enough.
Let’s make Australia a leader in digital inclusion and ensuring no Australian is left offline, Accan chief executive, Carol Bennett, said.The federal government has paid for home internet for about 23,000 homes with school-age students across the country, in a scheme that was recently expanded out to 2028, with up to 30,000 places available.The Labor government has so far resisted calls for cheaper NBN pricing, concession or otherwise.The focus for the government has been on upgrading premises to full fibre-to-the-home connections in many places, in a bid to undo the multi-technology mix model rolled out by the former Coalition government that left homes with subpar download speeds.The Coalition has not yet announced any policies around the NBN, except recently stating a Coalition government would not privatise the government-owned network.
Sign up for the Afternoon Update: Election 2025 email newsletterThe United States ran an affordable broadband initiative that provided up to US$30 per month to eligible households that ended in 2024 due to Congress not approving additional funding.A study commissioned by a wireless internet company argued the cost of the program was offset by the healthcare, education and workforce productivity gains seen as a result.The Connecting Families Initiative in Canada offers services of C$10 or C$20 per month for basic broadband of up to 50Mbps download speeds and 200GB of monthly data.Bennett said Australia would not be treading new ground if the country followed.“The benefits of affordable broadband are clear – better health, better education, better engagement in work and employment, and stronger communities.
We’re asking the government to seize this opportunity.We would be following international success stories.“Our call follows mounting international evidence showing that affordable broadband isn’t just good policy – it’s good economics.”
IMF slashes global growth forecast to 2.8% this year due to Trump trade war – as it happened
Newsflash: the International Monetary Fund has slashed its forecasts for global growth this year and in 2026, due to the disruption caused by Donald Trump’s trade war.The IMF is now predicting that growth across the world economy will fall to 2.8% this year, down from 3.3% in 2024, followed by 3% growth next year. Back in January, the Fund had forecast 3
Risks to global financial stability surging after Trump tariffs, warns IMF
The global financial system is coming under increasing strain as Donald Trump’s trade war rocks markets, the International Monetary Fund has warned.“Global financial stability risks have increased significantly,” the IMF said in its regular snapshot of the system, urging regulators to be on the alert for potential crises.It pointed to the “sharp repricing of risk assets” that has followed the US president’s tariff announcements since February – in particular his 2 April “liberation day” statement – and warned that there may be more to come.Published as finance ministers and central bankers gather in Washington for the IMF’s spring meetings – and as the IMF downgraded its forecasts for global growth amid tariff concerns – the Global Financial Stability Report identified what it called “forward-looking vulnerabilities” in markets.These include what it said were overstretched valuations for stocks and bonds in some areas, even after recent sell-offs; the highly leveraged state of some financial institutions, including hedge funds; and the vulnerability of some governments to volatility in sovereign bond markets
M&S apologises after ‘cyber incident’ hits contactless payments and online orders
Marks & Spencer has apologised to customers after a “cyber incident” affected contactless payments and the pick up of online orders in it stores in recent days.The retailer told shoppers that delays to click and collect orders have continued but it was “working hard to resolve” the issue.It told customers and staff they did not need to take any action, suggesting their data has not been accessed.In a statement to the stock exchange M&S said it had found it “necessary to make some minor, temporary changes to our store operations to protect customers and the business” and was “sorry for any inconvenience experienced”. It said stores remained open and its website and app were operating as normal
Santander looks at splitting car finance from rest of UK division
The Spanish owner of Santander is reportedly considering splitting off its scandal-hit motor finance business from the rest of its UK business as part of a corporate shake-up that could make the bank more attractive to potential buyers.Banco Santander has been reviewing the future of its UK business in recent months, amid mounting frustrations over regulations and costs. That includes the fallout of the growing car finance commission scandal, which analysts at RBC Capital say could cost the bank up to £1.9bn in compensation to its former borrowers.The potential reorganisation would involve moving the consumer finance division, which houses its car loan business, out of the Santander UK business, according to Bloomberg, which cited unnamed sources
IMF warns of ‘major negative shock’ from Trump’s tariffs
Donald Trump’s tariffs have unleashed a “major negative shock” into the world economy, the International Monetary Fund has said, as it cut its forecasts for US, UK and global growth.In a stark assessment of the impact of the US president’s policies, as global finance ministers prepare to meet in Washington, the IMF said: “We expect that the sharp increase on 2 April in both tariffs and uncertainty will lead to a significant slowdown in global growth in the near term.”It came as Rachel Reeves was due to arrive in the US capital on Tuesday evening, ahead of what could be a key week for a US-UK trade deal. The chancellor, who will meet her US counterpart, Scott Bessent, for the first time, is expected to press the UK’s case for reduced tariffs. She said she would be “defending British interests and making the case for free and fair trade”
‘Employment’s the best way to stop reoffending’: the boss of ready meals firm Cook on the ‘talent’ in prisons
The co-founder of the family-run frozen food maker says ethical practices pay dividends on top of financial returns for her businessRosie Brown, the boss of Cook, never planned to be a chief executive. First, she trained as a nurse, then tried her hand at politics; then banking. But having struggled at first to find her niche, Brown now leads a ready-meal business ranked as the country’s best place to work in food and drink, and is looking to help others find their way in the world of work.Last year, the co-CEO of the ethical frozen food business took over from shoe-mending-chain boss James Timpson as chair of the Employment Advisory Board network, a government-backed programme started by Timpson which works with more than 90 prisons.She says she “grew up thinking it was entirely normal to employ people with barriers to employment”
The Vivienne’s sister speaks out about drug use ‘stigma’
GPs in poor parts of England are paid £5,500 less a year than in wealthy areas, study finds
Patient satisfaction with GP services in England has collapsed, research finds
Help to reduce high blood pressure lowers dementia risk, study finds
Graham Sergeant obituary
Concern over ‘asbis’ after report finds people jailed for sleeping rough and feeding birds