- Cheapest NBN
- Optus, by $6 per month at NBN 25 ($83 vs Telstra's $89) and $2 at NBN 50 ($97 vs $99). They are now tied at NBN 1000, both $129/month, after Telstra dropped its price.
- Verified speeds
- Telstra: 99.5% of advertised download at peak in the ACCC's final Measuring Broadband Australia report (Report 33, June 2026), the stronger documented performer.
- Cheapest 5G home internet
- Telstra from $70/month vs Optus from $79/month (Optus figure not re-checked), where coverage allows. Telstra's $70 entry plan averages about 22 Mbps in busy periods, so compare speed as well as price.
- Customer satisfaction
- Telstra 3.2/5, Optus 2.5/5 on ProductReview. Neither leads the market.
The short answer
Optus is a little cheaper than Telstra on the NBN tiers they share ($6 a month at NBN 25, $2 at NBN 50), though the two are now level at NBN 1000 ($129 each) and Telstra's entry 5G home internet plan starts lower. Telstra answers with the strongest verified speeds in the country, 99.5% 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; the cheapest challenger ISPs sell near-identical NBN performance for roughly $5 to $11 less per month at NBN 25 and 50. This comparison only truly matters if you have decided to stay with a major telco.
Current plans side by side (October 2026)
| Product | Telstra | Optus |
|---|---|---|
| NBN 25 | $89/month | $83/month |
| NBN 50 | $99/month | $97/month |
| NBN 100 | $99/month | Not listed |
| NBN 250 | $99/month | Not listed |
| NBN 500 | Not in our table | $99/month |
| NBN 1000 | $129/month | $129/month |
| 5G Home Internet | From $70/month | From $79/month |
Prices as at October 2026 from each provider's published plans. Optus currently offers $15 a month off for 12 months on its NBN plans to 6 October 2026 (for example NBN 25 at $68). Optus's 5G price was not re-checked this review. 5G home internet availability depends on coverage at your address.
Speeds and the 5G alternative
Telstra recorded 99.5% of advertised download speeds during the 7pm to 11pm peak in the ACCC's final Measuring Broadband Australia testing (Report 33, June 2026), 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, with Telstra's entry plan from $70/month and Optus 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 want NBN 250 at $99 (Optus does not list it), your mobiles are with Telstra, or premium support matters.
Choose Optus if your mobiles are with Optus, you want NBN 25 for $6 a month less and can live with the weaker service reputation. NBN 1000 is now a tie.
Choose neither if price and satisfaction are the priorities: the cheapest challenger ISPs deliver near-identical NBN speeds for roughly $5 to $11 less per month at NBN 25 and 50, with far better ratings.
Our verdict: Telstra or Optus?
Between the two, Telstra is the better internet provider: faster verified speeds, a cheaper entry 5G plan, 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 $2 to $6 saving on NBN 25 and 50 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 $5 to $11 a month less at NBN 25 and 50.