- Cheapest NBN
- Optus, by $5 per month at each tier ($75/$85/$95 vs Telstra's $80/$90/$100 for NBN 25/50/100).
- Verified speeds
- Telstra: 100% of advertised download at peak in ACCC testing, the stronger documented performer.
- Cheapest 5G home internet
- Optus from $79/month vs Telstra from $85/month, where coverage allows.
- Customer satisfaction
- Telstra 3.2/5, Optus 2.5/5 on ProductReview. Neither leads the market.
The short answer
Optus is $5 a month cheaper than Telstra at every mainstream NBN tier and undercuts it on 5G home internet too. Telstra answers with the strongest verified speeds in the country, 100% of advertised download during peak hours in ACCC testing, plus the larger ecosystem: Telstra Air hotspots, premium support on fast plans and the biggest mobile network for bundling. Neither telco is the value pick in the wider market though; challenger ISPs sell near-identical NBN performance for $10 to $30 less per month than either. This comparison only truly matters if you have decided to stay with a major telco.
Current plans side by side (July 2026)
| Product | Telstra | Optus |
|---|---|---|
| NBN 25 | $80/month | $75/month |
| NBN 50 | $90/month | $85/month |
| NBN 100 | $100/month | $95/month |
| NBN 250 | $120/month | — |
| NBN 1000 | $140/month | — |
| 5G Home Internet | From $85/month | From $79/month |
Prices as at July 2026 from each provider's published plans. 5G home internet availability depends on coverage at your address.
Speeds and the 5G alternative
Telstra recorded 100% of advertised download speeds during the 7pm to 11pm peak in the ACCC's Measuring Broadband Australia testing, the benchmark result among the majors. Optus's NBN performance is respectable but less consistently documented at the top of the table. Where the two get interesting is fixed wireless: both sell 5G home internet as an NBN alternative in covered metro areas, and Optus does it cheaper, from $79/month with speeds that can exceed 100 Mbps. For households stuck on underperforming FTTN, a 5G service from either telco can be a genuine upgrade; check coverage at your address before committing, and prefer a plan with no lock-in so you can retreat to the NBN if performance disappoints.
Bundles, extras and trust
Both telcos discount home internet for mobile customers, and this is where most people should make the call: whichever network your phones are on tends to win the bundle arithmetic. Telstra adds Telstra Air wifi hotspots and premium support tiers; Optus counters with sports streaming perks. On satisfaction, Telstra's 3.2/5 ProductReview average beats Optus's 2.5/5, a gap that widened after Optus's high-profile 2022 data breach and subsequent outage damaged trust in the brand. Neither approaches the 4.3 to 4.7 range of the best challenger ISPs.
See both at your address
Rates for Telstra and Optus vary by distribution network. The only comparison that matters is the one at your postcode.
Compare plans nowWhen each one wins
Choose Telstra if you want the most consistent verified speeds, you need NBN 250 or 1000 (Optus does not sell them), your mobiles are with Telstra, or premium support matters.
Choose Optus if your mobiles are with Optus, you want 5G home internet at the lower price, or you simply want the same tier $5 a month cheaper and can live with the weaker service reputation.
Choose neither if price and satisfaction are the priorities: challenger ISPs deliver near-identical NBN speeds for $10 to $30 less per month with far better ratings.
Our verdict: Telstra or Optus?
Between the two, Telstra is the better internet provider: faster verified speeds, the full tier range, and meaningfully better (if unspectacular) customer satisfaction. Optus is the discount version of the same idea, and its 2.5-star average and post-breach trust deficit make the $5 saving feel thin.
Zoom out, though, and this is a contest between the market's two most expensive mainstream options. Unless a mobile bundle or 5G coverage locks you into one of them, the honest answer to "Telstra or Optus?" is Superloop or Aussie Broadband, at $10 to $30 a month less.