Compare the total cost over the time you expect to stay, including the price after the discount and any equipment or exit costs. The lowest introductory price can lose its advantage if you leave early or keep paying after the offer ends.
Compare current plans
Use the Wireless Choices table below as a starting point. Shortlist plans at the same speed level, then confirm availability at your address and the provider’s Critical Information Summary. The table is a selection, not a claim to rank every Australian offer.
Calculate what you will actually pay
Use this calculation for each shortlisted plan: discounted months × introductory price + remaining months × ongoing price + unavoidable setup, equipment and exit costs. Subtract a credit only if you qualify for it.
Worked example: invented prices, not current offers
Plan A
$60 for six months, then $80
- Twelve months: (6 × $60) + (6 × $80) = $840, before extra costs.
Plan B
$72 every month
- Twelve months: 12 × $72 = $864, before extra costs.
Difference
$24 over twelve months
- A $50 mandatory setup cost on Plan A changes its total to $890. Plan B then costs $26 less.
The same comparison can produce a different answer for a six-month rental or a two-year stay. Use your likely period, not whichever period makes the offer look cheapest. This example assumes unchanged prices and no overlapping bills.
Choose enough speed for the busy hour
The ACCC advises comparing typical evening speeds, measured for the busy 7–11pm period. Also check upload speed if you regularly send large files or back up work. A higher download tier does not guarantee that a weak Wi-Fi signal in the spare room will improve.
Source: ACCC: broadband speeds.
Before paying for an upgrade, our suggested check is to compare performance near the router with the room where you work. If the problem only appears in that room, investigate the home connection first. Keep notes of the time and device so the comparison is useful.
Before you switch
ACMA says only active numbers can be ported. If keeping a home-phone number matters, agree the transfer with the new provider before asking the old provider to disconnect it.
Source: ACMA: keep or port your phone number.
Put the review reminder a few weeks before the discount ends and attach the signup confirmation. That gives you the exact offer you accepted when you compare again, rather than a newer advertisement with different conditions.
Sources and review notes
Checked 10 September 2026 against the sources below. This is documentation-based guidance; we did not access a customer account or test these instructions on a handset.
Michel Elijah covers technology, streaming and online security for Tech X Telco. He writes practical how-to guides on everything from email troubleshooting to spotting the latest scams doing the rounds in Australia, with a focus on clear steps anyone can follow.
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