There’s concern households and businesses across the western plains could see a bigger internet bill after the National Broadband Network announced it will raise wholesale charges from 1 July. 

The NBN charges telcos like Telstra and Optus to use its network, which transfers data across Australia via satellite, transmission towers (fixed wireless) as well as physical lines (fixed line) to households. 

The 1 May announcement means providers are likely to pass the price hike, averaging about 4.1 per cent across NBN wholesale services, onto customers. 

“Each week, around 6,000 customers are placing orders to upgrade to full fibre higher speed tiers. These trends underscore the increasing expectations for faster speeds and more data," NBN Chief Customer Officer Anna Perrin said. 

"In response, nbn’s wholesale price adjustments will help to ensure we can continue to invest in the network to improve its speed, capacity, and reliability for the benefit of all Australians."

“We understand that any price change can be a concern for customers, particularly considering current cost of living pressures. For this reason, we strive to be as prudent and efficient as possible with our investments to make every dollar count.

“Our priority is to meet today's demands and ensure our network is future-ready for the innovations and advancements that households and businesses will rely upon in the years ahead. We are confident that our investments will result in superior service and support the needs of Australians in an increasingly digital world.” 

Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia (BIRRR) spokesperson Sharon Single said she would be surprised if retailers didn’t pass on at least part of the rate hikes to consumers, although we’ll only know when new prices come out.

“They may choose to increase the price more than this wholesale to correct for their own Consumer Price Index increase,” Ms Single said.

“You do need to know this isn’t going to occur for satellite. So, this will only be fixed wireless and Fire to the Node (FttN) connections.

“It is a competitive market and NBN have sort of signed that they expect the service provider to competitively go out to market.

“Until we see what they offer, we don’t know how it will impact.”

Ms Single said people should take the chance to shop around when new pricing arrives for internet plans.

“There are multiple providers, it’s not just Telstra,” Ms Single said. 

 

“You should never lock in to an internet or phone provider these days. You should allow yourself to be flexible and you should regularly go back and check whether you’re getting the best deal.”