What Affects Business Internet Pricing in Melbourne
Business internet pricing is not as straightforward as picking a speed and paying a flat rate. Several factors determine what you pay, and understanding them helps you avoid overpaying for features you do not need or underpaying for a connection that cannot keep up.
The cheapest plan is not always the best value. The most expensive plan is not always necessary. Understanding what drives pricing helps you find the right balance for your business.
What You Pay For
Visible Costs
These are the costs you see on your invoice. They vary based on speed, connection type, and SLA level.
- Speed tier: Higher speeds cost more
- Upload vs download: Symmetrical costs more than asymmetrical
- Connection type: NBN, business fibre, or enterprise ethernet
- SLA level: Guaranteed uptime adds to the cost
Hidden Variables
These are the factors that affect your total cost but may not appear on the headline price.
- Contract length: Longer terms may reduce monthly cost
- Location: Infrastructure availability affects options
- Bundled services: Combining internet with VoIP can save
- Equipment: Modem, router, and installation fees
Each Factor Explained
Internet plans are priced primarily by speed. A 50Mbps plan costs less than a 250Mbps plan, which costs less than a 1000Mbps plan. The question is what speed your business actually needs.
A small office with three staff doing email, browsing, and occasional video calls works fine on 50-100Mbps. A team of fifteen running cloud software, VoIP phones, and regular video conferences needs 250Mbps or more. Paying for 1000Mbps when 250Mbps covers your needs wastes money.
We can assess your actual usage and recommend the right speed tier. There is no point paying for bandwidth you will never use.
This is where the biggest pricing gap sits. Standard NBN plans are asymmetrical, meaning your download speed is much faster than your upload. A 100/20 plan gives you 100Mbps down but only 20Mbps up.
Business fibre plans are symmetrical. A 250/250 plan gives you the same speed in both directions. This costs more because symmetrical infrastructure requires dedicated capacity, but it makes a real difference for businesses that use VoIP, video calls, cloud software, and file sharing.
If your business primarily downloads content (browsing, streaming, receiving files), asymmetrical NBN is fine. If your business sends as much as it receives, symmetrical fibre is worth the investment.
The type of connection determines the base pricing structure. NBN plans (starting from $89.95/mo inc GST) use shared infrastructure through the national broadband network.
Business fibre plans (from $199.95/mo ex GST) provide a dedicated connection with symmetrical speeds, SLAs, and priority support. Enterprise ethernet (from approximately $299-399/mo) provides a completely uncontended point-to-point fibre connection.
Each tier up costs more because you are getting a fundamentally different product: less sharing, more guarantees, and faster support when something goes wrong.
A Service Level Agreement defines what the provider commits to in terms of uptime and fault response. Plans without SLAs (standard NBN) are best-effort. Plans with SLAs guarantee specific performance levels.
Business fibre includes a 99.95% uptime SLA and a dedicated account manager. Enterprise ethernet adds tiered fault resolution: Bronze (12-hour fix), Silver (8-hour fix), or Gold (4-hour fix).
Higher SLA tiers cost more because the provider commits real resources to meeting those guarantees. For businesses where an hour of downtime costs thousands, the SLA premium is easily justified.
Month-to-month plans offer flexibility but may cost slightly more per month. Our NBN Limitless plans are month-to-month with no lock-in, making them easy to try and easy to leave.
Business fibre contracts are flexible, with options to suit different business needs. Enterprise ethernet typically requires a 36-month contract, but this often includes $0 installation, which can represent significant savings.
The right contract length depends on how established your business is at its current location. If you are settled, a longer contract with better pricing makes sense. If you might relocate, flexibility is worth the premium.
Your physical address determines which carriers and connection types are available. Some business parks and office buildings have multiple fibre providers competing for tenants, which keeps pricing competitive.
Other locations may have limited options. If only one fibre provider services your area, you have less room to negotiate. Regional areas may be limited to fixed wireless or NBN.
We work with multiple carriers and can check what is available at your specific address. Sometimes the best option is not the most obvious one.
Combining internet with other services like VoIP phone systems (3CX), hardware, or managed Wi-Fi can reduce individual costs. Providers often offer better rates when you consolidate services.
We offer internet, 3CX phone systems, and supporting hardware as an integrated package. This simplifies your billing, gives you a single point of contact for support, and often costs less than sourcing each service separately.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
What Other Providers May Not Tell You
- Excess data charges: Some plans cap your data and charge extra. All our plans include unlimited data.
- Equipment rental fees: Monthly modem or router charges that add up over time. Our NBN plans include a free modem option.
- Installation fees: Some providers charge $200-500 for installation. We include standard installation on business fibre plans.
- Early termination fees: Locked contracts with steep exit fees if your situation changes. Our NBN plans are month-to-month.
- Speed downgrades: Some providers reduce your speed during peak hours or when you exceed certain thresholds. We do not throttle speeds.
- Support charges: Premium support lines or per-incident charges for technical help. Our business plans include support at no extra cost.
Our Pricing at a Glance
NBN Limitless Plans (inc GST)
- Limitless 50 (50/20 Mbps): $89.95/mo
- Limitless 100 (100/20 Mbps): $99.95/mo
- Limitless 500 (500/50 Mbps): $129.95/mo
- Limitless 1000 (1000/100 Mbps): $159.95/mo
- Unlimited data, no contracts, free modem option
Business Fibre Plans (ex GST)
- 150/150 Mbps: $199.95/mo
- 250/250 Mbps: $249.95/mo
- 500/500 Mbps: $299.95/mo
- 1000/1000 Mbps: $499.95/mo
- Symmetrical speeds, 99.95% uptime SLA, dedicated account manager
Frequently Asked Questions
Business internet in Melbourne ranges from $89.95 per month for standard NBN to $499.95 per month for high-speed business fibre. The price depends on speed, connection type, SLA level, and contract terms. Enterprise ethernet starts from approximately $299 to $399 per month for dedicated connections.
If your business relies on video conferencing, VoIP phones, cloud software, or sending large files, yes. Business fibre provides symmetrical speeds, guaranteed uptime, and priority support. The monthly price difference often pays for itself through reduced downtime and improved productivity.
Business internet includes features that residential plans do not: symmetrical upload speeds, uptime SLAs, dedicated support, priority fault resolution, and static IP addresses. These features require dedicated infrastructure and resources from the provider, which increases the cost.
Some providers include excess data charges, equipment rental fees, or premium support charges that are not obvious upfront. Our plans include unlimited data, free modem options on NBN, and support at no extra cost. We are transparent about pricing with no hidden fees.
Yes. Our NBN Limitless plans are month-to-month with no lock-in contracts. Business fibre offers flexible contract options. Enterprise ethernet typically requires a 36-month commitment but often includes $0 installation as a trade-off.
Speed requirements depend on your team size and usage. A small office with fewer than five staff doing basic tasks works well on 50-100Mbps. A team of 10-20 using cloud software and video calls needs 250Mbps or more. We can assess your specific usage and recommend the right speed tier.
A static IP address is needed if you host services, use a VPN, run security cameras accessible remotely, or have specific compliance requirements. Our business plans include static IP options. Most small businesses doing standard cloud-based work do not need a static IP.
We can assess your business needs and provide a clear, honest quote. No pressure, no hidden costs, just the right plan at the right price for your situation.